Edith Farnsworth Modern One Room House

The one room glass and steel Edith Farnsworth House seems to float above the ground. It was designed in the International style of Modern architecture by Mies van der Rohe.

In 1945, Edith Farnsworth purchased nine acres of beautiful wooded property on the Fox River near Plano, Illinois. She was a successful Chicago doctor and wanted a place to get away. Plano is about 60 miles from Chicago.

She hired Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to build a small home to relax in on the weekends. If you want to design your own home, there is a lot to learn from taking a look at the Edith Farnsworth House.

The two walked the property and agreed on a building site. It took some time to agree on a plan and a price.  When Farnsworth received an inheritance, they got to work on 1,500-square-foot modern structure.

It would be a one room house with views in every direction. You can see why they say the house seems to float.

The floor and roof are steel reinforced concrete slabs. Exposed steel is painted white.

There is a large covered patio on one side. A lower terrace of concrete creates a second open outdoor living space.

Wide steps lead from the ground to the concrete terrace and then from the deck to the covered porch.

The house has floor to ceiling glass panels to bring the view in. It makes the house feel even bigger than it is.

At one time the patio was screened in and there were blinds over the windows.

The house was built in a flood zone. Columns are supposed to lift the house above flood level. It almost appears to be floating on 5-foot 3-inch high columns.

The house has flooded four times since it was built. In 1996, water was 5-feet deep inside the house, causing extensive damage to the house and furniture. The patio screens washed out and the earlier window treatments were ruined.

Inside, the house is a completely open interior space with a central area that has a kitchen on one side and closet and bathrooms on the other side..

The furniture can be arranged to use the space any way you want.

The modern furnishings are also designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. They were purchased for the home by a later owner.

The beautiful wooded setting is completely unobscured.

Heat is provided by a central fireplace and radiant coil built into the floor.

The kitchen is on the other side of the central wall.

Here’s a detail view of the center of the house.

The open floor plan lets you see the outside from inside. And you can see the inside from outside.

The stove top is built directly into the countertop.

There are a lot of books about the Farnsworth House on Amazon. There are 3D puzzles and even a Lego kit model of the house.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Mies was an early architect in the International style of Modern architecture. His designs were very minimalist, functional and utilitarian. He worked with glass, steel and concrete.

Edith Farnsworth and the architect Mies ended the project with a clash. The house cost a lot more than was budgeted and Farnsworth didn’t pay it. Mies sued Farnssworth for rest of the money.  Farnsworth sued him back saying he was more interested in his art project than in staying within her budget. The judge sided with the architect and she was ordered to pay.

Edith Farnsworth said the home was not practical to live in. She found it impossible to keep warm or cool and she complained that bugs swarmed to the windows at night when the lights were on and ashes flew around the house when the fireplace was lit.

If you want to design your own home, taking some time to look at the the Edith Farnsworth House might give you some good ideas and maybe help you avoid potential problems.

Featured Image Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division