Why folks love a Craftsman
Style House
Just the
other day, I overheard a couple tell someone that they live in a Craftsman
style house off the Lancaster Highway in a brand new community.
Then, the
lady mentioned their neighborhood and I immediately knew that she was in a
house built with vinyl siding and stone accents on front porch columns.
I chuckled
and walked away thinking that this couple might have heard that term, Craftsman
Style home from the realtor during the sales process. Or, the builder used the
term on their website and all 320 homeowners are convinced that their home is truly
an architect’s dream of Craftsman Style construction.
If they only
knew.
And, I realized
that the term Craftsman Style house is overused and quite often does not refer
to the style of house. It is a marketing term that production builders as well
as custom builders misuse when describing their building process.
If you drive
into the older communities closer to downtown, you will find an eclectic array
of Craftsman Style homes. Beautiful
homes built during the 40’s, 50’s and early 60’s with the distinctive features
that define a Craftsman style home, throughout the Dilworth community as well
as Elizabeth, Chantilly, Plaza Midwood and some houses in the older section of
Myers Park.
So, what are the distinctive
features that you’ll find on a true Craftsman Style home?
1.
Front Gable. It is the triangle formed by sloping
roof. You have seen them. It is the pointed roof that is predominantly featured
on the front elevation of a Craftsman style house. Most of them feature a
window or slatted vents for ventilation or some gables will have wood trim accents.
This photo displays a home with multiple gables on front elevation.
2. Stone Accents:
Culture stone or stack stone that is primarily used on front elevation. Many of
the national builders will utilize stone accents for their high end communities
as featured in this photo.
3.
Front
porch & Front door: Here is where you find the true craftsman features
that include stone accents, beaded porch ceilings, custom wood door with custom
trim and accent lighting. NOTE: Older Craftsman Style homes often
did not have porch railing that you’ll see on newer homes.
4.
Columns: Stacked
stone columns are probably my favorite element to a Craftsman style home.
Tapered columns (see photo above) are popular and can been seen on many houses
on the West Coast that were built in 1940’s and 1950’s. Here is a photo of one
of those homes.
So, now you know the main features for a Craftsman Style
home.
It is a custom home builder’s
dream to construct a true Craftsman Style home and in many cases it (house) is their
‘Picasso.’
Interested? Call me at 704-455-4500 and let’s discuss. Carbon Custom Home co-owner, Chad Bonds.
What is a Craftsman
Style Home? Craftsman homes were primarily inspired by the
work of two architect brothers — Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene
— who worked together in Pasadena, California, at the turn of the 20th century.
The Greene brothers were influenced by the English Arts and Crafts movement (a
reaction against the Industrial Revolution in an effort to promote the work of
craftsmen and the handmade over the machine made), as well as by Oriental
wooden architecture.
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