ANN WRIGHT BATHROOM

In 2022, the restoration of daughter Ann Wright’s bathroom (ca 1962) was deemed of highest restoration priority. The enchanting room represents the expression of her childhood at Manitoga and a focus of Wright’s design genius. It once featured an exquisite butterfly panel and luminous mosaic glass tiles that lined a sunken tub, fed by wall of boulders that echo the Waterfall that cascades into the nearby Quarry.

• Archival photographs and documentation were compared with a remanent of the original glass tiles to establish which elements were original or altered since Wright’s death in 1976.

• A 1996 emergency repair of deteriorated subflooring demolished the original Murano glass tile flooring of subtle shades of blue, green and gray and had shortened the tub length by truncating then covering the bottom boulder of the waterfall wall. After reconstruction, they were covered with commercial glass tiles of alternating shades of light and dark blue. Both the overall mosaic effect and color scheme of the tiling and the subtle water cascade from the boulders into the tub intended by Wright were lost.  

• After many comparisons between tile samples and the remanent, a final selection of glass tiles was made to capture Wright’s original design intentions of color, texture and mood.

• Once the truncated boulder was extricated, a suitable replacement was found in Manitoga’s woodlands and successfully installed.

• Each tile was tumbled and meticulously installed by hand. The mastic color under select tiles was varied to maintain the original “rhythm” and desired effect.

• Next, the walls were re-papered to evoke the original silvery-pink sheen of the foil covering.

PROJECT TEAM
Site Preparation – Lars Lindbergh, Tiny Houses, Inc.
Flooring and tub substructure + tile installation – VSW Renovations
Electric – Pidala Electric
Interior Design – Charles Burleigh, Lori Merhige
Project Management – Allison Cross, Executive Director; Vivian Linares, Manitoga Director of Collections & Preservation

PROJECT SUPPORT
Lead funding was provided by the David L. Klein Jr. Foundation.

A major gift by Manitoga Board President Tom Krizmanic in 2020 established a Buildings Endowment for the long term stewardship of Manitoga’s National Landmark House and Studio.