craftsman heading

cape style houseThe Craftsman style relies heavily on its surrounding. A Craftsman house is designed to fit with its environment, not to call attention to itself. The colors used to paint the house are found in nature such as shades of green and brown, no pinks or purples here. Large porches and low-pitched roofs tie the house to the land as well. Stickley believed in having large windows to allow maximum light into the house. However, making large pieces of glass was too expensive to use exclusively; therefore, the double-hung windows usually had multiple smaller panes over one larger pane of glass. Since the exterior is considered an extension of the interior, porches are vital to establish that continuity. Porches, pergolas and terraces allow members of the family to enjoy the outdoors while retaining a sense of privacy.
The land on which the house is built remains as untouched as possible. The land would not be flattened out to make a tamed building lot, for example. The house is built on the land as is to promote harmony between the two. Sometimes, Stickely’s work fell short of his ideals because of limited time, but it still always embodied his ideals of simplicity and honesty.