This fully restored Frank Lloyd Wright house in Okemos is for sale for just $479k — and it's full of surprises

By Metro Times editorial staff on Sat, May 23, 2020 at 9:29 am

Good things come in small packages — the exception, of course, being those mini 100-calorie packs of muffins. (We want full-sized muffins, please.) But nothing speaks more true of that adage quite like Frank Lloyd Wright's historic Goetsch-Winckler House in Okemos — which he called his “favorite small house” — and is now for sale for just $479k.

Built in 1939 for a pair of Michigan State University professors, the 1,400-square-foot Goetsch-Winckler House is among seven of Wright's properties currently for sale in the U.S., and marks the second of his small, affordable, and uniquely functional “Usonian” designs. In 1995, it was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, and, for the last 13 years, owners Dan and Audrey Seidman have carefully restored the home to its original glory — with some meticulously updated touches.

The single-story home sits on a 2-acre wooded lot and boasts 2 bedrooms, one bathroom, fireplace, a fenced-in Lanai accessible from the master bedroom, with walls of windows throughout, a design feature that reflects Wright's philosophy of living in harmony with natural elements. Form meets function with Wright's open living area, cleverly designed ceiling heights to give the illusion of space, and built-in furnishings and hidden shelving.

Photos courtesy of Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy and Audrey Seidman. Photos of the Seidmans' restoration can be found here. The listing can be viewed at thegoetschwincklerhouse.com.