Vintage Nerd
Nov 9, 2016 | by Ellen Dial
Meyer May House
A Trip Back in the Way Back Machine
Ahh – vacation! The chance to get away from everything and completely tune out. If you’re a solid introvert, like I am, a week away and alone is nirvana. Not being expected to “people” is bliss. I do it every day at work, smile, interact and talk … and talk.
Silence is golden.
As much as I loved my week away – on a peaceful lake in central Michigan – that’s not what this about. It’s about a little day trip I took to feed the vintage nerd in me. After three days of chill and drizzle, a bit of an adventure was in the cards. After a bit of research on the interwebs, I found out one of finest examples of prairie style architecture was just a quick hour away in Grand Rapids. I had to go!
Off I went, through alleys of beautiful fall foliage. Past horrifying political signs. Gun shops, apple orchards and derelict gas and sips – on the way to the impressive skyline of Grand Rapids, and a jewel of turn-of-the-century, progressive architecture.
An hour or so later, I was cruising up the quiet brick streets in the area of Grand Rapids known as Heritage Hill. I found it vastly amusing that I had to turn off on the Wealthy Street exit. But as you know, I’m easily amused.
Destination? The glorious Meyer May house, designed in 1908 by the famous (and infamous), brilliant and innovative Frank Lloyd Wright. He of cape wearing, yellow roadster driving and non-bill paying fame. One of my all time favorites, gotta love a scoundrel!
Let’s take a look at this fantastical house, shall we?
Vintage Nerd | It’s Organic
Nestled in the midst of Victorian and Edwardian mansions, the Meyer May house seemingly rises from the ground, like a fortress. Unlike many of his other homes, it’s not built on a hill, but in a valley – created by berm and hedges. Sleek and low slung. The epitome of the Wright prairie style and his vision of organic architecture – very much like the equally spectacular Robie House in Chicago’s Oak Park suburb (they were completed around the same time). The house stands out by looking completely modern. It’s replete with the gorgeous details Wright was known for. As well as a cantilevered roof line.
The wonderful fireplace and mantel
This was created over 100 years ago! Certainly doesn’t look it. Brilliant.
The house was created for the Meyer May family. Mr. May owned a clothing store, was quite wealthy and very forward thinking. He was also very short, but we’ll get to that later. He had to be rich, since Wright was absolutely notorious for going grossly over budget. Grossly over may be an understatement; he was the worst. He wasn’t too timely, either.
So in 1908 Wright got to work – everything in the house was created by good old Frank. The structure and the entire interior, as was his wont, he designed all the furniture, carpets, wall coverings/paint, light fixtures, linens, china – EVERYTHING. For some of his commissions he designed dresses for the owner’s wives to wear, so they would match the house. Quaint, yes?
He was so controlling that if he visited one of his houses after it had been completed and the owners had been in it awhile – and perhaps moved stuff around or changed anything? He changed it all right back to it’s original state. His way or the highway.
Vintage Nerd | His Shortness and Gadgets
So Frank always designed his houses around the (usually) male owner. He took into consideration their interests, needs and physical attributes. Man needed to feel powerful in his own home.
Remember Mr. May’s short stature? Well, the whole house is, well…. Short.
If the house had been built and designed using average measurements? May would have felt like a kid in his own home. The man was 5”3’ and didn’t like it.
All the windows, doors, railings and furniture were designed to help him feel of average height. Even with that said, the ceiling still seems to soar, the windows are large and bright. The interior has a wonderful open concept – even has a very special niche for another of May’s interests, his Victrola – it’s tucked in the corner of the main living area atop a beautiful oak console with special drawers for his many records.
What else?
The house has 2.5 bathrooms (Well, one is for the maid, which was unusual for that time). With subway tile and walk-in showers. The deep soaker tub in the main bath was marvelous!
A cousin to the “almost legendary” chair
Three bedrooms all perfectly bright and definitely bring the outside in. All the walls are covered in natural hues – oranges, yellows, golds and greens. What we would consider modern painting techniques – stippling for example, were favorites of FLW. Lending beautiful depth to the rooms.
Indirect up-lighting throws this house into the mid-20th century, almost like a time machine, but it’s all original. The light fixtures were custom made and the bulbs had to be hand made, too. There’s also a central vacuum system! Cool, right? The early 20th century had it going on, and we think we’re so smart, with our gadgets and such.
The spectacular dining room is the perfect example of Wright’s “room within a room” – so perfect that it’s the study piece for this concept and the center piece for many books written about Wright and his forward-thinking vision. As a whole, the room is amazing – made more so with the completely re-created Hollyhock mural, the signature of the designer. The intimacy of the dining table, with the built-in light fixtures and high back chairs completely focus all attention on the diners.
Vintage Nerd | The Story of the Story, or the 80’s sans Big Shoulder Pads
This tremendous house went through some updating as well as sadness. The original Mrs. May died during the horrible Flu pandemic in 1917. Several years later, Shorty McShorterson married another lady with two children of her own – the Mays had adopted two children several years before wife number one’s passing. They shockingly added another wing to the home – not sure what “himself” thought of all this, what with his control issues. The new wing had two more bedrooms and a bath.
He divorces wife #2 in the late 20’s. May himself died about 10 years later. This gorgeous house sat empty for a good six years.
Through the late 30’s all the way to the early 1980’s, the house is an apartment building. How sad! But so very cool, imagine your apartment being a FLW….
So what happens – inquiring vintage minds wants to know!
In the mid-1980’s the Steelcase Corporation purchased this iconic property.
Now, they were quite lucky. The blueprints were found. A balance of the design notes and correspondence between Wright and May. Fabric and carpet samples. Plus a a bunch of the original furniture. Much of it in the basement! Woot!
This. Is. Unprecedented.
Over the course of a year, Steelcase went nuts. They lifted the roof off and replaced Wright’s failing wooden trusses (he was NOT known for his roofs, they leaked and sagged. In fact, a lot of his stuff kinda well, you know, fell apart) with 19 tons (yes tons!) of steel girders and such. Everything was stripped, scrubbed and reproduced. The brickwork was re-mortared – big deal you say? To maintain the horizontal focus of the house, the bricks were mortared with darker stuff on the horizontal and lighter on the vertical. The entire house. Plus the whole fireplace area. Who does this now?
The man himself!
They hired Wright scholars and artists to get this work done. There was NO budget. They blew the “no budget” – millions were surely spent, though there’s no public record of how much. Every roof tile was recreated, they found the info from the original producer – who is still in business. Each carpet was custom made. Every piece of furniture restored and/or recreated.
The outcome? The most amazing house ever. It is a nearly perfect example of Wright’s vision, how it looked in 1909 when it was completed. It is totally like stepping back in time. The dream we vintage mavens have of stepping back in the way back machine.
Walking through it, I could hear the scratchy ragtime on the Victrola. See the bright light of the new electrical fixtures. Sense the clop of horseshoes intermingled with the chuff of those new automobiles. Feel the swish of silk skirts on my ankles.
There are some things that just simply feed your soul, this house was one of those things for me.
If you get the chance, go see it! I think you’d be very pleased.
For more information on Frank Lloyd Wright-
Loving Frank, by Nancy Horan
The Women, by TC Boyle
The writer would also like to thank: the Meyer May House, Wikipedia, her own experiences in walking the Wright architectural tour in Oak Park, Illinois and the various books read and seminars she’s taken over the years.