A Love Story is Behind This Frank Lloyd Wright House Revival
A conversation about historical architecture preservation and restoration with two authentically passionate homeowners.
A few years ago, I connected with Marika and Tony when they submitted their Frank Lloyd Wright home, The Eppstein House, for a feature on Mid-Century Home. Their love for architecture was immediately clear, and I knew their story needed to be explored in more depth. We eventually arranged an interview, which led to a fascinating discussion about their journey as the custodians of this iconic mid-century home.
While searching for a cottage in Canada, Marika and Tony unexpectedly found The Eppstein House in Michigan—a discovery that changed their lives. Though hesitant at first about owning property in the U.S., they fell in love with the house and decided to restore it to its original condition when Wright handed it over to the Eppstein family.
When they bought the house, it was in disrepair. Previous owners had begun renovations, but much of the work remained unfinished. Undeterred, Marika and Tony embarked on a mission to restore the house with complete respect for Wright’s original vision.
Their meticulous attention to detail, from matching colours and materials to updating the systems, resulted in a home that feels both historically accurate and modern. Their story is a testament to the dedication required to preserve architectural history. Enjoy the full interview.
(Marco Guagliardo - Mid-Century Home’s Editor in Chief)
Audio:
Transcript:
MCH: Marika and Tony, thank you for joining us. How are you both doing?
Tony: We're doing well, thank you. We’re currently in Panama, so no complaints here.
Marika: Yes, we’re doing great. It’s really nice here. Would you like us to introduce ourselves?
Marika: I’m Marika Broere. I was born in Sweden to Dutch parents, grew up in the Netherlands, and met Tony there. We’ve been together for about 42 years and share a passion for art and architecture.
Tony: That’s right. I’m Tony Hillebrandt. I was born in the Netherlands, and about 15 years ago, we moved to Canada with our family.
MCH: I also know you both share a deep passion for Frank Lloyd Wright and even own one of his beautiful homes, The Eppstein House. Can you tell us a bit about its story?
Marika: When we moved to Canada, we were already very interested in architecture, and of course, we knew about Frank Lloyd Wright and his iconic buildings from photos. But visiting some of his buildings in person truly blew us away—we were amazed by how these spaces affected us.
Around the same time, we were searching for a cottage in Canada, but real estate prices were sky-high. That’s when Tony found The Eppstein House for sale in Michigan. At first, I wasn’t interested because I didn’t want to own property in the U.S. due to taxes and other complications. But Tony said, "Just wait until you see it." And that’s how it started.
Tony: My fascination with Frank Lloyd Wright goes way back. I remember visiting the Guggenheim Museum in New York when I was 16. I wasn’t particularly interested in the art, but the building itself was incredible. At the time, I didn’t even know Frank Lloyd Wright was the architect, but that experience stayed with me.
MCH: The Eppstein House is one of Wright's Usonian homes, designed for the middle class. They’re quite special, aren’t they?
Marika: Yes, Wright wanted to make high-end architecture accessible to what he called “the common people,” which today we’d call the middle class. The challenge was that these homes had a budget of around $15,000 at a time when an average family home could cost as little as $5,000. The owners often had to do a lot of the work themselves to keep costs down, sometimes taking up to 10 years to complete their dream homes.
MCH: That budget issue seems to be a recurring theme with visionary architects. Even later projects, like the Case Study House program, aimed at middle-class affordability, faced similar challenges. What makes The Eppstein House special for you, aside from the fact that it’s a Frank Lloyd Wright home?
Marika: We decided not to live in the house full-time since our life is in Canada. But if I could move the house there, I’d live in it forever. It goes against my usual aesthetic preferences—earth tones, low ceilings, and darker colours—but when I step inside, it’s pure zen. I feel completely at home and at peace.
It’s interesting because I’m usually drawn to light, open, modern spaces, like those by Le Corbusier. Yet this house is the opposite—small bedrooms, low ceilings—except for the revolutionary living area, which has an open kitchen, dining, and living space with one facade made entirely of glass. It’s fantastic.
Tony: We’re not the only ones who feel this way. We rent the house to guests from all over the world, and many stay just to experience the house itself. They don’t leave because the house is the main attraction.
Marika: Yes, even though our guests have different architectural tastes, everyone who stays in the house feels comfortable and at home. It’s quite amazing.
MCH: Wright’s homes are indeed special, and The Eppstein House is particularly stunning. I remember you completed a major renovation on it. Could you tell us about that process?
Tony: When we bought the house, it was the least expensive Frank Lloyd Wright property on the market, and it had been for sale for a while. People would visit, but they’d quickly realise it needed a lot of work. The previous owner had started renovations and claimed that 90% of the work was done, but we soon discovered that only 40% had been completed.
Marika: We knew from the start that there was still a lot to do. We had some experience, so we weren’t surprised.
Tony: We ended up changing almost everything—replacing all the wiring, plumbing, and windows with double glazing. We also redid the roof, adding extra insulation since flat roofs can be prone to leaks.
Marika: The end result is that the house is now updated to modern standards but restored to Wright’s original vision.
MCH: Restoration really is a mission, isn’t it? How did you decide to take on this responsibility of preserving such an important piece of architectural heritage?
Tony: Once we started, it felt like an obligation. We knew we had to restore the house to its original state. It’s not a business project—it’s more of a hobby that got out of hand.
Marika: Yes, you know from the start that it won’t be profitable. But when we finished, we invited the Eppstein family’s children to stay for a weekend, and they said the house was even better than they remembered. That feedback meant the world to us.
Tony: During the renovation, they had sent us photos and information about how the house was originally. To thank them, we invited them to stay for a long weekend in the house and bring as many family members as they wanted. Afterward, they told us that the house is even better than it used to be in some ways. It’s more comfortable because of the heating, insulation, and everything else we updated.
They visited in December when it was cold in Michigan.
Marika: Their parents, who were both scientists, had invested a lot of their family budget into the house while raising five children, so they didn’t have a budget for beautiful furniture.
We kept the furniture very simple and time-appropriate. There are some very important pieces there, but they never had them. When the family visited, they said, “If only our parents had lived to see this, because this was really their dream—to finish the house this way.”
Initially, some of them were reluctant to visit because of the memories it would bring back. Some had been back over the years, but others hadn’t returned since they were teenagers.
These people are now close to 70 years old but when they came back, they felt instantly at home. That proved to us that we did something right—we struck the right note.
MCH: It sounds like you definitely did something right! If you had to pick a favourite part of the house, what would it be?
Marika: The setting is really important. Wright designed his houses to fit their surroundings perfectly. In The Eppstein House, you feel connected to nature. I also love the concrete floors with underfloor heating and the warm, earthy tones—even though they go against my usual style.
MCH: All Usonian homes seem to have that distinct red flooring, right?
Tony: Yes, Cherokee red. It’s a range of colours from orangey-brown to burgundy. We found a preserved section of the original floor in a cabinet and matched it exactly during the restoration.
Marika: We also discovered that the ceilings were originally a light shade of pink. We chose a slightly lighter shade during the restoration, and it turned out beautifully.
MCH: Maybe Wright thought it would fade over time—who knows?
Marika: That’s part of the excitement—finding the right materials, the right colors, and matching the right furniture.
For Tony, the technical part was the most exciting—getting the roof right and updating all the wiring. For me, it was the interior design.
MCH: You’re a team, right? Every part of the process is important.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian concept was revolutionary—bringing high-quality architecture to the middle class wasn’t common at the time. Today, we live in cities designed for density, and there’s always a shortage of space and housing. The pandemic has also made us realise how important good design and well-planned spaces are for our well-being and mental health.
What do you think contemporary architects and developers can learn from Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy?
Tony: I think it would be enough if they simply looked at Wright’s old drawings. He designed a whole city for Baghdad, Iraq. If it had been built, it would still look modern today.
I’ve seen other unbuilt Wright projects, including skyscrapers, and they’d still be considered cutting-edge today. His ideas were that ahead of their time.
Marika: I’m sure young architects study Wright’s work closely. They have a lot to learn from him and his contemporaries.
MCH: I’ve read that Wright often struggled with clients, as budgets and their personal preferences didn’t always align with his vision. In contemporary architecture, while many architects still face these challenges, there’s a greater effort to prioritise people’s needs in design.
But in dense cities, it’s harder to create spaces that balance both functionality and aesthetics, so compromises are often needed.
Marika: That’s true. We’ve lived in Canada for 15 years, but when we visit the Netherlands, even from the airplane, we admire what’s being built there. It’s often low-budget, but still aesthetically pleasing. I really respect that.
The first time we visited Michigan was to see The Eppstein House, and once we bought it, we began exploring the state. We discovered that Michigan has a wealth of mid-century architecture and design. It’s like a living museum, which we hadn’t expected.
We thought it would be a bit rural and blue-collar, but it turned out to be incredibly exciting. One reason we rent out the house is that, after all the money we invested, we wouldn’t have been able to keep it otherwise. The other reason is that we feel a moral obligation to share it with people who appreciate its significance.
MCH: I can imagine. Visiting The Eppstein House must be a deliberate choice for most people.
Tony: Yes, you can visit other Usonian homes that are now museums, but you can’t touch anything. In our home, guests can sit in the chairs, listen to music, and read the books.
Marika: Exactly. People can handle the art, some of which is valuable, and they feel completely at home. That’s the feedback we get in reviews—people say they truly feel at home. It’s a way to experience living in a Frank Lloyd Wright house without owning one.
MCH: To wrap up, what does the future hold for you? I know you’re working on a new project.
Marika: Yes, we recently purchased the Eric Pratt House, which is part of a development called “The Acres.” It includes four Wright homes and one house designed by one of his apprentices. No other homes were ever built there.
The owner of the Pratt House contacted us and said, “I wasn’t planning on selling, but I want you to buy it and restore it like you did with The Eppstein House.” We told him we didn’t have the money, but he said he’d give us time to come up with the funds.
He gave us an incredible deal, so we bought it. It’s in better shape than The Eppstein House was because the previous owner took care of it, but it was never furnished or lived in for decades.
MCH: How long do you think the renovation will take?
Tony: I think it’ll go faster than the last one because now we know the companies and craftsmen who can do the work. For example, there are special hornet windows that require specific expertise.
The people who worked on The Eppstein House took great pride in their work—it meant something to them. I think this house can be done in about three-quarters of a year.
