Has a work of art ever made you feel something so deeply that it ends up living rent-free in your thoughts? Well, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pennsylvania did that for me in 2019 and lingered for years. Serendipitously Brizo introduced the long anticipated Frank Lloyd Wright Collection in 2021, just as our primary bathroom was nearing completion. What happened next? A little piece of Fallingwater became a part of our Southern California home… even better Brizo’s Frank Lloyd Wright’s Collection can be in your home also! But first, here’s my FLW love story!

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pennsylvania. Photo by me… with tears in my eyes.

Our family visited Fallingwater in 2019 when we were on the Pittsburg stop of our MLB 32 stadium quest (as of 2022 we’ve visited 19/32). While the Pirate’s stadium was a Brown Fam favorite, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater dropped our jaws & put us in awe along the banks of that humble Pennsylvania stream gently meandering south toward the Gulf of Mexico. Although our son, 11 yrs old at the time, had more to say about lack of air conditioning in the steamy Appalachian, mid-summer heat than the magnificent design of iconic American architecture.

Temperature aside, Wright drew inspiration from the natural surroundings in that swath of the Pennsylvania Appalachian Mountains where Bear Run’s pristine water jogs through a mature hemlock forest and has eroded millennia of limestone and shale. Nature became Fallingwater and Fallingwater grew out of nature. Wright wisely quarried that very limestone to clad the home. He calculated for massive boulders to remain in place, reimagining them as both a fortified foundation and design feature in a portion of the home. Wright allowed immersion into the river when he suspended a breathtaking, yet simple steel & concrete staircase that led into a natural pool in the river itself. His use of straight lines & geometric forms soothed my eyes in a resonate tension against the organic forms from which he grew his design..

As opposed to positioning the home with a view of the stream & waterfalls that the Kaufman’s (homeowners) loved, Wright pushed the boundaries of convention when he built the home cantilevered over the river. Essentially I imagine he purposed that we live not looking at what we love, but rather our days are spent among such delight. That is good design; to live in the midst of what delights you. The Kaufman’s were tastemakers and department store owners, they saw the genius of a then 67 year old Frank Lloyd Wright and they gifted all of us by commissioning & trusting Wright’s genius. Perhaps this is my formal ‘thank you’ to the Kaufman’s for building Fallingwater. Did they know at the time that it was a priceless work of architectural art hovering over Mill Run Pennsylvania’s modest Bear Run stream? Not only is Fallingwater worth a google, but it should be on the bucket list of any design lover. In my humble-love-at-first-sight-awe-struck design opinion

To live among what delights you. That is what I love being tasked with as a designer. In my own home the goal is the same, create delight (expecting the highest function). The way I see it, the creatives at Brizo allowed me to have Fallingwater in my home by capturing the very same substance that Wright used to inform iconic design, water. What a gift.

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT® BATH COLLECTION BY BRIZO®.

The design of our primary bath invites fond memories of Fallingwater with the gorgeous cantilevered fixtures where water flows unexpectedly from the side of the Widespread Lavatory Faucet with Lever Handles. The arched doors invite our secret garden to place us in the midst of the magenta blossoms of our bougainvillea. The Teak Wood paired with Luxe Nickel creates that organic meets chic moment that our bathroom was intended to exude. Similar to how I image the Kaufman’s stylish celebrations must have been balanced and contrasted by the warm embrace of the natural world they were immersed in, our bathroom intentionally invites us to do the same- enjoy nature as a part of your home.

The Raincan Showerhead is reminiscent of everything from Wright’s rooflines to furnishing designs. I truly feel like I have a piece of architectural art hanging from my shower, framed by Breccia Viola Marble. But would it be FLW inspired if it didn’t have something that pushed the boundaries and allowed us to enjoy the power of water? The Raincan Showerhead has a hydro-powered light that wraps around the entire fixture (which is about a foot long x 6” wide)! A water powered light fixture integrated into my shower head. C’mon! That’s genius! I had to double check all the specs, making sure there is no electrical source, but it’s simply water that powers that light every time we turn on our Raincan! It offers the most soothing glow during a shower. I never knew I’d love a light so much inside of my shower fixture! And again, something unexpected that I’ve never seen before.

I find myself staring at the Two-Handle Tub Filler Trim Kit with Lever Handles with it’s cantilevered spout reminded of the decks at Fallingwater. However, the pristine finish of the Polished Nickel feels like the crown jewel of the bathroom, glittering under an arched entrance to our secret garden.

But let me tell you the actual secret of a luxurious bathroom experience, a Wall Shelf above the Tissue Holder. I am guilty of bringing my phone into the bathroom and this shelf holds it until I can wash my hands & retrieve it. I do keep a book of poetry on that shelf also… a momentary repose with a little literary inspiration.

The or how about this debate in the bathroom: towel bar or hook? I say both! Store you towels on the Towel Bars and utilize multiple Hooks for: the shower-side towels, a robe hook and then a hook that you use when you are getting dressed and need somewhere to hang your outfit. Everyone has their own routine, but I like to bring my hanging clothes into the bathroom with me and why not plan for a place for them to land when it’s time to get ready!

The smallest element and yet just as thoughtfully executed in their design are the touches of Teak Wood & Polished Nickel in every Drawer Knob & Drawer Pull.

The entire collection is beautifully functional in addition to the aesthetically inspired. The thing about Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, he didn’t repeat something he had seen. Rather he imagined a new way. One of the greatest compliments I can receive in my own home is when someone says, “Wow! I love it! I’ve never seen anything like this before.” I hear something along those lines every time someone walks into our primary bath and I have The Kaufmans, Frank (Yea, we’re on a first name basis now.) and Brizo to thank for that.