Craftsman Home Plans
Craftsman house plans are an outgrowth of the Arts and Crafts style of
the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In the aftermath of
the Industrial Revolution, architects reacted to the mechanization of
life by trying to return to nature. They used wood and stone, and
designed homes to blend into the landscape. In the 1880's designers and
thinkers such as William Morris, John Ruskin, and Philip Webb launched
the Arts and Crafts Movement to celebrate handicrafts and to encourage
the use of natural materials and simple forms. In the U.S. the brothers
Henry Mather Greene and Charles Sumner Greene designed homes which
combined Arts and Crafts ideals with the simple wooden architecture of
Japan and China. The word "Craftsman" is derived from the title of a
magazine published by designer Gustav Stickley from 1901 through 1916.
True Craftsman homes are those built according to designs published in
Stickley's magazine, but other pattern books and mail order catalogues
published plans with similar designs. Soon the term "Craftsman" meant
any home which expressed the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement,
especially the simple and economical bungalow.
Craftsman custom
home plans accent simplicity and lack of ornamentation, using local
materials whenever possible. Natural materials traditionally played a
large role in Craftsman style. These homes take advantage of their sites
by being positioned to welcome the sun, and they are often surrounded
by gardens. They usually feature a wide front porch supported on stone
and framed by thick round or square pillars, which provides an outdoor
living space. Exteriors were made of stone, wood, or stucco siding, and
roofs were low-pitched with wide eaves and triangular brackets. Exterior
stone chimneys are common. Interior floor plans are open, with few
hallways, and the efficient use of space allows the display of large art
pieces, and also accommodates large gatherings. The walls typically
have many windows to provide ample light. Roof rafters are exposed
inside and ceilings are beamed, and there may be dark wood moldings and
wainscoting. Shelves, cabinets, and seating are usually built-in.
Craftsman homes usually feature Arts and Crafts-style light fixtures,
and leaded or stained glass windows to provide privacy as well as a play
of light.
While Craftsman home design plans most often make
people think "bungalow", there developed different Craftsman styles,
including Prairie, Mission, and Foursquare. The Craftsman style is
experiencing a revival at present, especially since the current economic
downturn. One reason is that new, low-maintenance products such as PVC
and composites make it possible to create architectural accents which
don't require the maintenance that traditional materials needed. For
example, window boxes and functional shutters and brackets are making a
comeback, since PVC window boxes resist water and don't rot. PVC is also
being used for windows and trim work. The current recession is helping
to bring back Craftsman-style attention to detail at an affordable
price, since modern home buyers are attracted to the simple, understated
elegance and inexpensive maintenance which modern materials can
provide.
Craftsman Home Plans