What I Did On My Summer Vacation (Part 1) - Fallingwater

My cousin and I like to take unusual road trips. For the last weekend of summer, you won't find us lounging on a beach with an umbrella in our drinks, you'll find us in Pittsburgh. Yes, Pittsburgh. This excursion was prompted by an intriguing news story about the revitalization of an old rundown steel town in the "Rust Belt" called Braddock. While we were checking out Braddock, we worked in some other must-see sights.

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I'm going to start my summer vacation series of posts with the highlight. It was our very last stop before heading back on the road for the long drive back to New York - Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece, Fallingwater, located in the lush woods of rural Pennsylvania.

 

The house is chock full of artwork by Tiffany, Picasso, and Diego Rivera with neutral coloring throughout. I captured the feeling straight from the era of the popular tv show, Mad Men. Using rock from the area, this feat of architectural engineering is truly in harmony with nature. Cantilevered platforms delicately straddle a waterfall, and evokes the feeling of an exquisite treehouse suspended high in the branches.

Every room extends an invitation to occupants to relax and settle in with a good book on the terrace or curled up by the fire. I can just imagine that the fall season would be spectacular here. While exploring this home, I couldn't help but wonder what it would take to move into a place like this.

The punchline: when it was built in the 1930s, the home cost the Kaufmann family approximately $155K. Today, the collection of artwork alone in this one of a kind dwelling is priceless.