Among custom home styles, the craftsman style continues to be highly popular.
In today’s custom home market, one can choose from practically any house style one wishes and adjust it to one’s preferences. While traditional homes continue to be common on the waterfront and throughout Maryland, one style continues to be one of the most beloved today. Below are the characteristics of the craftsman style house and its history.
The History of the Craftsman Style House
The craftsman style house formed in the early 1900s as part of a movement swinging away from the Industrial Revolution of the Victorian period. Turning away from the highly-manufactured or highly-elaborate, people began to embrace simpler, artisanal work, particularly in architecture. Shortly after the British Arts and Crafts Movement, the American Arts and Crafts, or Craftsman movement, proceeded on both the west and east coasts.
In upstate New York, a furniture maker named Gustav Stickley pioneered this style through his furniture and then house plans. He later founded “The Craftsman” magazine, which catalogued various house plans for sale. Meanwhile, brothers and architects Charles and Henry Greene in Pasadena created a craftsman house style inspired by the British movement and oriental wooden architecture. After a century of more architectural house plan catalogs distributed throughout the country, the craftsman style is known for what it is today.
Exterior Traits
The exterior traits of a craftsman home are easy to identify. At the front, these homes typically have a front porch or wrap-around porch with pyramidal columns that grow smaller at the top. The doors often have windows on the upper third portion, while windows are large, multi-paned, and cased in wide trim. The roof features wide, single dormers that help balance the overall design, as well as overhanging eaves and visible knee braces. The home’s exterior color is often a white or earthy, muted color.
Interior Traits
As for the interior, there are also hints that will tell you you are in a craftsman style house. Because of its emphasis on handmade features, the interior classically features built-in features like cabinetry, shelving, and seating. One will likely see handcrafted stone, woodwork, or brick, plus a great fireplace in the living room. Craftsman style homes have open floor plans that are practical for daily living.
Is It Right for You?
Is this a house style that interests you? Shore-Line Construction in Maryland offers a plethora of craftsman style house plans as well as a myriad of other options.
BUILD YOUR WATERFRONT DREAM HOME WITH SHORE-LINE CONSTRUCTION!
At Shore-Line Construction, we know that your home is a reflection of you. That’s why we strive to make each home we build as beautiful as the family who will live there. We work with each of our clients to design a home that fits their needs. The end result is a durable, energy-efficient custom home that the family will enjoy for generations to come. Shore-Line Construction has been serving our customers for over 25 years, and we look forward to the opportunity to help you!
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