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Soon after renowned architect and designer Frank Lloyd Wright passed away in 1959, blueprints for a house that he never completed surfaced. The house was intended to sit on a property in Ohio owned by Louis Penfield, who requested a design from Wright in 1953.
Wright’s house design was never built (in fact, another home already stood on the property), but in 2018, a woman named Sarah Dykstra purchased the property. In her new home, underneath the house’s bench seating, she discovered the original plans designed by Wright.
And now, you’ll get to watch her and her mother, Debbie, build an organic-style house from scratch, exactly how Wright planned it.
About The Last Wright
The mother-daughter duo emphasized creating Wright’s house in a way that’s entirely true to form. They consulted with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, as well as other homeowners whose houses were designed by Wright. They also collaborated with the Wright Building Conservancy to ensure that everything in the home was as close to Wright’s initial vision as possible.
The show will follow the Dykstras from the beginning to the end of building the house themselves, including sourcing the materials for building the home, consulting on the best way to honor Wright’s original design, and, of course, the troubles that come along with modern-day building codes. The four-part series will show you everything that went into building the iconic RiverRock house.
The Dykstras certainly faced their fair share of challenges; Wright’s design wasn’t exactly made to stand up to modern building codes and materials. However, they were determined to complete the new home, called the RiverRock House, exactly as Wright had initially intended.
The Final Project
The final project is more than worth the wait—in fact, it was so successful, the home is now available to rent as an Airbnb. The 2,000 square-foot home is full of surprises that you’ll want to uncover for yourself by watching The Last Wright.
A few key details reveal just how much effort and attention the Dykstras invested in the build, including features such as heated floors, locally sourced rocks from the Chagrin River (as specified by Wright himself), and a living room with all-glass walls.
What Fans Are Saying
The network’s announcement has already garnered considerable positive support on social media, thanks to its unique premise.
“What an amazing concept. Cannot wait!” commented one fan on Magnolia Network’s Instagram trailer. A few owners of homes built by Wright even chimed in to say how excited they were to see his final design come to life at last.
How to Watch the New Series
Magnolia Network is hosting the show, which will premiere on Wednesday, September 3, at 8:00 p.m. ET; you can also stream it the day after it airs on HBO Max. Chip and Joanna Gaines serve as the executive producers.
