Craftsman
Natural materials, visible construction details, and carefully coordinated woodwork emphasize craftsmanship and practical design.
What Is Craftsman?
Craftsman architecture is an American expression of the Arts and Crafts movement that became prominent in the early twentieth century. It emphasizes practical design, natural materials, and craftsmanship, with woodwork and construction details playing an important role in the overall composition.
The style appears in a range of house forms, from compact Craftsman bungalows to larger residences, with regional interpretations such as California Craftsman. Broad roof eaves, substantial porches, and coordinated interior details give Craftsman homes their characteristic appearance.
The Collection
Craftsman Characteristics
Craftsman buildings favor clear forms, practical layouts, and the natural character of wood, stone, and brick. Decorative interest comes from balanced proportions, visible construction details, and the grain and texture of the materials. Sheltered porches, connected living spaces, and coordinated interiors emphasize comfort and everyday use.
- Low-pitched roofs with broad eaves and exposed rafter tails or brackets
- Porches with substantial square or tapered columns
- Wood siding or shingles with brick, stone, or stucco
- Grouped windows, often with divided lights
- Paneled walls, boxed ceiling beams, and prominent fireplaces
- Built-in cabinets, bookcases, and seating
CRAFTSMAN MOULDINGS
Craftsman mouldings combine flat boards, simple geometric profiles, and squared or eased edges. Broad door and window casings, substantial baseboards, and restrained crown or cap mouldings create coordinated interior woodwork with an emphasis on proportion and the natural character of the wood.
These profiles complement paneled walls, boxed ceiling beams, and built-in cabinetry. Interior woodwork was often stained and varnished to emphasize its grain, although painted finishes were also used.
Shop Now
Period Details & Drawings
History of Craftsman
Craftsman architecture grew from the English Arts and Crafts movement of the late nineteenth century. Designers such as William Morris advocated thoughtful design, quality materials, and skilled workmanship in response to concerns about industrial production. These ideals encouraged a closer relationship between the design of a home and the making of its furnishings and decorative details.
In the United States, Gustav Stickley promoted the Craftsman ideal through his furniture and his magazine The Craftsman, published from 1901 to 1916. The magazine presented house plans alongside discussions of furnishings, materials, and domestic life. Elbert Hubbard’s Roycroft community also helped advance American Arts and Crafts through its printing, furniture, and decorative arts. Mission furniture became closely associated with these ideals through its simple forms and emphasis on materials and craftsmanship.
On the West Coast, Charles and Henry Greene helped shape California Craftsman architecture through houses that coordinated architecture, woodwork, and furnishings. Meanwhile, Prairie architecture shared an interest in natural materials and integrated design while developing its own distinctive architectural language.
During the early twentieth century, magazines, pattern books, and mail-order house kits brought Craftsman-inspired designs to a national audience. The style became especially popular for smaller homes, while larger houses offered more elaborate interpretations. Its popularity declined during the late 1920s and 1930s as architectural tastes changed, but its influence continues in homes that emphasize practical planning and carefully detailed woodwork. Our Craftsman Era Mouldings page features drawings of crowns, casings, baseboards, paneling, and ceiling beam details from Robert W. Lang’s Shop Drawings for Craftsman Interiors.
