Craftsman Home Design Enjoys a Renaissance

Off with the old and on with the...Old? Absolutely. Consider the new architectural trends. Nostalgic styles complete, with wrap-around front porches, exposed rafters and "craftsman" details are the cutting edge now.

The craftsman or prairie style homes made popular in the early 1900s are taking the home design trends by storm. Designed by architect Gustav Stickley and actually sold through mail order kits from Sears and Roebuck, these homes were originally built to be affordable and more casual than the ornate Victorian styles of the wealthy. They were meant to be homes for the masses. Frank Lloyd Wright added his own variations with his prairie style in the Midwest.

You can find these homes in virtually every metropolitan area of the country. Many are found in neighborhoods built in the early 20th century and are now located in trendy areas adjacent to major cities. And many of these areas are experiencing a rebirth and transformation.

But rehabbing a century old home is not the only avenue to acquiring a craftsman home. Many new homes are now being designed to mimic the craftsman style complete with smaller footprints, dormers, porches supported with stocky tapered columns, wide overhangs, etc.

There are several reasons this trends is happening now. For one, there's a yearning for a sense of home and safety associated with the past. People are longing for simpler times. The nostalgia of the past is a big draw now. For another, these homes are typically smaller and more economical to build. The trend in new home construction now is towards downsizing and scaling back.

Following are the major features of new Craftsman architecture:

• Large front porches with chunky tapered columns
• Horizontal bands in siding with differing finishes above and below.
• Bracket roof supports.
• Generous woodwork and trim inside and out.
• Dark stain finishes
• The use of triple windows or pairs of windows
• The lack of halls (a more open design)
• Built-in cabinetry in the dining rooms or as room dividers
• Materials local to the area