Do you want art and crafts to reflect in your home? Then arts and crafts style is for you. It is a movement born in the late 19th century in Britain and America. Rooted in a desire to revive local craftsmanship and traditional building methods, this architectural style embraces informal spaces infused with cultural significance. So, let’s delve into the history, characteristics, and key elements of arts and crafts homes.
A Peek into the History of Arts and Crafts Style Homes
Arts and crafts homes emerged as a response to the Industrial Revolution’s mass production, which led to a decline in authentic craftsmanship and ornate designs. Visionaries like William Morris championed a return to handcrafted goods and personalised design, emphasising the marriage of utility and beauty. This movement attracted architects like John Ruskin, Philip Webb, and Frank Lloyd Wright, who sought to imbue their creations with a sense of retro glamour and human-centric design principles.
According to Roger Matuz (2002) (author of the book “Albert Khan: Builder of Detroit,”) Arts and crafts designs emphasise craftsmanship-object crafted by humans as opposed to machines. The “cottage style” of the architecture of the arts and crafts movement emphasised simple shapes and harmony with the natural landscape. Arts and crafts design emphasises the importance of handcrafted details and artisanal craftsmanship, celebrating the beauty of natural materials and intricate workmanship.
How to Make Your Home Follow the Arts and Crafts Style?
The arts and crafts style, despite losing popularity post-World War II, has resurfaced due to its timeless appeal and sleek aesthetics. Arts and crafts house plans, also called craftsman house plans, are highly sought after. Here are a few tips for making your home follow this style.
Focus On Natural Materials
The arts and crafts style home achieves cultural eclecticism using natural material palette, such as stone, wood, and brick, that lend the home a balance between beauty and utility.
Embrace Openness
The design’s open floor concept and airiness have been prevalent since the historic era. Arts and crafts-style homes set up multiple windows and follow open planning to break the monotony of space.
Go For Multi-Functional Spaces
Arts and crafts design highly regards the utility of a space. Make it versatile by opting for a multi-functional design.
Enhance The Exterior Elements
Enhance façade embellishments, add low-pitched roofs, eave overhangs, and a porch design to resonate with the arts and crafts theme, ensuring the house’s overall aesthetic appeal.
Cater To the Interior Elements
Take the design concept to the interiors, with an open plan. Exposed beams, built-in furniture, and a huge fireplace sitting amidst the house truly define the design.
Peculiar Traits of Arts and Crafts Style Home
Arts and crafts style homes highlight structural integrity, simplicity, and a deep connection to nature. These homes are built with local materials, boasting earthy hues and intricate craftsmanship that celebrates handmade artistry. The design ethos revolves around creating a sanctuary of simple living, where every element is thoughtfully curated to evoke comfort and nostalgia.
Key Elements Transcending the Arts and Crafts Style
Let’s understand each element that goes into making an arts and crafts style home and help you achieve your dream home design.
- Keep it Low-Roofed : Keep the roof low and couple it with a low-pitched roofing system. Aim for the addition of wider eaves, and let the triangular brackets adorn them.
- Highlight the Beams : The main feature of the house is the exposed beams. Unlike modern homes, try to keep them open and highlight them on the porch and even inside the house.
- In-built Furniture : One of these homes’ most functional and prominent features is built-in furniture. Opt for an in-built cabinetry design that also serves as an architectural enhancer while catering to your storage needs.
- Minimise the Size of the Windows : Arts and crafts style restricts the size of the windows, but you can opt for multiple of those.
- A Warming Fireplace : Make the fireplace a dominant component of the interiors; it serves as a cosy spot for you and your family. Spruce up the facade with a chimney.
- Attention-seeking Porches : Let the exteriors scream of the arts and crafts style by adding a prominent porch to the house. Ensure that it’s supported by thick columns designed in natural stone.
- Open plans : Keep the interior zoning open and flowy. Opt for more open and multi-functional spaces, and avoid boxing up spaces within four walls. Keep the living, dining, and kitchen open and well-connected to each other.
Different Typologies of Arts and Crafts Houses
Different styles fall under the umbrella of arts and crafts houses. Let’s have a look at these to define each type.
01. Craftsman Home
One of the leading American styles of homes was the craftsman homes built during the arts and crafts movement. The major characteristics of this style are the wide yet low layouts, open and spacious planning, front porch, and wooden framing of the structure.
02. Arts And Crafts Bungalow
The bungalow style was an affordable house style during the early 20th century. These quick and easy-to-execute craftsman-style homes offered small and easy to maintain homes for working families of America. These single storey homes were raised from the ground and dormer windows, small verandas, and space-efficient interiors defined this style.
03. Tudor House
Tudor homes originated in Britain. These large homes, composed of bricks and white-stucco sidings, had multiple levels. Steep-pitched roofs and ornamented chimneys, the main entrance with wooden doors, multi-paned windows, and intricacy in the craftsmanship of wood defined the style.
5 Interesting Examples of Arts and Crafts Style House
If you wish to visit the ethos of the retro style and witness its unique essence, then let’s take a small virtual tour of various examples of the arts and crafts style.
01. Standen, West Sussex
Standen, designed by Phillip Webb, is an exceptional example of arts and crafts style, blending Medieval farm building styles and confluences with modern elements. The design incorporates local materials, and the interiors glitter with electric fittings and heavy ornamentation.
02. St. Francis Court, Pasadena
St. Francis Court, Sylvanus Marston, features bungalows surrounded by a courtyard, serving an illusion of space and addressing density issues in a dense neighbourhood.
03 .The Gamble House, Pasadena
The Gamble House, designed by Charles and Henry Greene, showcases old-fashioned eclecticism with intricate craftsmanship and fine furnishings, covering 8200 sq ft.
04. Stoneywell, Leicestershire
Ernest Gimson, the architect of the Stoneywell house is one of the prominent contributors to the arts and crafts movement, This home is a masterpiece of detailed handcrafting in both interiors and exteriors, showcasing the movement’s simplicity.
05. Red House, Great London
One of the noteworthy worlds of Phillip Webb and William Morris is the Red House, nestling on the outskirts of London. This fine example is one of the early homes designed with the concept of arts and crafts style. The entire home portrays artisans’ skills and is enveloped with handcrafts.
Developing Final look
The arts and crafts ethos are more than a design style; it’s a philosophy of living that honours craftsmanship and natural materials. It is a human-centric design that creates homes with authenticity and timeless elegance. This philosophy of the arts and crafts movement enriches lives for generations, blending craftsmanship and character. Go a step closer to nature with arts and crafts style house.
Also read
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8 Remarkable Parametric Designs in Sustainable Architecture
Image Courtesy : Image 9, Image 10, Image 11, Image 12, Image 13
Author Bio
Saili Sawantt – She is an Architect and Interior Designer by profession. Writing is what she treats as her passion. She has worked as an Architectural Writer, Editor, and Journalist for various design as well as digital portals, both national and international. Formerly she has also worked with Godrej Properties Limited (GPL) Design Studio, Mumbai, due to her keen interested in learning about Sustainability and Green buildings. Apart from this, she runs her blog ‘The Reader’s Express’ and is a practicing Architect & Interior Designer.
