Replies

1. 
   barmil | Sep 23, 2005 04:47am | #1

   Not sure of your question, but I've heard the "great room" term for at least thirty years to describe a house without separate dining, living, and rec rooms, but they're all together with maybe step downs or bump outs to provide a sense of separation. We used to call them living/dining rooms.  

2. 
   Wango1 | Sep 23, 2005 05:32am | #2

   The Great room was a term coined by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Barnsdall house in California. It was such a inspirational space, having a soaring ceiling so perfectly proportioned that he called it The Great Room.  As Victorian ideals were replaced with more open floor plans, I think it just stuck.

1. 
   fossil | Sep 23, 2005 06:08am | #3

   Interesting.  Any idea when the Barnsdall home was built?

1. 
   DougU | Sep 24, 2005 01:12pm | #4

   Frank Lloyd WrightAline Barnsdall House (Hollyhock House)Hollywood, California1917-21

   View Image © Mary Ann Sullivan Digital Imaging Project

2. 
   Wango1 | Sep 24, 2005 06:05pm | #5

   I went to get my book on FLLW (Details of FLLW/ the California Years [1994 Chronicle books] to get you the dates, and to my horror, found out I was incorrect in telling you the Barnsdall house. It was the Ennis-Brown house (all these years...). The Ennis-Brown house was built in1923 on a hill in LA resembling a Mayan temple. It was made out of hand made patterned concrete blocks (as were many others in his California period).

1. 
   TGNY | Sep 24, 2005 06:14pm | #6

   Another bit of trivia: the Ennis Brown house was featured in the sci-fi film 'Bladerunner' with Harrison Ford.

1. 
   Wango1 | Sep 24, 2005 06:22pm | #7

   I'll have to rewatch that.... been years. Tanx.