Home Style Guide: Craftsman House

Hands down, Craftsman- style homes are among the most popular in the nation, with homeowners lured by the simple, sturdy, timeless style.  

One of the fascinating aspects of the Craftsman-style home is that, although its design originated generations ago, its common-sense layout and warm, authentic aesthetic makes it just as relevant and sought-after today.  

What goes in to creating enduring style? What are the Craftsman-style design elements, and how do they serve today’s homeowners? Why is the Craftsman so popular?  

History of the Craftsman

A Craftsman-style home celebrates the tradition, and the patient beauty of handcrafted goods.  

These skills are reflected throughout Craftsman-style homes, where you’ll find detailed decor and millwork, warm woods, earthy materials and an intentional aesthetic.  

The Arts & Crafts movement, during which the Craftsman was born, started in the United Kingdom, following the Industrial Revolution.   

The technological advances presented by the Industrial Revolution helped to progress mass production and access to goods, influencing home design and decor. The downside was this tech notoriously depersonalized art and style of homes and consumer goods.   

During the Industrial Revolution, Victorian-style homes were mass produced.  

While there is no denying the charm of Victorian-style homes, eventually, trends shifted as consumers started seeking warmth and durability from design, rather than focusing on the ornate and opulent. Thus, the Craftsman was thrown into the spotlight, named to honor the craftsman behind the architecture of this beloved home style.  

The Craftsman housing style is the antithesis of mass production. 

In the United States, the Arts & Crafts Movement, arrived in the late 19^th century, and gained momentum through to the early to mid-20^th century.  

 Furniture designer Gustav Stickley is credited with bringing the Craftsman to the United States. Stickley specialized in mission-style, handcrafted wooden furniture. He published a magazine called, aptly, The Craftsman, intended to champion the Arts & Crafts movement. A feature of the magazine was the inclusion of Craftsman-style designs and blueprints, drawn up by various architects over the years. 

While the materials and the processes to produce them have changed somewhat over the years, thanks to advances in technology, the core architectural elements of Craftsman-style homes have endured.  

However, homeowners who want a Craftsman-style home should know that that painstaking attention to detail that comes with handcrafted design comes at a premium, as true Craftsman-style homes are typically more expensive to build than a mass-produced home style  

Here are some of the most identifiable features of Craftsman-style homes.   

What Makes a House a Craftsman Style House?

Gabled Roof and Overhanging Eaves

One of the most distinguishing features of a Craftsman style home is a low-pitched, gabled roof with wide, overhanging eaves. The gable is often a simple, triangular shape, without any elaborate ornamentation. The roofs of modern Craftsman style homes are not always steeply sloped, but the overhanging eaves ensure they lose none of their grand stature.

Large Covered Porch

Note the expansive front porch. The wide space invites homeowners to stop and rest a while, and the covering ensures this can be done even in inclement weather. Porches typically have columns, and the porch may wrap around the side of the home too.

Earthy Color Palette

Another widely enjoyed aspect of Craftsman homes is the warm color palette used on their exteriors. Most common are demure greens and browns, but daker blues are trending too.

Dormers

Craftsman homes are often 1 to 1 ½ stories, making dormers – windows that project outward from a sloping roof – very common. While other home styles also utilize dormers, in Craftsman homes, they’re typically centered on the roof and add an extra dimension of height to the homes.

Artisanal Decorations

Exposed beams, elegant iron, wood details more are each smoothly crafted to elevate and highlight everything the Craftsman represents

Common Interior Features of a Craftsman House

When it comes to Craftsman homes, what’s inside counts, too. Here are some interior features that standout in Craftsmans.   

Fireplace

The fireplace is a key focal point in a Craftsman home, usually made from stone. Tile and brick are also popular.

Distinct Spaces  

While many modern floor plans are all about wide-open concept, Craftsman-style consciously includes distinct, closed-off spaces, along with open concept, striking a nice balance to make a home very functional for a modern family.  

For example, a living room might be open to the kitchen, but a formal dining room would be tucked off to the side in the main living area.

Lots and Lots of Wood, Balanced with Natural Light  

A hallmark of Craftsman-style homes is extensive and liberal application of wood: wood paneling, wide-framed doors and windows, window seats, built-in shelving, floors, exposed beams and intricate millwork.  

While wood is luxe and warm, when it is abundant, it can make a space feel very dark. To compensate for this, the Craftsman-style home includes thoughtful placement of sizeable windows to counter the darkness with natural light. Typically, windows are double hung. Transom or eyebrow windows are popular, sometimes with leaded or decorative glass inserts.  

Although some choose to paint the wood for a lighter look, Craftsman purists would never, as the subdued color of natural wood is an intentional choice.

The Craftsman-Style Kitchen  

While each room in the home bares distinct features of a Craftsman-style home, the kitchen is the most prominent.  

A Craftsman-style kitchen usually has lots of wood. Cabinetry faces are simple but luxurious with their detail, often with classic shaker-style door fronts, or leaded glass or mullions for understated decorative quality.  

Kitchen islands are the anchor of the modern kitchen, and the same can be said in a Craftsman kitchen, with a twist. Islands are often furniture style, with wooden spindles and open space under the workspace/eating area.  

Eat-in nooks in kitchens are popular as well.  

What Kind of Curb Appeal Works Best with the Craftsman?  

Many of the distinctive exterior qualities to a Craftsman home center on architectural features, so curb appeal is ready-made and can be highlighted further with landscaping and hardscaping.  

All choices should be understated, and direct focus towards architectural features. That means having smaller or low plantings, that are trimmed and compact. Think perennial grasses, low-lying flowering shrubs and wood accents, whether a with a wooden deck, bench or privacy screen.  

Stone-paved walkways that direct the eye to the front door are a good choice, as the material choice is consistent with what you might find indoors.  

What Regions Have the Most Craftsman-Style Homes?  

While Craftsman-style homes populate many neighborhoods coast-to-coast, they are very prevalent in California, in part because that is where the style first originated in the U.S.   

There are lots of Prairie-style homes in the Midwest, which is a riff on the traditional Craftsman with some minor variations, made famous by iconic architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who designed and built many of these in the region in the mid 20^th century.  

What Furniture and Decor Work Best in a Craftsman-Style Home?  

High-quality, hand-crafted wood furniture is the natural choice for a Craftsman-style home, given typical abundance of wood, structurally and with architectural details.   

Mission-style furniture that features simple, symmetrical lines, mirrors much of the aesthetic created by the Craftsman-style design. Prairie-style and Mid-century Modern furnishings work well too.  

Wood-on-wood lends organic warmth but can drift towards dark if it is overdone. Add visual balance with accents and other non-wooden materials. For example, in the living room, have a wood-framed sofa with soft, light-colored leather.   

Lay a geometric patterned rug over a wooden floor.   

Opt for a solid wood dining table or kitchen table and add color and texture with upholstered seating.   

For a quiet pop of color in the dining room, consider a chair rail and wainscoting trim on the lower half of the walls, with pretty, light-colored wallpaper on the upper half of the walls.  

One of the features of the Craftsman-style is built-in eating nooks in the kitchen. Create a banquette.  

Mix metals for visual texture, with antique brass, oil-rubbed bronze and pewter all good choices.   

Lighting should accentuate the architectural features and is usually made with geometric shapes. Traditionally, Tiffany-style or leaded glass were used on light fixtures in Craftsman-style homes.  

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