{"id":14807,"date":"2024-08-16T11:41:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T11:41:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/?p=14807"},"modified":"2024-10-08T12:59:09","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T12:59:09","slug":"edith-farnsworth-modern-one-room-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/08\/edith-farnsworth-modern-one-room-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Edith Farnsworth Modern One Room House"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Edith Farnsworth House Plan Details<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The two walked the property and agreed on a building site. It took some time to agree on a plan and a price.\u00a0 When Farnsworth received an inheritance, they got to work on 1,500-square-foot modern structure.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Farnsworth House Kitchen
Photo by Paul R. Burley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It would be a one room house with views in every direction. You can see why they say the house seems to float. <\/p>\n

\"\"
Edith Farnsworth House Plan Details
West and East Elevations<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The floor and roof are steel reinforced concrete slabs. Exposed steel is painted white.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Farnsworth House by architect Mies Van Der Rohe
Photo by Victor Grigas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There is a large covered patio on one side. A lower terrace of concrete creates a second open outdoor living space.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Farnsworth House Wide Steps and Decks
Photo by Benjamin Lipsman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wide steps lead from the ground to the concrete terrace and then from the deck to the covered porch.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The walls are a steel skeleton frame with 1\/4-inch-thick glass panels
Edith Farnsworth House Plan Details<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The house has floor to ceiling glass panels to bring the view in. It makes the house feel even bigger than it is.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Farnsworth House Original Window Treatments in February 1971
Photo by Jack E. Boucher
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At one time the patio was screened in and there were blinds over the windows.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Now the house has drapes that can be mostly pulled back out of the way.
Farnsworth House with curtains open and closed
Photo by Victor Grigas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Farnsworth House Covered Patio
Photo by Benjamin Lipsman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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..<\/p>\n

\"\"
Farnsworth House Living Room
Photo by Victor Grigas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The furniture can be arranged to use the space any way you want.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Farnsworth House Dining Area
Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The modern furnishings are also designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. They were purchased for the home by a later owner.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Farnsworth House Living Room
Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The beautiful wooded setting is completely unobscured.<\/p>\n

\"\"
A fireplace in the center of the house was the only source of heat.
Edith Farnsworth House Plan Details<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Heat is provided by a central fireplace and radiant coil built into the floor.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Farnsworth House Kitchen
Photo by anneh632<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The kitchen is on the other side of the central wall.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Edith Farnsworth House Plan Details<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here’s a detail view of the center of the house.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Farnsworth House Kitchen
Photo by Paul R. Burley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The open floor plan lets you see the outside from inside. And you can see the inside from outside.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Farnsworth House Kitchen
Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The stove top is built directly into the countertop.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Farnsworth House Bedroom
Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are a lot of books about the Farnsworth House on Amazon<\/a>. There are 3D puzzles and even a Lego kit model of the house.<\/p>\n

<\/ins><\/p>\n

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Edith Farnsworth and the architect Mies ended the project with a clash. The house cost a lot more than was budgeted and Farnsworth didn\u2019t pay it. Mies sued Farnssworth for rest of the money. \u00a0Farnsworth 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.<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Featured Image Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[30,21,26,18],"tags":[84],"class_list":["post-14807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-house-plans","category-inspiration","category-other-small-houses","category-small-house-history","tag-flood"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/featured-farnsworth_house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16183,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2025\/07\/the-modernist-ben-rose-house-in-the-movie-ferris-buellers-day-off\/","url_meta":{"origin":14807,"position":0},"title":"The Modernist Ben Rose House (in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)","author":"Carla","date":"July 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"When I posted about the Farnsworth House, I was asked if it was from the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It\u2019s not, but there is some crossover. The house they are talking about isn\u2019t Ferris Bueller\u2019s house. It\u2019s Cameron Frye\u2019s house. It is the Ben Rose house in Highland Park,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Inspiration"","block_context":{"text":"Inspiration","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/inspiration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ben Rose House","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/featured-ben_rose_house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/featured-ben_rose_house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/featured-ben_rose_house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/featured-ben_rose_house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4588,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2018\/09\/see-inside-the-tardis-tiny-house\/","url_meta":{"origin":14807,"position":1},"title":"See Inside the Tardis Tiny House","author":"Carla","date":"September 15, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The Tardis Tiny House just showed up on Facebook Marketplace. Now it says Bohemian Dream instead of Police Public Call Box. But, it is definitely the same Tiny House. Perhaps some breakdown in the Chameleon Circuit. Here is the ad. Marketplace Property For Sale Tiny House East Flat Rock, NC\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Tiny Houses"","block_context":{"text":"Tiny Houses","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/tiny-houses\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"See Inside the Tardis Tiny House \u2013 Project Small House","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/featured_image-see-inside-the-tardis-tiny-house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/featured_image-see-inside-the-tardis-tiny-house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/featured_image-see-inside-the-tardis-tiny-house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/featured_image-see-inside-the-tardis-tiny-house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2124,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/neighbor-small-house\/","url_meta":{"origin":14807,"position":2},"title":"Neighbor’s Small House","author":"Carla","date":"March 15, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The original house on the property is being fixed up to sell. Dorothy has really made some improvements! Here are some of the changes. She updated the kitchen with granite stone counter tops and stainless appliances. She made a good choice with the back splash. It has the look of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Other Small Houses"","block_context":{"text":"Other Small Houses","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/other-small-houses\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Neighbor Small House","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/featured_image-neighbor.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/featured_image-neighbor.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/featured_image-neighbor.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/featured_image-neighbor.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/featured_image-neighbor.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1315,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/building-a-new-house-buying-land\/","url_meta":{"origin":14807,"position":3},"title":"Building a New House – Buying Land","author":"Carla","date":"June 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"This summer I walked past a for sale sign on a piece of land near our house when I was out walking the dogs. 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Quick Ship Cedar Home Kits are ready for fast delivery to your site. 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