Product Description
Inspired by the British Arts and Crafts movement, Craftsman-style homes captured America’s heart at the turn of the 20th century. Bungalows and larger houses with broad roof overhangs, comfortable porches, and hand-hewn wooden details grew out of California’s warm climate and influenced a range of other building types, from resort hotels to churches and schools. Today Craftsman-style structures can be found as far east as New York State. Intricate woodwork gives them a timeless handcrafted look, and rustic materials tie them to the earth. Behind each element lies a hint of a craftsman plying his art. This handsome volume is a celebration of Craftsman-style architecture, which flourished in America from about 1895 into the 1920s. It took on a more natural and rustic form on this side of the Atlantic than its British counterpart, in keeping with the rugged American frontier ethos. Robert Winter, one of the country’s leading authorities on the Arts and Cr… More >>
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I’m in the middle of converting my house into a neo-Craftsman style house (http://hillsdalehouse.blogspot.com). I’m trying really hard to recreate all those wonderful details that you can seemingly only find in the circa 1914 originals. So, whenever a new book with Craftsman in the title (especially picture books) comes out, I’m quick to sneak a peek. So, I jumped all over this book (actually, I got it from the library). Here are my thoughts:
If you are looking for a nice coffee table book with very pretty pictures of turn-of-the-century Arts & Craft houses, then look no further. This book has some wonderful stuff from houses featured in other similar books, plus many many houses I have never seen before. But, if you are looking for a book about Craftsman Style houses, you have found the wrong book.
Yes, there are some houses that are what most people would call Craftsman. These include the usual Craftsman Farms house, some Green and Green, and the obligatory Bungalows of Pasadena. But, most of the houses in the book are not Craftsman at all, that is if you subscribe the notion that Craftsman houses are houses that were either featured in Gustav Stickley’s original Craftsman magazine, or were obviously inspired by one of them. Instead, you’ll find some beautiful pictures with a more William Morris type definition of Arts and Crafts. First off, you’ll actually find pictures of William Morris’ own house (never seen that before!). You will also find wonderful pictures of very gothic looking houses. You’ll see marvelous neo-medieval houses. You’ll find terrific Tudor revivals. But, you won’t find many Craftsman Style houses, which is fine, except for the title of this book. Yes, Stickley and his followers were very much inspired by Morris, and it is fair to say that all things Craftsman are part of the Arts and Crafts movement. But, it is incorrect to say that all things Arts and Craft are Craftsman.
The pictures are wonderful, the text is insightful, but the title is wrong. Oops.
Rating: 4 / 5
This book is perfect for the person who wants to know more about the Arts and Crafts Movement from a historical perspective and who also wants to see wonderful examples of this architectural style. It is also particularly helpful in training the eye to select accessories for your own home that follow the Craftsman tradition. The photography is just beautiful.
Billie Weinstein
La Crescenta, California
Rating: 5 / 5
I purchased this book, along with 5 others, as a Christmas gift for the hubs who has a new found love of Craftsman architecture. It is an okay source for details on the period, but if you’re looking for the most informative book, pictures and all, purchase Stickley’s Craftsman Homes. I get lost in it.
Rating: 4 / 5