In the summer of 1946, the Smiths purchased 3.3 acres of hilly, wooded land in Bloomfield Hills for $3,600, which represented their entire savings at that time.

The house was to be 1600 square feet and featured radiant heating through hot water pipes installed under the floor slab.

[11] The Smiths collaborated with Wright on a number of revisions to the house plans, and developed a close rapport with the architect during the process.

"[13] At Wright's advice, Melvyn Maxwell Smith decided to act as his own general contractor, so that he could save money and maintain the quality standards he expected.

He recruited skilled workers who wanted to work on a home designed by Wright so much that they would accept lower pay than usual.

Suppliers of building materials also provided goods, such as 14,000 board feet of red tidewater cypress lumber at discounted prices because of their wish to be involved with a Wright project.

[14] As a young man, before his eventual career as a shopping center developer, A. Alfred Taubman provided all of the windows at a deep discount[15] because he considered the house a "fantastic structure".

[21] Architectural photographer Balthazar Korab produced a widely reproduced image of Calligan's "Natural Bridge" sculpture with the house as the backdrop.

[11] Later, the Smiths collected works by Glen Michaels, including an accordion screen to close off the kitchen from the dining area, and a triptych mosaic installed above the fireplace.

[22] The house was modified in 1968 in consultation with Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation architect William Wesley Peters to convert the south terrace into a garden room ".