Today, I schlepped past the City limits, through the suburbs to rural Illinois.  We visited Plano, Illinois today.  We saw one of only 3 single family private residents in the world designed by one of my favorite architects — Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.  This house was commissioned by Dr. Edith Farnsworth.  The good doctor was a single woman who lived and practiced medicine in Chicago.  She wanted a quiet sanctuary away from the City to visit on the weekends.

I won’t get into all the details as to how she found the property, discovered and met Mies or the ensuing drama after they began working together — I won’t do it justice, the story is fascinating though.  This house is relatively small and was designed for a one person retreat.  Follow the links and read a bit more about this amazing space and the story surrounding this home. How lucky we are it was purchased by preservationists and not a private owner/collector who could have moved this home.

The home is absolutely stunning.  As I walked around the property, I envisioned building a contemporary equivalent on the family land in Oregon — nestled in the trees, looking out on the rolling hills and the pond at the bottom of the property.

My pictures below were accidentally taken in very low resolution — I need to return next fall and take more photos with a high resolution setting.  The photos do show the blending of inside and out on this property. How lovely would it be to spend quiet, contemplative evenings in this home.

This place is stunning — I cannot wait to return and if you are in the greater Chicago area, please pay them a visit.