Yorkville Illinois Realtor | What Is A Craftsman Style Home
They charm us with an intimate scale and intricate wooden details gently layered over stucco, shingles, stone and bricks. Their porches turn back time while providing a gentle transition between the outside world and cozy spaces inside. These are Craftsman houses — uniquely American creations that began to appear around 1905 in Southern California and are considered modern eclectic architecture. They’re a fusion of wooden Asian architectural details, the English Arts and Crafts movement and an innovative California spirit.
- 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. - How to spot one
A low-pitched, gabled roof. The low-slung rooflines reflect the influence of Oriental architecture on the style. These roofs typically have a wide, unenclosed eave overhang with decorative supports.Roofs with a low pitch are typically better suited to warmer climates, where snow and ice are not likely to accumulate. They do require routine maintenance to make sure debris such as leaves does not build up over time.A front porch. It’s rare to find a Craftsman bungalow that doesn’t have a porch, even if the porch simply covers the entryway. Porches are either full (like this one) or partial width, and are either sheltered beneath the main roof or under a separate, extended roof.Porches are a great investment — they extend the livable space of small homes and make it possible to spend time outside.Tapered columns. This is one of the most distinctive characteristics of Craftsman homes, despite the variation in detailing. Tapered columns, which support the porch roof, are typically short and rest upon massive stone or brick piers that extend to ground level, both of which convey a certain solidity. Not all columns are tapered; another popular variation is the double column.
Borrowing the very recognizable porch supports from the Craftsman style is a great way to get a touch of the look without rebuilding your home from scratch.
A partially paned door. One great authenticity test of Craftsman bungalows is how their doors are styled. Almost all original versions have glass panes in the upper third of the door, separated from the bottom paneled portion by a thick piece of trim.Swapping out your door for a Craftsman one is another way to incorporate a little of the style into your home. There are lots of great sources for new Craftsman-style doors.Multipane instead of single-pane windows. Like a few other Craftsman details, this window style originated with the Prairie architectural style. The most common configurations are either four-over-one or six-over-one double-hung windows. The windows are often grouped together and cased in wide trim.This window style is a great traditional or historical style for homes with a view, as the single-pane lower sash has no mullion obstructions.
Lauralee McElroy is Yorkville’s premier real estate agent with Swanson Real Estate. Contact Lauralee today for all of your Yorkville Illinois real estate needs.
