Our RDS designers create many different styles of homes for clients, but English Arts and Crafts happens to be a style that is especially loved by our founder and principal designer, Jim Wright.
The Arts & Crafts movement began in Britain in the late 1800s. William Morris, a poet, social reformer, and artist was influential in this movement, as was John Ruskin, an English designer. The basis of Arts & Crafts is hand craftsmanship and design in all aspects of the home and its furnishings. It was a call to return to skilled craftsmanship and a move away from the mass production of goods. The movement is based on a philosophy to elevate the decorative arts and make them accessible to all. The Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society, formed in England, was an instrumental group in developing the artists and craftsmen who supported this movement. When the movement migrated to America, it was further influenced by Gustav Stickley, a furniture manufacturer in New York. He urged the building of homes and furniture by hand with local materials and provided plans and furniture for purchase through his catalog. Frank Lloyd Wright was also instrumental in the development of the Arts & Crafts style in the U.S.
Is an Arts & Crafts home something you might be interested in? We put together a list of distinctive details that might help you better understand this type of home when we discuss ideas and concepts for your new project.
Architectural Elements of the Arts and Crafts Home:
Buildings blend with the landscape, usually with rock foundations
Utilizing locally made materials
Simple Craftsman-like and Bungalow style homes
Frank Lloyd Wright-styled homes with a central chimney, overhanging roofs, horizontal roofs, and built in furniture
Exposed beams and rafters
Large front porches beneath the main roof
Natural finishes on wood trim
Cabinets, window seats, and shelves that are built in
Earth tones and colors
Hipped or gabled dormers
Siding is usually wood shingled, but brick and stucco are also used in combination
Relief tiles for fireplaces
Asymmetrical appearance
Multiple pitched gabled roof lines
The Arts & Crafts Home Means:
Simple, functional designs
Handcrafted objects, such as “craftsman” and “mission” furniture, pottery, jewelry, textiles, and metalwork
Quality craftsmanship
Well-designed objects
Minimal decoration
Not mass produced
These homes are beautiful in their quality and simplicity. As your residential design specialists, we would love the opportunity to help you design a home like this or any other type of home you are thinking about building or remodeling.
Visit our Portfolio page for more inspiration and give us a call to start the discussion of your new home.