In 1938, Wright designed a “dream house” for an issue of Life magazine, which was to be built for the Blackbourne family of Minneapolis. However, the house was never realized due to a series of complications. Yet the architect was able to adapt the design with this 1940 home for Bernard Schwartz and his family, resulting in this four-bedroom Usonian home in Two Rivers, Wisconsin—about a three-hour drive from Wright’s own home, Taliesin. As seen on Netflix’s The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals, it’s referred to as “Still Bend” and the “Bernard and Fern Schwartz House,” and it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. Another rare feature within Wright’s portfolio is the house’s two stories; most Usonians have one. The 63-foot-long living room features a wall of windows, plus a floor-to-ceiling fireplace and built-ins holding books. Co-owner Michael Ditmer stocked the home with period-specific decor, right down to the bar glassware. In a residential setting, the backyard faces the East Twin River and is a mile from the mighty Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes.
