The Lamberson House

The Alice and Jack Lamberson House, owned by Irmi Maunu-Kocian and Peter Maunu, is an inspiring example of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Usonian Home. It is one of two Wright houses completed in 1951 by two Oskaloosa families who simultaneously approached the famous architect to design their unique homes. Between 2009 and 2016, the house underwent a loving and meticulous restoration, which Mr. Wright surely would have approved. Join Peter, who, beginning with the blueprints, guides you through the house, explaining the thinking behind its design and its unique use of geometry. Sadly, many of the essential interior elements of the house had been removed when the couple took ownership of the home. They were re-created according to Wright’s plans, when Peter and Irmi had the great good fortune to find “savior” artist-craftsman Stafford Norris. Norris re-created the workspace, built-ins, tables and furnishings, including a pair of Oregami chairs. Peter describes the home's materials and their sources: the redwood, a rich, deeply colored local Oskaloosa brick, concrete, gravel and glass. Sited on an enormous, sweeping green lot, the home features a carport and a low, pitched roof that makes it look deceptively large. Yet it is the second smallest of Iowa's seven Usonians. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The homeowners won the Wright Spirit Award in 2016.