Beautiful Craftsman-Style Homes

Today, we’re going to dig deep into one of the most practical and elegant architectural styles. This is an American style that has spread throughout the world and is now international. Craftsman-style homes are historical and have a very interesting vibe to them.

Both their interiors and exteriors have unique features that you can’t find in any other architectural style. Details like their elegant roof lines and front porches have made them one of the most popular construction types.

The origins of this style go back to a British artistic movement, the Arts and Crafts. It reinforced the value and dignity of artisan, handmade pieces.

This movement had a great influence on architecture. As a product of this, this beautiful construction style emerged and became incredibly popular.

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

-William Morris-

In its American version, this style got rid of excessive ornamentation and became the favorite homes of the American middle class.

Craftsman-style homes are well known for their simplicity, their locally-sourced natural materials, and pure craftsmanship. To identify this architectural style, you have to be familiar with some of its features.

Features of craftsman-style homes

These beautiful houses have particular features that characterize them and make them stand out from other architectural styles. You can find these both outside and inside the houses.

Outside, the highlight is the entrance, which usually has pillars. Covered front porches are pretty typical, too. The eaves are wide and have exposed beams. Hanging windows, dormers and skylights are other of their features.

The interior of craftsman-style homes also has common elements that make them different from the rest. In this style, fireplaces are the most prominent and essential part of the home.

They have built-in firewood storage. Throughout the interior of these houses, you can find wood or wooden details in their architectural features.

Craftsman-style homes

The old Victorian houses were designed to show the progress made in North American industrial manufacturing, which made exaggerated details possible in architecture. On the contrary, the craftsman style was a response to the Victorian style and its excesses.

Craftsman-style homes emphasize handmade elements as a way to remember human labor. This architectural style owes much to the movement of the same name and Gustav Stickley.

Moreover, Stickley was a furniture maker who became the promoter of the Arts and Crafts movement on American soil through his magazine called The Craftsman.

“When a man’s home is born out of his heart and developed through his labor and perfected through his sense of beauty, it is the very cornerstone of life.”

-Gustav Stickley-

Furthermore, he emphasized the simplicity of the shapes, the use of local materials, and, more importantly, honesty in construction. At the beginning of the 20th century, The Craftsman magazine began to publish and sell architectural plans for the construction of these types of houses. This happened at the same time as the movement, which is why we now know them as craftsman-style homes.

Why are they so popular?

This architectural style emphasizes horizontal lines with low-tone triangular roofs that extend beyond the exterior walls of the home. Also, they exhibit a large number of decorative elements, such as supports, lintels, and beams. These accessories are handcrafted with materials from the area.

Thanks to the very extended and protruding eaves of their roofs, craftsman-style homes tend to have large exterior porches. This quality is something that’s very attractive to many people and one of the biggest reasons why they choose to build their homes in this style.

They also feature thick, sharp columns along the entire perimeter of the outside porches. People usually paint the wood on the exterior of the house. However, sometimes they prefer to use stucco or stone. No matter what the option, earth tones are always present.

Additionally, their interiors and finishes are just as important as the exterior. There’s a profusion of wooden elements that frame the home’s doors and windows along with decorations.

Moreover, the shelves and the seats under the windows are also made of wood. Other features you can find are box beams and very big chimneys. As previously mentioned, the essential part of craftsman-style homes is the fireplace. So much so that many of them have a second chimney in the master bedroom. 

People love renovating these homes and give them an open floor plan. Of course, they’re always careful to maintain the historic image that they hold. After all, that’s the main reason why they’re so attractive to the public.