What is a Craftsman style home?

The Arts and Crafts movement actually evolved as a result of the industrial revolution in Great Britain where quantity over quality became a way of life in the 1890s resulting in products that were less than perfect and sometimes downright poor. Opponents of the revolution voiced their options about the poor workmanship and the Arts and Crafts movement began to take off. By the time it hit the American shores in the early 20th century, the movement had begun to wan in Britain. Here, the best designers embraced the use of mechanical labor, with the idea that the use of machines would help more people experience the beauty of the Arts and Crafts lifestyle, and the American Craftsman home was born.

Because the Craftsman homes were designed for the working-class family, they needed to be useful but easy to maintain. They were built for function, and here are a few features that can help you identify a Craftsman home:

• Low pitched roof lines, gabled or hipped roofs and deeply overhanging eaves.
• Exposed rafters or decorative brackets under the eaves. This was originally done to showcase the workmanship that went into the building of the home.
• Large front porch, or a porch with second level rooms over the porch.
• Tapered square columns supporting the porch, usually set on a square foundation of brick or stone.
• Exposed structural wooden features such as ceiling beams.
• A large central fireplace.
• Wooden built-in cabinets.
• Double hung windows and a front door with window pane.
• Use of mixed materials on the exterior such as shingle siding, horizontal siding, brick and/or stone.
• Exciting Curb appeal

Can I have an open floor plan in a Craftsman home?

Yes! Our Craftsman style home plans have been updated and many of them include open-concept floor plans with large gathering areas that combine the kitchen, casual dining and great rooms together. The Craftsman style of our house plan designs feature interior and exterior details that give them the Arts and Crafts look with an updated façade. Often referred to as Bungalow homes, the Craftsman style is usually defined by square tapered pillars on spacious front porch, and our plans are the perfect example of that look. Today's homeowners want to be able to interact with family and the open-concept floor plan that's been the highlight of HGTV for the last several years has really taken off in the Craftsman home design.

Aren't all Craftsman homes small?

The original American Craftsman home really took off after WWII when soldiers were returning home and needed a place to live. Neighborhoods sprang up with street after street of "cute bungalow" homes that combined fine craftsmanship with original artistic style. And while it's true that the original Craftsman house plan was smaller, today's plans have been designed in virtually any size with attached garages. Those of the earlier era had detached garages also making them seem smaller. Take a look at our portfolio of Craftsman house plans and you'll find many different design layouts and sizes that will fit any budget.

If you don't see exactly what you're looking for, our team is always ready and willing to make your changes for you so please don't hesitate to call us at 1-800-725-6852. We have designed our own plans so our turnaround time is normally faster than the bigger sites where the designer has to work through a third party to understand what you want. With Ahmann Design, you'll talk directly to the person who has originally designed the house plan.

Do Craftsman house plans have basements?

All of our plans are drawn with an unfinished basement, so if you would like to expand the living area, we would be more than happy to design something for you. This can be an economical way to gain livable square footage in a home as finishing a basement is usually less expensive than making the above ground home larger. Keep in mind that basements do not make economic sense in all areas of the country due to soil conditions and water tables so check with a local builder to see if there are any soil issues to be concerned about before you select a plan. If basements are being built all over your community, chances are pretty high that you'll be fine building with a finished basement as well.

Is my lot too narrow for a Craftsman style home?

You definitely need to consider the width of an existing lot when choosing a house plan, but that doesn't mean that you can't have a Craftsman style home if that's your wish. Many times, homes built on narrow lots will feature a rear-load garage so the home becomes deeper and narrower to fit the area. Or, if possible, we can take an existing plan and modify it to either move the garage to a rear-load, rearrange the rooms or a combination of both to accommodate the lot. Craftsman is a style and does not define that actual size or square footage of a house plan. If you can imagine it, we can design it for you. We can also custom design a home plan specifically for you so please don't hesitate to give us a call if you don't see exactly what you're looking for.

Can I make the porch bigger?

Porches are an important and defining feature of the modern Craftsman ranch house plan style and you'll find that most of our designs include a porch of some shape or size. Every plan can be modified but it's important to understand that not all designs can accommodate every request such as a larger porch. If you find yourself in this situation, please call us and we'll immediately be able to tell you if it's possible to increase the size for a specific plan, or we will be able to point you to another plan that may work better for your needs.