Craftsman Homes Built America's Dream

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"A minute love nest beside a stream, where red,
Red roses grow, our bungalow of dreams.
Far from the city somehow it seems,
We're sitting pretty in our bungalow of dreams."

Thus went the chorus of "Our bungalow of Dreams," a song written in 1927 that reflects total affection for a construction style that swept over America as the 20th century was born. Today these distinctive Arts and Crafts homes still grace cities from California to Cape Cod, retaining the elegance and grace of an aesthetic, collective and market moveMent.

American Stories

The story began in England and was largely authored by William Morris whose home decorating themes stood in approximately stark discrepancy to the guilded and ornate households of the Victorian Age. He, and others, wanted a return to organic simplicity and designs that blended with the natural environMent. His ornamental arts became integral to a new architectural style that simultaneously developed, sailed swiftly over the Atlantic and was adapted by American builders and designers.

How to Craftsman Homes Built America's Dream

Birth of a Movement
The motion of Arts and Crafts homes, with their open interior design, low profile and simplicity of line was about much more than style. It was a reflection of collective turn brought about by the market Revolution. In England, Morris and his mentors bemoaned the effects of mass output and the loss of personal relationship to one's work. They urged return to the craftsmanship of the past, when individuals were invested in the potential - not the quantity - of their work. Morris's home decorations fully expressed this ideal and used patterns from nature, natural dyes and wall papers made from wood block prints.

At the same time, the market Revolution was slowly changing daily house life in England and America. Population were sharp to cities for work in factories and families were earning a living - one that allowed an addition whole of Population to own a home. Their homes would be straightforward - no need for servant quarters and grand entryways. Exteriors would be straightforward and beyond doubt maintained. Gingerbread carvings were substituted by natural stone, brick and timber that mighty several variations of Craftsman homes in America.

America's Craft Masters and Marketers
The nation gave birth to many complete architects whose work exemplifies the Movement - Greene and Greene, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Julia Morgan among others. Wisconsin offered up Gustav Stickley whose woodwork and furniture fully embraced and expressed Arts and Crafts principles. He also published the first of many magazines and catalogs that helped to popularize craftsman homes and décor.

While the work of these noted architects and designers captured attention in the early 1900s - and continues to do so today, it was a more popular medium that made the Craftsman house, the popular Bungalow, an daily American dream. Sears and Roebuck Company, Montgomery Ward and other national retailers began selling Craftsman home plans in catalogs, along with materials, blueprints and do-it-yourself kit homes. Sears and Roebuck even included house paint in its kits. Michigan alone had three major companies selling bungalow and Craftsman kits over America. The costs of the kits ranged from a minute over ,000 to about ,500.

This mass marketing mirrored other changes in American cities. Roads were being built, streetcars and trolleys were carrying Population to an addition whole of white collar Jobs and the examine for home possession soared. construction materials were relatively cheap and the American dream of home possession was thriving.

American Craftsman Styles
Arts and Crafts homes come in a whole of styles. The bungalow was among the most popular and still prized today. It characteristically has one story, a brick or rock Fireplace, a small porch supported by brick or straightforward wooden columns, and a slowly sloped roof. Some Bungalows have a small half-story perched atop the former design. Within this broad class are several styles that reflect the use of gables and extended rafters.

The Craftsman home has a more grand scale than the Bungalow. Its two-story originate features fine detail work around windows and on eves. Roof rafters are exposed and cut in simple, yet elegant geometric patterns. The Craftsman home was ordinarily larger than the more modest bungalow, with further bedrooms upstAirs and larger coarse living spaces. Front porches with characteristic columns might span the width of the house.

Yet another popular style in the Craftsman genre was the Foursquare or Box House that was often built on narrow urban lots. The two stories of the Foursquare were separated by a piece of straightforward trim board and a porch graced the whole front of the home. As with other Craftsman styles, brick, rock and wood used in straightforward lines embellished the Box House which was one of the most popular kit homes for Sears and Roebuck between 1900 and 1920. Many of these Foursquare homes have become the two-up, two-down apartments of modern American cities.

So popular is the Craftsman home, there was a resurgence of new construction in this style at the end of the 20th century. The organic feel of the house cordial homes continues to motion to Population who are construction in the 21st century. And, as testimony to the basic principle of the movement expressed by William Morris, Craftsmen homes built 100 years ago remain standing and strong. Built with care, attention to detail and dedication to craft, they elegantly stand the test of time.

Craftsman Homes Built America's Dream

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