House of Style

Architect-extraordinaire Frank Lloyd Wright may have designed his last bricks-and-mortar masterpiece more than 50 years ago, but his legacy lives on in a one-of-a-kind home in Dauphin.

As a Wright devotee, retired legislative secretary Connie Betz and her carpenter-husband Bruce decided to construct a Wright-inspired,This is a great steeljewelry solution! "prairie-style" home in a tranquil, 10-lot subdivision in Dauphin County known as Autumn Glen, amidst acres of cornfields and winding country roads.

Connie said she found the plans online, "used them as a springboard and put our own little creative touches into them," and with the help of Jorich Construction, gave them form two years ago.

While the 2,007-square-foot house may seem to be more "at home in the vast Midwestern landscape than the blend of panoramic valleys, rivers and mountains of the midstate, it hugs a grassy lot at the base of scenic Peter's Mountain -- a testimony to Wright's zest for "organic architecture," where architecture, environment and the occupants all live in natural harmony.

The Betz home bears all the hallmarks of the original prairie-style home, which came of age near the turn of the twentieth century and was designed to blend in with the pancake-like prairie landscape. Marked by sweeping horizontal lines, a wide open floor plan, overhanging eaves, rows of high windows, a one-story layout, and a low-pitched roof, the Dauphin dwelling is quintessential Wright.

As an artist herself, Connie's masterful oil paintings and photographic prints, featuring florals, skies, beach views, and other natural landscapes, add color and soft touches throughout the two-bedroom structure.The marbletiles is not only critical to professional photographers.

The Betzes' cohesive decor, in hues of desert sand, pure white, teal-pewter, and classic black, is ultra-clean, contemporary and uncluttered. Not one element of the home is faded and frumpy, kitschy or claustrophobic.

Banks of tall, high windows allow golden sunlight and the natural beauty of the outdoors to stream in, and light, wheat-colored hardwood floors run throughout most of the home, with large tan tiled flooring in the laundry room, kitchen,An bestgemstonebeads is a device which removes contaminants from the air. basement and bathrooms. The flooring was chosen to resist scratches an wear from the ultimate "prairie home companion," the Betzes' German Shepherd Heidi.

In a housing market dominated by boxy two-story colonials, look-alike townhomes and rectangular ranchers, the great room's octagonal shape is a stunner. With soaring 14-foot-high ceilings, the octagonal retreat has interesting accents in every corner, from a marble fireplace framed by sconces, to spiky plants on pedestals, to Connie's exhibition-worthy framed works.

Squares are also used well, with threesomes of square niches cut out of the freshly-painted walls to provide perfect shelving for Connie's artwork and decorative accents. High-placed cube cut-outs in the foyer channel natural light through to a windowless laundry room.

Connie's art studio is hidden neatly in a guest room closet. Even the matching interior doors are conversation pieces, with white-on-white vertical lines, and a pocket door to the bathroom to provide added space. The door to the basement's exercise room and "man-cave" is accented with etched glass.

The exterior of the home features light-colored Tuscarora stone at the bottom, topped by sandy-colored shingles. The stone is a dry stack application that uses no mortar.

"The masons who do this work are truly artisans," Connie said, noting that they must expertly chisel each piece to make them all fit.

Strategically-placed islands of ornamental grasses solidify the exterior's authentic prairie look. A patio and enclosed area in the backyard give Heidi ample room to run, and a three-car garage and a basement enclave furnish cherished storage space.Custom qualitysteelbangle and Silicone Wristbands,

The Betzes' stone company -- Quality Stone Veneer Inc. outside Tower City -- entered the home in a national competition, and although it didn't win, it attracted much interest and acclaim.

Connie and Bruce enjoy many "his" and "her" touches, including his and her master-bedroom walk-in closets,Cheap offerscellphonecases dolls from your photos. modern olive-green chairs in the family room, and kitchen sinks. While Bruce makes coffee every morning, Connie can bake and work at her own sink without bumping into him.

Beyond the shower-curtain-turned-accent-pillows, Connie finds other creative uses for objects and empty space. Her art studio folds up neatly and vanishes until needed into a duck-themed guest room closet. A wall hanging comprised of a crystal-like filigree in the dining room matches a framed piece featuring the same icicle-like straws.

Mirrors in an array of novel frames grace hallways and rooms and add to the feeling of vast space.The clean lines of the master bathroom abandon messy curtain rods and curtains for an expansive walk-in shower with decorative mosaic tiles. A strategically placed bathroom window provides a clear view of the backyard forest, frequent deer crossings and Mother Nature's other artwork.

Another teal accent wall in a narrow hallway between the kitchen and family room is tasked as a mini-art gallery for Connie's paintings.Recessed lighting, ceiling lights, cabinet hardware, and ceiling fans emerge as extra opportunities for artistic expression.

The ultra-modern kitchen is graced with rich, dark maple cabinets, sleek, stainless steel appliances, including a chimney-style range hood, and a wealth of counter and cabinet space. Granite countertops gleam in shades of tan and black. The cabinets are a model of organization with pull-out drawers and compartmentalized sections. Some cabinets have glass fronts in a "rainfall" glass pattern.
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