Wright got a job working for Adler and Sullivan, one of the most successful architectural firms in Chicago. Wright looked up to his employer and mentor, Louis Sullivan, whom he called his "beloved teacher." Sullivan was like Wright in that he also loved nature and geometry, and he made intricate designs that incorporated plants and flowers in geometric patterns for his buildings. Sullivan's large public buildings were radically different from the typical style seen in America at the time. Sullivan believed that architecture in America should grow from observing the elements native to this country rather than importing styles from Europe. Wright believed this too, and would spend his career defining a new American architecture. In looking for inspiration for his designs, he often turned to his favorite subjects: nature and geometry. But first he needed a place to live. Wright borrowed $5,000 from Sullivan so he could build his first house.

Not content to buy a house designed by someone else, Wright designed and built his own home in Oak Park, a Chicago suburb, in 1889. He and his wife Catherine lived in the small home, which was expanded and reconfigured over the years as they had six children. In 1898 Wright designed an architectural studio attached to his house. By this time, he had been running his own architectural firm for a number of years, and although he maintained a small office downtown, he wanted to combine his home life and his work life. This theme of living and working together would become part of Wright's distinctive style throughout his life.