Den — Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley

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DEN

As you walk from the entrance to the Den, pay attention to how you feel when you walk into the large room after leaving the close spaces of the porch and entrance hall. The Den was a formal space for gathering and welcoming guests and likely had an eclectic mixture of furnishings—including a hanging couch near the built-in bench on your right (you can still see the hooks in the ceiling). Built-in benches were ideal for Frank Lloyd Wright’s design because he wanted to ensure a room was flexible in its use and filled with functional storage.

The den includes some other common Frank Lloyd Wright features: a long band of windows with diamond-paned glass and the flat wood trim, or string-coursing, throughout the room. Wright also created an open, flowing space by designing large openings between rooms, as seen between the den and the dining Room.

The cases in the room are filled with most of the Villa’s taxidermy collection as well as some of the Fabyans’ Asian art.

Head next to the Sun Porch at the east end of the den.

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