Discover the Features of a Prairie Style Design For A Home Remodel

The Prairie style home that was made famous by the great American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, is the first distinctly American architectural style. Similar to the Arts and Crafts movement, Prairie style architecture believes that a structure should reflect, respect, and naturally fit into the surrounding environment. The space in and outside the home is intended to be functional, flowing, and open.

The prairie style was much less ornate than the Victorian homes of the same era. Prairie homes came about after decades of revival movements like the “Classical” and “Colonial Revival” style. Young architects, like Frank Lloyd Wright, were tired of the archaic European styles and wanted to create something fresh and uniquely designed for “modern” American life.

This style was indigenous to the Midwest, and here in Madison, Wisconsin, we not only have five Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, but we also have a fair number of prairie style homes. Here are some of the characteristics of this uniquely American architectural style.

A Short History of The Prairie Style

Prairie style architecture came out of the Arts and Crafts movement of late 19th century Europe. The arts and crafts movement was a reaction to the ornate, over the top Victorian style of architecture. Prairie style was a purely American take on the arts and crafts style.

This style of design's salient characteristics include strong horizontal lines and natural interaction with the surrounding landscape. The best examples embody the sensitivity of the environment to make it seem as if the structure is a part of the landscape. This is often partially achieved by using natural elements and indigenous materials.

View This Contemporary Prairie Style Home Construction Project

Though the exterior character and curb appeal of the prairie style home is beautiful and unique, the radical reorganization of the interior sets the style apart. The Victorian homes of the era featured small, formal, compartmentalized rooms. This new style was a more modern innovation that opened up the interior spaces by creating a more natural flow between the rooms. Even smaller homes we made to feel more spacious by removing doors and walls and increasing the sightlines between rooms. In the words of Frank Lloyd Wright, prairie design ”should be trimmed to the last ounce of the superfluous.”

Prairie style also incorporated the natural environment by blending indoor and outdoor spaces by providing easy access to porches and patios. The ample use of many windows allowed plenty of natural light and cross-ventilation, which at the time were considered essential to health and well-being.

The Prairie school of architecture's foundation is that a home should function for its occupants without being too elaborate or decorated. This thought was that the intricacies of Victorian architecture were excessive. The Prairie style believed in honoring handmade craftsmanship and natural materials over the mass-produced faux luxuries of the Industrial Age.

The Key Characteristics of The Prairie Style

According to the father of the Prairie style, Wright believed the Prairie style house should be a structure that was “married to the ground.” His intention was to create structures that replicated the flat, bare landscape of the American Midwest. To achieve this, he and his colleagues incorporated several key characteristics that came to define the style.

• Horizontal Lines

Surfaces were positioned in horizontal ways, in contrast to upward-pointing surfaces within the Art Deco design movement. Gutter downspouts and other vertical elements were hidden in Prairie style home designs. Cantilevered roofs were long, flat, and horizontal.

• Handmade Elements

Much like the Arts and Crafts movement, Prairie style homes incorporate a lot of hand-wrought woodwork and art glass. However, most enhancements were subtle, built into the structure, and not overly detailed. The concept of built-in art and furniture prevented the owners from adding non-essential elements into the home.

• Simple, Natural Woodwork

Prairie style has natural elements that shine in their pure form. The woodwork is simple and incorporates smooth bands so the wood grain can be admired.

• Open Concept First Floor Living Space

The main living area included an open living room and dining space. Unlike today's open concept floor plan, the kitchen was kept hidden in the Prairie style home.

• Indoor/Outdoor Flow

Prairie homes were built from the inside out. There was an intentional flow from inside to outside, designed into the space.

• Natural Materials and Motifs

Exteriors were typically made of brick or stucco and usually incorporated a large, centrally located chimney. Themes and materials were inspired by nature and straightforward, like a simple rendition of a branch.

• Massive Walls of Windows

Sometimes taking up an entire wall, windows were large and let in tons of natural light while framing the outdoor panorama. They often included art glass and other features, so they resemble a piece of art.

The Birth of Modern American Architecture

Frank Lloyd Wright was the most noted architect of the Prairie School, but he wasn't the only one developing the style. Great American architects like Barry Byrne, George Washington Maher, William Gray Purcell, and many others embraced Prairie style architecture. It was widely accepted from around 1905 until around 1920, and as it became more popular, it became more stylized and generic.

Inspired by the Arts and Craft movement of the late 19th century, the Prairie Style was the first modern American architectural style and one of the first styles of architecture to incorporate the modern idea that form follows function. It implemented common modern elements like large flat planes, mixed natural materials, and geometric shapes that foreshadowed the mid-century modern style popular in the 50s and 60s. With its refined craftsmanship, reliance on natural materials, and open layout, the style was a new and innovative way to design structures for the American Mid West in the new century.

If you live in the greater Madison, Wisconsin area and are considering a prairie style remodel, give the award-winning design team at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel a call at 608) 846-5963. We're always happy to answer your questions. We're always ready to help you make the right choices to meet your needs and fit your budget. Call today for a free no-obligation consultation to discuss your project.