S01E06: Tour the Frank Lloyd Wright Smith House

[@emlovesthebeatles]

You are a brilliant storyteller! I was completely absorbed in your telling of the Smiths and the history of the house, and their relationship with Frank Lloyd Wright.

[@crizzy8373]

This is the best Frank Lloyd Wright tour I’ve ever seen! I learned so much detailed information that no one else has shared!

[@DavidJGillCA]

Years ago as an eager college student I got a private tour of the Smith house by Melvin Maxwell Smith himself. Like many of the original owners of Wright homes Mr. Smith was endlessly enthusiastic about his home and extremely generous about sharing it with guests.

[@stevemiller7949]

I once met him and recieved a tour from him like you. A cherished memory

[@kennethbarber438]

You are a natural teacher. This is the best tour of a FLW house I have experienced, with so many personal observations and stories. Thank you so much.

[@brettportman9847]

This was posted on my 65th birthday. Thanks for the present.

[@megbolton1150]

One of the best tours ever of a FLW home! You know your home and your history! The story of how you found proof of the landscape design plans and the visit of the planner is a classic! Thank you so much! The house is in good hands!

[@stevemiller7949]

Kevin's talks are always great. Many years ago, we knocked on the door without prior notice,and recieved the full tour from Mr. S. He explained that he asked Wright for a den, and when that door opened up, he said tada !!! Yes, he adored his home. Years later, we stopped again and Mrs Smith served us Campbell's soup for lunch. Such a sweet and generous couple of people. How wonderful to know the house is cared for by Cranbrook. Years ago, you could still get lovely tours from original owners of Wright homes.

[@annbcox]

So enjoyed this tour! Your energy and enthusiasm are contagious. As a Kingswood alum ‘69, I’ve enjoyed many of your presentations!

[@roberthoffmann851]

I’ve watched a number of presentations on Frank Lloyd Wright houses. You’ve woken the story of the family as they built the house and at the same time given the technical details of the building. Your presentation is one of the best.

[@enriquemercado6258]

Great tour ! Thankyou so much !

[@sehardingiv1360]

This is a beautiful home and a wonderfully done presentation! I love the natural feel of the home without it being a “glass box”.

[@warronconroy8460]

Thank you for your wonderful presentation; every step of your tour of the Smith house has been illuminating, educating and 100% charming. Cranbrook has in you a truly professional curator.

[@attichatchsound-bobkowal5328]

I've done drive-byes of this house on my annual "pilgrimage" to the Affleck house. Great to see this tour.

[@bec9696]

You make my heart swell with your passion and beautiful personality.

[@kenlodge3399]

Excellent. Best FLW house presentation ever, WTG.

[@klausrain111]

Those glass corners completely blow my mind!

[@derekdurst9984]

Wonderful, interesting presentation! Well done!

[@Texastimbo]

What a wonderful tour! Thank you from Texas!

[@simoncattle1434]

Superb FLW house and a brilliant tour by Kevin, an exemplary curator who clearly knows and loves the place so well. Many thanks (from England).

[@MicaRayan]

I enjoy your explanation! Love FLW and you summarized it impeccably. There are so many things I heard the first time in this video. What an amazing video with the explanation goes hand-in-hand simultaneously by the details of this property

[@danfrench3861]

Wonderful, informative and energetic presentation. Thank you.

[@michaelwells6075]

I'm over a year late to this presentation but I'm very happy the YT algorithm brought it to my attention. It's the happiest I've felt in a long time. Like other commenters, I genuinely appreciate the delightful stories that are the soul of this beautiful FLW home. Thank you so much for the tour!

[@peterhoward9457]

What an amazing presentation and with such passion!

[@vernonsanders371]

Thank u for a excellent presentation it was well researched.

[@marciabrumfield1400]

Wow. Thank you so much for the tour and explanation of the features. My dad, James W. Matthews, was an architect and architectural engineer and I believe that he designed the house he and my mom lived in from 1957 till they passed away, Dad in 2012 and Mom in 2014. Our house had many Frank Lloyd Wright influenced features, such as a brick, sandstone and slate exterior with a carport and storage off of the carport. The living room and dining room was generally L-shaped with blue-stained paneling and a sandstone/slate fireplace, builtin couch, and sandstone planter with geometric accents. There were builtin pieces in almost every room, but also large windows. I sat here talking to my dad as I watched the video. I hate that he is not here to watch it with me. Thanks again for the lovely tour.

[@jimwhitman3678]

Well done, can’t wait to see it in person. Hopefully you’ll be our guide!

[@andrewwesley1946]

Wonderfully informative. Thank you.

[@christinacascadilla4473]

Very informative! Excellent! Thanks!

[@brandbryce]

Fascinating tour and narration: what a lovely and happy surprise video to happen on!

[@markfisch1396]

Excellently done! I’ve been to over 70 FLW building including all of the 3 you first mentioned! Thank you for bringing this important knowledge forward!

[@pavelmartinez1815]

My friend, what amazing video you make! Thanks a lot for sharing this information. Good vibes from Mexico

[@amoswittmer54]

Absolutely fantastic, thank you so much!

[@marietjiehildebrandt1324]

Beautifull presentation, i love your attention to detail conserving the history of this home

[@robertallen3628]

Greetings from Toledo....I first toured Cranbrook in the early 60s when my family did not move to Mexico City and enroll me in the Univ. of Mexico School of Architecture. Major kudos for one of the best Wright tours of my 70 plus years of touring American houses...starting with the witch houses in Salem, MA at age 4! I enjoyed every story including the saga of the Church landscape drawings. An architecture professor of mine at Miami Universtity once wrote a complimentary letter to Alexander Calder who unexpectedly sent him about a 4 foot diameter mobile. He fell in love with it and then a bill came from Calder about a month later for over $2,000! He scraped the money together and installed it in his office. It is now worth about $100-200,000. I have a tidbit regarding the Russel Wright dinnerware.....which I have collected....but I need to verify a point...so in another comment. Hope to visit the house after Covid. Thanks again!

[@stevemiller7949]

Wow! Incredible to recieve a mobile like that, but those were "simpler" times. What a fabulous anecdote. Thank you

[@jfree1998]

Wow so awesome. Would love to have met such likeable people. Your narration was so great!

[@garydavis8213]

Very interesting presentation. Thank you.

[@Paralegal1]

You're terrific, Kevin! This is a fascinating and thorough tour. All I can say is WOW!

[@DetroitGoldie]

Wow! Amazing story with an amazing storyteller!

[@MrWadsox]

Great job young man. Thank you.

[@paulpeterson4311]

Great video!! The Gordon House in Oregon has had only one owner and also has a very endearing history due to it's humble middle class owners.

[@tylerofviolence]

Grey walk through and explanation of the history and love that style of FLW at that given time. One day I will be inside and call a FLW home for me. Great job. Hopefully more to come.

[@terrancearnold8530]

Such a wonderful story! Love the excellent Narration.

[@EllerinLaw]

Awesome presentation. I was captivated.

[@brettportman9847]

More great work. Keep it up.

[@fosbury68]

One of Wright's greatest Usonians. This one and Palmer to me are the epitome of his Usonian concept.

[@lisaaweems5932]

I loved this so much thank you for being fun loving and navigable xoxo.

[@lovegodsomuch8094]

Great documentary!

[@KJSvitko]

Great explanation of the owners and the process. FLW was truly a visionary and a national treasure.

[@victoriaolson8985]

Lovely presentation, thank you very much. please turn your phone camera to landscape mode next time.

[@badapple65]

Everything amazing of course. I picked up on all of the piano hinges. Even on the interior doors. I understand that FLW purchased piano hinges for years from Amerock Mfg here in my hometown of Rockford,IL and he designed a home for one of their employees here locally, The Laurent House. The only home ever designed for a person with special needs. Mr Laurent was bound to a wheelchair. Open for tours now owned, restored, and run by The Rockford park district.

[@xeriscapeguy]

Outstanding work.

[@karroketo]

Correctio n on stained glass, FLLW designed them for the Ennis House and also in some Usonian as the Krause house

[@aprilb4297]

I like that the kitchen is called a workspace. I think it emphasizes women's work.

[@tammybrown4901]

Big fan of Frank lyodf

[@stevemiller7949]

I would sure like to hear you talk about Ronchamp some time. Some of Corbu's ideas were harmful obviously, but then Broadacre City was misguided also. I'am trying to grapple with Ronchamp. It breaks some of my "rules" but I can't deny it's seductive poetry. If they let you, give it a go.

[@ciroalb3]

Wright got on to the Cypress wood after a big Florida storm put a lot of it on the market. He bought it up and sold it to clients. By the time of this house, I suppose it was all gone

[@millcity9711]

A portrait phone image vid ....really? Oh my...

[@slaymakerc]

Need a horizontal lens

[@Richard-eu5gi]

I like that.........You generally ate before you went to a Mrs. Smith dinner party......

[@jonathanstewart351]

Hasn't this guy heard of the wide screen format?

[@sharksport01]

He has a great face for radio. Or she.

[@stevemiller7949]

Grant Hildebrandt once explained to an interviewer that Wright's houses grab you. After he said it, he grabbed the man's arm for emphasis. If you understand the house you'll be seduced.

[@toddhensley880]

Strange Frank Lloyd Wright thought showers are uncivilized. I think sitting in your own dirty water is uncivilized. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@nationaltoolcompany]

I was excited to watch your production but it looks terrible shot on a phone. Terrible idea.

[@royhall6367]

Are you kidding!?

[@MrVorpalsword]

Too many Johnsons in the first 5 minutes! apart from that ;) - a wonderful guided tour, thank you ....

[@dissilymordentroge5818]

Was his barber drunk or did he just stick a finger in a light socket?

[@patriciazoerner]

Please, less of the host's image and more of the house. For the first two minutes all we see is your face.

[@swagner500]

Really poor video. You should never shoot an architectural video in portrait mode. And what's the super close ups of everything.

[@yt-ri5zm]

yr on camera too much....you ruin the video. it's not about you. ugh cant believe cranbrook allowed you to do this? redo this w a professional please!!

[@RAREFORMDESIGNS]

Wrong.

[@danfrench3861]

Seek help

[@annbcox]

So rude

[@HenryPueb]

Agreed. His voice should narrate not his face.

[@stevemiller7949]

Most of us love Kevin, back off.