Sunday, August 31, 2008

Gropius House, Lincoln MA

After my morning of lattes, girl talk, sunning, and swimming at the Walden, Christi and I decided to head over to the Gropius house. A place we've both always wanted to visit but never got to. Its only about 5 minutes from Walden. . .

We got there in perfect time with 2 spots left in the 2pm tour that was a mere 3 minutes away. Kismet.

The house was gorgeous. Walter Gropius built it in 1937 after moving from Berlin and then Britain. He was an icon of architecture and the Bauhaus design movement (which I adore and am entirely inspired by). The house was filled with unusual materials that were mainly purchased from mass-produced products . . . such as museum lighting, clapboard walls, and department store huge single-pane windows. So inspiring to see how he was able to pull inspiration and shift the function of these items to work so cohesively and elegantly in his own home. Something I aspire to do with my own graphic design.

The simplicity was another item of note. As I look around my apartment, I realize that over the course of three years, I've aquired a lot of unnecessary things. My focus from now on will be to streamline everything considerably. Buying quality items and keeping things neat and minimal. His house made me realize it can still be perfectly homey and cozy without all the tchotkes and miscellaneous home decorations. Keeps the focus on the items that are the most important to you.

Great hour spent (and even better day). I really recommend it if only to enjoy the gorgeous landscapes and beautiful Lincoln / Concord quiet and charm not to mention the incredible architecture.

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