Modern Craftsman House: America’s Most Popular House Style

While paying homage to the handcrafted aesthetic and natural materials that defined the American Craftsman movement of the late 19th century, today’s modern Craftsman house embraces a fresh, updated approach.

A recent Survey found that 43% of Americans cited the Craftsman as their favorite of all architectural styles, which is unsurprising.

By seamlessly integrating features such as clean lines, open plan, and abundant natural light with signature Craftsman home details like a low-pitched roof, exposed beams, built-in cabinetry, window seats and tapered columns, the modern Craftsman style offers a warm, inviting ambiance with distinctly current vibe.

Whether new construction or a thoughtful renovation, Craftsman homes celebrate the movement’s core values of simplicity, quality craftsmanship, and harmony with nature while providing the updated amenities that today’s lifestyle demands.

Features of Craftsman-Style Homes

The quintessential Craftsman-style home is characterized by numerous design elements emphasizing handcrafted details and a connection to the outdoors.

Welcoming Front Porch

A typical Craftsman-style porch is integral to the home’s design and aesthetic and creates amazing outliving. They are generally wide and deep, with thick, tapered columns supporting the roof on short piers.

The roof is low-slung with exposed eaves or rafters; the roof is sometimes supported with additional braces.

There is space for seating on the porch, and handcrafted woodwork, such as braces, handrails, and decorative features, is incorporated into the porch design. These features boost curb appeal.

Low Pitched Roofs with Overhanging Eaves

One of the defining architectural features of craftsman homes is their low-pitched roofs with wide overhanging eaves.

The roofs typically have a slope with a gentle pitch, often between a 4/12 and 6/12 ratio of rise to run. This allows for an expansive roofline that creates a low, horizontal profile accentuating the home’s connection to the earth.

Extended eaves project far from the walls, providing deeply recessed shadows that add visual depth and texture.

Single Gable and Double Gable Roof Design

The double gable detail refers to two gable roofs on the same section of the house, typically on the front façade.

Gables are located over the main entry or a prominent window, with a smaller gable offset within a larger gable, creating a nested appearance.

The larger outer gable encompasses most of the front-facing roof section, while the smaller inner gable protrudes outward, centered below the ridge of the outer gable. This design element adds visual interest and depth to the facade.

The scales of the gables are typically proportional, with the larger outer one being about twice the span of the inset inner gable.

This double gable design is one of the Craftsman architectural style’s most recognizable and characteristic features.

It highlights the emphasis on materials, angles, and intentional ornamentation that make Craftsman houses distinctive.

Typically, Painted Cedar Shingle and Wood Siding

Modern Craftsman-style homes typically feature wood clapboard siding. Horizontal wood boards or planks cover the exterior walls, and the boards can be left natural or painted in earth tones.

Wood Cedar shingles were also popular, providing a rustic and textured look to the walls. Shingle siding is often used on the upper stories or gabled sections.

It was common to see a mix of wood clapboards on the lower portions of the walls and wood shingles on the upper portions or gabled areas, which added visual interest.

Using natural materials like wood siding and shingles aligned with the Craftsman philosophy of honest construction and integration with nature.

The varied textures and earthy color palettes were hallmarks of this architectural style.

Material Choices For A Modern Craftsman Style House

Craftsman houses extensively use natural materials inside and out.

Natural stone, such as river rock or fieldstone, is used on walls, porch tapered columns, chimneys, and foundations to blend with the environment.

Overhanging exposed beams, braces, rafter tails, and other structural woodwork were left exposed on the exterior as decorative elements.

Craftsman Homes With Double Hung Windows

Double-hung windows with white trim are a popular choice for maintaining the classic look of a craftsman home.

These windows have two operable sashes that move vertically, with one sliding over the other.

White or light-colored trim around windows, doors, and other architectural elements provides a clean, crisp contrast against the natural wood or earthy tones of the exterior siding.

Craftsman windows are made of hardwood such as oak or Douglas fir. This complements the warm, natural materials used in craftsman architecture.

When selecting double-hung windows with white trim for a craftsman-style home, choosing high-quality materials and a design that respects the home’s architectural heritage is important.

This combination of functional windows and traditional styling helps maintain the charm and character of a craftsman home.

Popular Craftsman Style House Plans

These two house plans embody the timeless appeal of the Craftsman aesthetic with inviting front porches, rich natural materials, and open layouts ideal for modern living. They are our favorite and very popular home styles provided by Architectural Designs.

Design 1 – One and Half Story Craftsman Style Home Design With Double Gables

Real Craftsman Homes

This elegant house design incorporates low roof pitches, wooden posts, awning brackets, and open porches.

The spacious house plan has around 3000 sq ft, 3 bedrooms, and a 3-car garage. It is very popular, but every one has put their taste into the final design, as you can see below.

Design 2 – Two-Story Craftsman Style House Packed With Features

Real Craftsman Homes

This house design has many craftsman-style features. Including a mix of wall materials, including natural stone, vertical siding, and color-coordinated shingles.

In addition, there is a wrap-around porch, sash windows with shutters, and not forgetting the typical double gable with eave returns.

With over 3600 sq ft of living accommodation, this spacious home has at least four bedrooms and a three-car garage.

Furthermore, Architectural Designs works with you to customize their designs to create your perfect home.

History of Craftsman-Style Houses

The craftsman house style emerged from the Arts and Crafts movement in the late 19th century. In fact, it responded to the Industrial Revolution’s mass production and sameness of homes and goods.

Pioneered by British artists, writers, and designers like William Morris and Philip Webb, the Arts and Crafts movement celebrated folk traditions. In addition, revived historical art forms and promoted artisan craftsmanship and handmade construction methods.

The movement spread to America in the early 20th century and heavily influenced residential architecture and home interior design. Many craftsman houses have Arts and Crafts features reminiscent of their earlier English cousins.

Craftsman homes became popular across the United States from around 1905 through the 1920s and 1930s.

These houses rejected the excessive ornamentation of Victorian-era homes in favor of a simpler, more natural aesthetic. Typical features included low-pitched roof lines, wide overhanging eaves, and exposed wooden structural elements. Handcrafted stone or woodwork, tapered square columns, built-in cabinetry and shelves, and an emphasis on natural lighting.

With their cozy, well-crafted finishes, craftsman homes stood in direct opposition to the mass-produced Victorian homes before them.

Therefore, the craftsman house became extremely popular for its warm, inviting charm and artisanal authenticity. Offering an escape from industrialized monotony.

Although their popularity faded by the 1930s, the iconic craftsman-style homes remain a beloved classic of American architecture today.