At the top of the driveway, the entry court greets the visitor upon arrival. | Photography by Tony Soluri
By Ann Marie Scheidler | Country Magazine/JWC Media Group
After Dave McArdle purchased Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fredrick House in Barrington Hills, he tapped Mariani Landscape architect Tony Lobello to help revitalize the exterior. Lobello was thrilled.
“Dave truly has a passion for these projects, for Frank Lloyd Wright homes in particular,” Lobello explains. “I worked with Dave on another home in Barrington Hills that was designed by Faye Jones, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. Dave also owned and restored Wright’s F.B. Henderson House in Elmhurst, a home built in the early 1900s. I was excited when he reached out about this new project in Barrington Hills. The community is unique because of the large spans of oak trees, topography changes, and its many creeks. But this home has an interesting topography all its own, and a woodland space that isn’t typical for the area. It sits on one of the highest points in Cook County. How the house is situated on the property is also pretty masterful.”
McArdle wanted to define spaces around the home’s exterior because everything had become so overgrown. “There was no lawn, no gardens, no outdoor entertaining spaces—the woods had overtaken everything,” Lobello recalls. “The McArdles also wanted to add in some color, all while working within the Prairie-style architecture. People get up in arms if you take away from the master’s work, so we never wanted to lose sight of what the original vision for this landscape had been. Dave was very involved, very interested in the details. It really helps to get inspiration from the homeowner.”
Invasive scrubs like buckthorn, mulberries, box elders, and massive weeds were removed from where there is now lawn. | Photography by Tony Soluri
With renovation and restoration as his marching orders, Lobello got to work. The first order of business was clearing the land of overgrowth and addressing the drainage issues. After invasive plants like buckthorn, mulberries, box elders, and massive weeds were removed, a lawn was created.
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