The house was designed by
Frank Lloyd Wright and is one of five extant
Prairie style buildings that he designed in Chicago. The main section protrudes to the west and east of the outer pavilions, giving the building a
cruciform floor plan. The facade is mostly made of
stucco, with wood trim scattered throughout. Similar to other Prairie style houses, it has a protruding, low
hipped roof, in addition to
art glass and horizontal groups of windows on the facade.
Exterior The primary
elevation of the Walser House's facade is to the east, along Central Avenue. At the first floor, the central section of the house has a
picture window with
casement windows on either side; these are all surrounded by wood trim. The outer pavilions are recessed from the main facade and contain protruding porches, The southern elevation is also decorated in stucco and pine, like the eastern elevation. The basement-level
water table is clad with wood trim, which wraps around
hopper windows in the basement. On the first story are wood-framed casement windows, which illuminate the southeastern corner's porch. The main entrance is on the eastern side of the southern elevation, next to the porch, and cannot be seen from the street. The northern elevation has a similar
massing and appearance to the southern elevation, with wood trim and hopper windows in the basement, as well as casement windows on the first and second stories. The windows on the first story illuminate the porch, while those on the second story overlook the stair hall and the west and east bedrooms.
Interior The interior covers .
First floor The first floor retains most of its original layout, except for the annex at the western end. an unusual feature at the time of the house's construction. The
living room is on the eastern side of the living–dining space and has a plaster ceiling, in addition to a brick-and-wood
fireplace mantel on its northern wall. Doors lead from the living room to the enclosed northeastern and southeastern porches. The
dining room is on the western side of the living–dining space and has windows on its western and southern walls. On the dining room's north wall is a sideboard, as well as a doorway to the kitchen. A tiled corridor links the dining room and kitchen. The corridor has a telephone alcove and an enclosed stair descending to the basement. At the end of the corridor is a kitchen with dropped ceilings, glass-tiled walls, laminated sheet floors, and a wooden cupboard. A passageway with glass cabinets leads to the northeastern porch. The eastern section of the second floor contains the
master bedroom, which has casement windows, a closet, a built-in wardrobe, and a Roman-brick fireplace mantel. The second and third bedrooms, on the south side of the second floor, have glazed windows and built-in wardrobes. The fourth bedroom, to the west, has another built-in wardrobe and a closet. A set of casement windows separates the original house's western wall from the annex to the west. There is a fifth bedroom on the annex's second floor. The basement is accessed by the stair from the kitchen–dining room corridor. It has wood-frame walls with plaster and wood finishes, except at the perimeter, where the walls are made of concrete. The floors are also made of concrete, while the ceilings are finished in plaster. The basement has a heater room at the center, surrounded by other rooms on all four sides. Clockwise from north, these spaces include the laundry room; the coal room; a storage closet; and the workroom and another storage closet. A bathroom adjoins the basement stair. == Impact ==