Della’s Place

(click to embiggen - recommended!)

Della Walker, AKA Mrs. Clinton Walker, was a wealthy widow who owned a 218 acre plot of land adjacent to the beach in Carmel-By-The-Sea, California. Della’s late husband was the son of T. B. Walker, a lumber baron who created the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. In 1948 she had Frank Lloyd Wright design this 1200 square-foot house for her; it was completed in 1951, with an additional master bedroom added in 1956. Resembling a ship, its “prow” points out to sea and in rough weather seems to be crashing through the waves. Still in the family, it is open once a year as a fund-raiser. One of the greatest of FLW’s small houses, it would be one that I’d move into in a minute.

In 1959, the house was used in several scenes in the Sandra Dee-Troy Donahue film A Summer Place (check out those inverted step-pyramid windows!):

Here is what a few of the local architects had to say about this iconic house:

It’s inspirational. A dramatic piece of architecture. The house feels nautical and really does belong to that location. Its narrow hallways and low ceilings lend drama. Entering the home, the ceilings start low and increase in height. You can’t see that from the exterior, but when you step inside, you’re rewarded. The house is intact and has been well maintained over the years. ~ Eric Miller

What fascinates me about Wright is the ability he had to seize on a space. He does amazing big things with a small space with a strict geometric pattern. This house is built on a hexagon—there is not a single right angle in the entire building. The discipline of geometry is relentless but doesn’t supplant the feel of an organic structure. I’ve been a docent here for years. When you’re inside, it feels like you’re inside a clam-shell, or inside a steamship with its prow poking out into the Pacific. ~ Thomas Bateman Hood

I think what I like about it is that it’s a building that demonstrates that you can build in the most sensitive area and still have a structure merge with the surrounding landscape without damaging it. It beautifully enhances the closure of the southern end of the beach. ~ Mary Ann Schicketanz