Craftsman Roots
The British Arts & Crafts movement that emerged in the mid-1800s during the Industrial Revolution was a rallying call to revive handcrafted workmanship and return to the use of quality materials and creation of beautiful, useful products by gifted artisans. At the turn of the century, the movement gained widespread popularity in the states, and the Craftsman homes it gave rise to were a refreshing change from the overly ornate, mass-produced, and shoddily constructed Victorians of the day. With their clean, strong lines, natural materials, and handcrafted artisanship throughout, Craftsman homes remain among America’s most popular house styles to this day.
CLAPBOARD/TRIM: LIFESPAN Solid Select
SHINGLE SIDING: SBC Cedar
EXTERIOR STAIN: Olympic’s Steely Sea
MANUFACTURED STONE VENEER: Eldorado Stone
COMPOSITE ROOF TILES: DaVinci Roofscapes
WINDOWS & PATIO DOORS: Andersen
LAMPPOST: Walpole Outdoors
GARAGE DOORS: Haas Door
LANDSCAPE PLANTS: Sodco, Fast-Growing-Trees.com, and InstantHedge
IRRIGATION: Orbit B-Hyve and Orbit Irrigation
Exterior Elements of a Craftsman Style
With a great degree of custom handcraft work, no two original Craftsman designs are exactly alike. But common elements typically include:
- Low-pitched rooflines with hip or gable dormers
- Deep eaves with exposed rafter tails
- Covered front porches
- Beefy tapered or square front porch columns, often resting on stone or brick piers
- Flared eves
- Double-hung or casement windows with two or three divided lights on the upper half and a single pane below
SHINGLES: SBC Cedar
CLAPBOARD/TRIM: LIFESPAN Solid Select
RAILINGS AND BRACKETS: Real Cedar
EXTERIOR LIGHTING: Circa Lighting
WALKWAY PAVERS: Unilock
WINDOWS: Andersen
PLANTS: Fast-Growing-Trees.com
MICROCLOVER SOD: Sodco
Craftsman Curb Appeal
Our perfectly symmetrical Idea House features a gable dormer centered within a shed dormer. They are both supported by a low-pitched roof with deep overhangs that shelters a full-width porch.
SHINGLES: SBC Cedar
STAIN: Olympic’s Steely Sea
CLAPBOARD/TRIM: LIFESPAN Solid Select
HEDGES: InstantHedge
RAILINGS & BRACKETS: Real Cedar
LANTERN POST: Walpole Outdoors
WINDOWS: Andersen
Flared Eaves
“The level of craftsmanship really gets your attention at this house,” says TOH host Kevin O’Connor, who was particularly taken with the swooping roofline. “That curve took extra effort, and it’s a beautiful flared detail.”
ROOF: DaVinci Roofscapes
SHINGLES: SBC Cedar
WINDOWS: Andersen
RAILINGS And PORCH CEILING: Real Cedar
Welcoming Front Porch
Climb the front steps, past the stone-clad piers, and the Craftsman-style architectural elements all around give the house a familiar, homey feel. The 6-foot-deep, full-width front porch is a great spot to relax and greet neighbors.
WINDOWS: Andersen
FURNISHINGS: Hayneedle
CEILING, RAILS, AND FLOOR: Real Cedar
STAIN: Olympic’s Steely Sea (siding), Clear Sealer (ceiling, rails, floor)
LIGHT FIXTURES: Circa Lighting
Details Matter
Exquisite workmanship is the hallmark of Craftsman style. And attention to detail is evident in the bird’s mouth return and dowl joints Sweenor Builders Mill Shop used to create the front porch handrails.
HANDRAILS: Real Cedar
Walls of Windows
Says Union Studio architect Christina Carlson, “Ganged’ windows are a feature common to the Craftsman style. It is a technique that uses smaller windows to create large areas of glazing. They serve a double purpose—to let in lots of natural light, and to frame views to the exterior.”
WINDOWS: Andersen
FURNISHINGS: Hayneedle
CEILING, RAILS, FLOOR: Real Cedar
STAIN: Olympic’s Steely Sea (walls), Clear Sealer (ceiling, floor, railings)
Lighting the Way
Carriage-house lanterns with strong, clean lines greet visitors at the arched entrance.
WALL SCONES: Circa Lighting
STAIN: Olympic’s Steely Sea
PORCH CEILING: Real Cedar
Craftsman Style Garage
The garage repeats many of the house’s Craftsman-style details: a curved roof, a central gable, exposed brackets, and a textural mix of siding materials, with cedar shingles above manufactured-stone veneer.
GARAGE DOORS: Haas Door
COMPOSITE ROOF TILES: DaVinci Roofscapes
STONE VENEER: Eldorado Stone
LIGHTING: Circa Lighting
CEDAR SHINGLES: SBC Cedar
Mixed Materials
Materials mix freely in Craftsman homes; here, stone, steel, cedar, and shingles create a unique yet composed look. Custom-built cedar brackets supporting the garage-roof overhang echo the decorative ones adorning the eves of the main house.
BRACKETS: Real Cedar
SHINGLES: SBC Cedar
STONE VENEER: Eldorado Stone
STAIN: Olympic’s Steely Sea and Clear Sealer
WALL SCONCES: Circa Lighting
Carriage House Charm
For our front-facing garage, we opted for the classic beauty of period-appropriate carriage house doors crafted in galvanized steel for durability and insulated for superior thermal performance.
GARAGE DOORS: Haas Door
Sweenor Craftsmanship
Even our builder’s saw horse is a testament to the craftsmanship of his team, their attention to detail, and insistence on quality throughout. We at This Old House couldn’t have been prouder to work with Sweenor Builders on this project, and we congratulate Jeff Sweenor on being named Rhode Island Home Builder of the Year by Home Builder Digest.