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Created during the late nineteenth century, this style was a rejection of the British industrial movement. At the time, British Victorians had a distaste for the mass-produced, manufactured style that became popular during this era. To them, this period created architecture that was cold and plain.
The Victorian solution to this style was the Arts and Crafts movement. Their manifesto demanded:
Handmade goods
Goods made from natural materials; honoring natural shapes
Unique designs, and no mass-produced goods
Over time, these ideas made their way to the US and eventually were incorporated in a style of architecture and interior design that came to be known as the Craftsman style. This style has been incorporated into small homes and large estates in rural and urban areas alike. Many of these homes, due to the quality and mastery that went into their building, are still standing; including whole communities in Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota and New York, and large estates like Pasadena California’s Gamble House.
Craftsman style features you can incorporate into your kitchen
1. Right angles and straight lines
Craftsman homes are designed with “rectilinear” bones. Rectilinear means the design is created with straight lines. The basic Craftsman home or room will be a rectangular shape,with an emphasis on horizontal molding, wide windows that are low to the ground, and broad mantels.
An example of this style executed flawlessly is seen in this spectacular home. The home features horizontal molding in natural wood colors in a series of rooms with angular shapes. It incorporates Craftsman elements in a fresh, modern way.
To capture the Craftsman style in the kitchen, large, wooden beams are left exposed to accentuate the home’s architecture. Function is favored over embellishment and decoration. Wooden beams are often left untreated to expose natural variations found in the wood grain. For a modern take on this look, homeowners can paint over a kitchen’s wooden beams with muted, organic colors in whites, yellows and grays.
What Type of Kitchen Countertops Pair Well with the Craftsman Style?
Craftsman homes avoid any busy patterns or jarring colors. With nature as one of its guides, this style incorporates lots of earthy tones into the home. Although Craftsman style homes are full of personality, they often feature natural stones that are muted in color.
2. Natural Stone Countertops in a Craftsman Style Home
Natural stone brings the beauty from the outdoors, to the indoors of your home. Countertop choices that incorporate Craftsman décor include materials that come in cool slate or warm, rich colors. The contrast between dark, cherry woods and slate-like colors should be subtle. This design aesthetic is not “showy” and should feature colors and patterns that can be found in nature.
Academy Marble also offers a type of marble called Imperial Gold Marble that pairs well with the oak accents and cabinetry often used in the Craftsman style. Imperial Gold Marble is a lighter sand-colored natural-stone option with yellow, white, gray and hints of pink.
Imperial Gold Marble
3. Manufactured Stone Countertops in a Craftsman Style Home
The Craftsman Style was a rejection of Victorian opulence, so kitchen accessories should look unassuming and vintage. This style includes homes with wrought iron cabinet hardware, hinges, knobs, and other accessories. When you select items for your new kitchen, look for anything that’s brass, bronze or iron, that gives a vintage-inspired look. Remember, for a Craftsman style kitchen, think function over decoration.
Windows are not an afterthought in Craftsman style homes. Picture windows are typically combined with stained-glass windows or colored-glass windows with warm or golden tints. Sunset should be a special time in a Craftsman-style home. The glow illuminating from these windows is simply stunning. Consider replacing a window in your kitchen with colored glass, or with a stained-glass window.
Organic ceramic items in natural colors are another element common in Craftsman kitchens. Place a large ceramic vessel in the center of your dining table, or keep a collection of hand-crafted pottery on display.
Academy Marble & Granite would love to help you pick the perfect countertop material for your Craftsman remodel or restoration. We like to think of our stone fabricators and installers as master craftsman worthy of the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement. To request a free quote, click here.
