Central Feature.

Space — lots of it — was the key feature of interior design in the 1950s. Influenced by the severe designs of Mies van der Rohe and other Bauhaus architects who sought an integration of visual arts into society, both American homes and public buildings were built with lots of spare, open space. House Beautiful magazine was lyrical about "our wonderful 20th century concept of space . . . the free and easy movement from the house to the garden and back to the house . . . vistas for the eye to roam or relax in — indoors and out and upwards." Said designer George Nelson in Living Spaces: "It is not efficiency that we are looking for, but freedom from dimensional barriers."

Breaking Down Barriers.

At the same time, walls and rooms became scarce. Wright's concept of "open" architectural plans meshed with the idea...