Elaine

Owning a craftsman home plan is like owning a piece of history. Some of America's most prominent architects designed the Craftsman style home. The designer we think of most was Gustave Stickly. Mr. Stickly started off his career as a furniture designer. After finding great success with his furniture designs he branched our to house plans. He developed the craftsman home design.

The design is known for its simplicity. These homes are normally informal. Charm just oozes from this home design. The curb appeal of these homes makes them a hot commodity in the housing market today.

"The Craftsman," magazine created by Gustave Sickly promoted the craftsman style. Craftsmans homes gained their name from this very magazine. The homes show off artistry in their home construction and interior furnishing. The craftsman home was for the do it yourselfer. Mr. Stickly urged people to take the craftsman home plan and build it themselves. The original design made it affordable and available to the average home owner.

Mr. Stickly does not get sole created for the homes popularity. Other top designers of the time like Henry Mather Green and Charles Sumner Greene also made this style of home common to the average consumer. These two men meshed arts and crafts with wooden buildings from Japan and China. Like so many other new house plans being developed in the US, the craftsman found its home in California as well.

The influence of the Arts & Crafts movement during the 1800's in England gave the Craftsman house plan its foundation. This movement was started by John Ruskin, William Morris, and other English designers. The informality and simplicity of the plan was contradicted the Victorian period and the effects of the industrial revolution.

The exterior of craftsman homes differ as you cross the US. In the west craftsman homes are found with stucco and wood. In the Midwest homes are widely found with brick exteriors. As you travel further east you will find homes with more shingles on the facade.

This homes feature
* Wood, stone, or stucco siding
* Low-pitched roof
* Wide eaves with triangular brackets
* Exposed roof rafters
* Porch with thick square or round columns
* Stone porch supports
* Exterior chimney made with stone
* Open floor plans; few hallways
* Numerous windows
* Some windows with stained or leaded glass
* Beamed ceilings
* Dark wood wainscoting and moldings
* Built-in cabinets, shelves, and seating

Today more and more home developments are designing their new communities after the craftsman style house. These homes are inviting and welcoming making them a perfect fit for young families and starter homes.

Charity Adams is an HGTV and Home Improvement Junkie. Charity enjoys researching craftsman house plans and home improvement. For more information on house plans including Craftsman House Plans, check out Charity's Craftsman House Plan page. http://myhouseplansonline.com