Craftsman Style House Plans

With ties to famous American architects, Craftsman style house plans have a woodsy appeal.

Craftsman style house plans dominated residential architecture in the early 20th Century and remain among the most sought-after designs for those who desire quality detail in a home. There was even a residential magazine called The Craftsman, published from 1901 through 1918, which promoted small Craftsman style house plans that included porches and small gardens.

The California bungalow, an offshoot of the Craftsman style, reached its zenith in the so-called "ultimate bungalows" of Pasadena by architect brothers Charles Sumner and Henry Mather Greene, who incorporated influences from the English Arts and Crafts movement and Asian building techniques, as did Frank Lloyd Wright with the closely-related Prairie style.

With low-slung roofs supported by exposed rafters and stone piers, Craftsman home plans have an organic feel, as if they have risen from their sites. Today’s Craftsman style designs offer open kitchens and great rooms embellished with well-crafted wood details. Small Craftsman house plans are a quintessential American design: unpretentious, understated, and nature-oriented.

Craftsman House Plans Architectural Features:

• Low-slung intersecting gable roofs with wide overhangs and exposed rafter
• Wide porches with tapered or paired square columns
• Extensive use of organic materials like stone, brick, and wood both inside and out
• Interior details wrought in carved wood