What Is a Craftsman House? Explained Simply

At the turn of the 20th century, the American Craftsman movement included building, applied and decorative arts, as well as interior and landscape design. This movement gave rise to Craftsman houses.

Key Characteristics of Craftsman Houses

• Craftsman homes have low-pitched roofs with single or double gables that stick out and eaves that hang over the sides.
• Outside beams, brackets, and/or ceilings that are visible
• Front porches that are wide and open are held up by thick, curved columns.
• Large bay or picture windows with small roof ledges and rafter tails that hang over the edges.
• Wood siding that has been painted, usually cedar shaker shingles
• Inside and outside Accents made of stone or stucco
• Sash windows that may have the famous leaded glasswork by Frank Lloyd Wright
• Use of natural wood inside, like hardwood floors, open beams, window trim, and moldings
• Inside features that are built in, like shelves, cabinets, and window seats
• Fireplaces in the middle

History of Craftsman Architecture

The American Craftsman style, which mostly appeared in the U.S. between 1900 and 1929, was a reaction against the Victorian building boom that was caused by the Industrial Revolution. The British Arts and Crafts movement gave it ideas. It emphasized the beauty of natural materials and shapes made by hand.

Craftsman style homes were built all over the country in part because of the work of American furniture creator Gustav Stickley. In the early 1900s, this supporter of the Arts and Crafts movement made the style more famous and gave it its name with his monthly magazine “The Craftsman.”

Instead of the huge McMansions that would come about a hundred years later, Craftsman-style homes were small to medium-sized single-family buildings that valued simplicity and economy in design. Many people still want to live in Craftsman houses in the United States.

Craftsman Interior Design Style

Craftsman interior design is based on the classic beauty of handcrafted items that are made with natural materials and colors and patterns that come from nature. The style likes things to be simple and useful, but it has more character and detail built in than clean-lined modern spaces.

Smaller Distinct Spaces

Craftsman designs are meant to be cozy, unpretentious, and warm. They have separate living and dining rooms, small eat-in kitchen nooks, and brick or tile fireplaces in the living and dining rooms.

Extensive Use of Woodwork

Many Craftsman homes have thick window and door frames, built-in bookshelves, ceiling beams, hardwood floors, window seats, and other handmade millwork that make the homes feel warm and welcoming. Craftsman interiors have a usually manly feel because the wood is stained medium to dark.

Types of Craftsman Homes

Bungalow

Craftsman houses are common in California and are usually only one story tall. They can be recognized by their small size and cozy features, such as front porches that are wide open and eaves that hang over the sides. In the past, Craftsman houses were usually painted in earth tones like brown and green. These days, you can find them in a huge range of colors.

Prairie Style

American Craftsman style gave rise to the Prairie School of architecture. And builder Frank Lloyd Wright started it. Wright went on to make some of the world’s most famous midcentury modern buildings.

The Arthur B. Heurtley House (above), which is in Oak Park, IL, is thought to be one of the first full-on Prairie-style homes. It was built in 1902 and fixed up in 1997. It has a concrete base and no basement or roof. Its design is based on horizontal lines and a ribbon of art glass windows.

Mission Revival

In the Southwest, Mission Revival houses are a variation on Craftsman homes. Instead of wood siding, they have stucco. They use Craftsman-style features like extended eaves, but the roof may have clay tiles.

American Foursquare