How to decorate a craftsman style house

Classic Features of a Craftsman-Style Interior

Ashley Knierim

Ashley Knierim is a home decor expert and product reviewer of home products for The Spruce. Her design education began at a young age. She has over 10 years of writing and editing experience, formerly holding editorial positions at Time and AOL.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 10/21/20

Design: Alana Homesley Interior Design

Architecture: Evens Architects

Photography: Manolo Langis

The craftsman-style home is popular throughout the country and rose to popularity during the arts-and-crafts movement at the turn of the 19th century. Many of these homes are bungalow-style and are known for their natural materials, cozy interiors, and wide porches. They're particularly popular in California and the Midwest, and appeal primarily to those who love vintage homes.

While a craftsman home is fairly easy to spot from the outside, there are also certain features that many homes from this era share beyond the front door. We have rounded up some beautiful craftsman interiors to highlight those key features that make these homes so remarkable.

01 of 10
A Living Room Off the Porch

Design: Black Lacquer Design
Photography: Mary Costa

Rarely will you find a craftsman home without a wide-open porch (one reason for their immense curb appeal). Once inside, you typically step directly into a small foyer or immediately into the living room. Often, there is both a visual and a physical connection between the living room and the porch, as seen in this space from Black Lacquer Design. Here, a set of wooden double doors leads to the porch and allows for indoor-outdoor living.
02 of 10
A Fireplace

blooming_acre / Instagram

When it comes to key features of a craftsman home, a fireplace is one of the essentials. Few bungalows go without a built-in hearth to center the space and create a clear focal point for the living room. Here in this room from blooming_acre, a stone fireplace is flanked by two bench seats to create the ultimate centerpiece for the rest of the living area.
03 of 10
Built-In Bookcases

curihome / Instagram

In traditional craftsman homes, the living room was a haven for entertaining, reading, and relaxation, and almost always had built-in bookcases—usually next to the fireplace like these ones from curihome. Today, they may be filled with media equipment or pieces of art instead, but built-ins are still among the signature features of a craftsman interior. You will also find them throughout the home, in bedrooms and dens as well.
04 of 10
A Dedicated Dining Room

champagneandsawdust / Instagram

While you may come across a renovated craftsman home with an open floor plan, the traditional style typically had a dining room set between the kitchen and the living room. Like this example from champagneandsawdust, a craftsman dining room also usually has wainscoting or beadboard detailing, windows, and sometimes built-ins for seating or linens.
05 of 10
Lots of Natural Materials

1920craftsman / Instagram

When you think craftsman, you probably think handmade or artisan. And there's a reason for that—arts-and-crafts homes had a focus on natural materials, so you will often see hardwood flooring throughout these homes, even today. You may also find beautiful wooden details, like these columns from 1920craftsman, and natural materials on the exterior of the home as well.
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06 of 10
Exposed Ceiling Beams

Design: Michelle Lisac Interior Design
Photography: Jennie Corti

Another feature of the focus on handcrafted woodwork is the exposed beams you will find in many craftsman homes. As in this space from Michelle Lisac Interior Design, exposed wooden beams help to give the craftsman home that warm feeling and help to center the rest of the furniture and elements in the room.
07 of 10
Dens and Reading Nooks

Design: Alana Homesley Interior Design
Architecture: Evens Architects
Photography: Manolo Langis

Craftsman homes are full of endless detail and character, so you will often find fun features in the vein of this reading nook designed by Alana Homesley Interior Design. When space allows, there is usually a small den as well, dedicated to reading or other solitary activity, which is typically placed off the living room or dining room.
08 of 10
Eat-In Kitchens

champagneandsawdust / Instagram

A craftsman home is designed with family in mind, so many of the spaces you will find cater to social activity. When the kitchen is large enough, you will sometimes find a breakfast nook, like this one from champagneandsawdust. Because craftsman homes always have a dedicated dining space, this nook is small and only serves as a place for a quick bite, not a larger meal.
09 of 10
Earthy or Neutral Color Palette

curihome / Instagram

While it's not a hard-and-fast rule, many craftsman homes adhere to a simple color palette consisting of grays, whites, or earthy tones such as greens and beiges. As in in this living space from curihome, these softer colors tend to work better with the various natural elements and exposed wood you find in a craftsman home.
10 of 10
Focus on Natural Light

tanialacaria / Instagram

Small bungalows and cottages often rely on natural light to help open up the space and add a connection between the outside and inside. Most rooms in a craftsman, like this dining room from tanialacaria, rely on at least two sources of light or one oversized window to keep the room light and airy.

How To Do "Craftsman" Right - The 7 Key Elements That Make This Vintage Style Work

If you are a fan of this blog, I think it’s safe to say that you have a deep love (or at least hefty fondness) for a home full of soul. It’s basically our main goal to inject as much of it as possible into any home, regardless of when it was built. But let’s be honest, there is just nothing like a home with actual history…like 100 years of it. A home that has seen some sh*t. I find that when the phrase, “they just don’t build em like they used to” is uttered, I either slightly roll my eyes and halfway smile in silent defense of my generation or I immediately (and audibly) agree because well, it’s the truth. So when I opened my email a few weeks ago and saw this beautifully restored craftsman home, my heart filled right up. I was immediately struck by its visible soulfulness and needed to know more.

Enter the “soul keepers,” Jamie and her husband, Craig. These two are no strangers to a historical home remodel. They actually do this more or less as a hobby or as Jamie says, “it’s an addiction… but it’s an addiction to beauty and craft.” So never mind that Jamie had given birth to their second child one month (yes, ONE MONTH) prior when they saw this house for sale. Because as soon as they saw it they knew they had to bring it back to life.

This house is now for sale (I know!) because Jamie and Craig already have a beautifully restored home they aren’t ready to leave. So after they restored this beaut, they called upon one of EHD’s favorite staging and design firms, A 1000 X Better to really make sure that it felt as welcoming as possible for their potential buyers. And since we are all about beautiful homes AND teaching you how to create them, we are going go through the 7 main design elements you will want to consider when designing the perfect (and slightly unexpected) craftsman home. In Jamie’s words, “you don’t open up a Craftsman home and make it an open concept. You embrace their quirky personalities and enhance them where you can. It’s a labor of love really.” We couldn’t agree more. So let’s talk about the ways to design a historical home that will stand the test of time, so the tradition of bragging to future generations will stay firmly intact:)

Embrace The Original Wood and Keep It Matte

wall color | brass ceiling lights

The wood mouldings and accents are what make craftsman homes so darn special. The warmth and texture they bring are off the charts. I mean, just look at this living room. Instead of painting and/or putting a high gloss finish all over that stunning wood, they brought it back to its natural state. Does it look super modern? No. But that’s what makes it special. It’s like the wood is basically naked, baring its soul to you.

Here’s what they did to restore the wood back to its former glory: “We stripped all the wood on the first floor, and had real historic wood artisans do the work to make sure the wood had the right feeling, stain, and patina. We had alder baseboards specially milled to match those we found in the home. We had gorgeous decorative crown moldings cut that match those we found. We trimmed the house in Douglas Fir, because a house smells better when you use real wood trim.”

Paint The Walls Light Or Really Dark

wall color | semi flush mount | vintage rug | art on left

When Emily and I were looking at these photos we realized that in terms of painting a craftsman home you really only have two options when it comes to colors – really dark (like in that stunning parlor room above) or pretty light…like white or light gray – ideally a cooler toned color, stay away from beige. Especially when you are dealing with a lot of natural wood this is key. For example, a warm reddish color would look too similar to that medium wood tone.

small semi flush mount | large semi flush mount

Of course, there are exceptions and wallpaper is a whole other story (we will chat about that later) but choosing a high contrast color is the best way to make the wood accents pop.

Before we move on, I think we need a moment to take in the overwhelming beauty of these windows. I mean HOW?! They really knew what they were doing 100 years ago:)

Highlight Special Architectural Moments

wall color | accent color | vintage rug

In a home like this one, there are so many special architectural moments. By highlighting a few of them with paint you visually elevate the entire home. Take the killer arch and stair rail in the photo above. The dark paint makes that whole moment pop and actually helps to make the natural wood stand out more in contrast. Had they not been painted it still would have been beautiful but way less of a wow moment.

This built-in bench is another great example. It really pops because of the paint color and gives the space a fresh feel which is important in a historical home. You want to care for its history and bring it back to life BUT also make it feel like it belongs in today’s world.

Pepper in Unexpected Decor to Balance Out Traditional Feel

vintage rug | wall color

In true EHD fashion, we LOVE any opportunity to “mix it up” and create unexpected moments. A 1000 X Better is no stranger to the “unexpected moment” but in my humble opinion, they knocked it out of the park with that cool mint wicker desk and that sofa. I honestly don’t know if I can live a truly happy life until that sofa is in my possession. To me, you (sofa) are perfect.

pendant light | brass ceiling lightsart on back wall | vintage rug

But like the desk, this sofa is a very different style than the home. But because they are within the color palette of the home and have natural textures, they work perfectly and make the space feel unique.

Hot Tip

You can mix any style as long as it falls within your chosen color palette.

Keep Kitchens and Bathrooms Classic

cabinet knob | cabinet pull | shelf brackets | sconce | switchplate

The two places to keep your freak flag temporarily at ease in a craftsman home are in the kitchen and bathroom. By all means, have fun with the decor once all of your hard (and permanent) finishes are in place but as Jamie said, “we chose finishes that would have been used in 1905. Marble, soapstone, real wood cabinets that get painted and feel like wood when you touch them.” Truly the last thing you want is to regret a countertop choice because it feels out of place.

So now that we have that little hot tip out of the way, let’s take a sec to appreciate this kitchen. There’s not one thing I don’t love in here. There is just the right amount of detail in the cabinet feet and island legs to pay homage to the style of the home, but everything else has a sleeker, more modern traditional feel. It looks updated (in the best way). Also, those stairs are too beautiful, right?

I want to shower in this bathroom so badly. It’s another example of Jamie and Craig’s talent for making modern updates but honoring a home’s original architecture. Notice how every material has visual texture. The tiles, countertop, aged brass, and wood all bring life to the space. Nothing feels sterile which is always our goal when we are designing.

The same goes for this smaller bathroom. They used beautiful materials and fixtures that are akin to the home but elevate it in the best way. Also, that marble tub surround is all heart eyes for me.

Choose Light Fixtures That Stylewise Are In Line With The House

vintage rug

You may have noticed that throughout all of these photos, all of the hardwired light fixtures are more on the modern traditional side. We think this is the way to go (and it’s what Em did in her English Tudor Home). Keep those more permanent types of design elements in line with the style of the home for longevity and overall homage to the style. I mean you probably chose your historical home for a reason right?

Don’t Be Afraid of Fun Wallpaper

wallpaper | faucet | door knob | vintage semi flush mount (similar)

I know we talked earlier about only using very dark or very light paint colors inside of a craftsman home (which we still stand by all these photos later) but we also think that wallpaper is a great way to make a room more special. We would suggest choosing a pattern that has a nostalgic feel like the awesome one they chose for the powder bath. Otherwise, just choose a texture but don’t go too modern unless of course, you are completely throwing the vintage baby out with the historical bathwater.

Well, there you have it. A stunning home tour with tips that can hopefully be helpful and transferable to any type of historical home. A huge thank you to Jamie and Craig for letting us feature their beautiful project. We are so happy that there are people who want to celebrate design history and take such good care of it.

Let’s talk about this incredible house in the comments. Thoughts, feelings, and sofa yearnings are all welcome:)

Love you, mean it.

Restored and Designed by Jamie Haller and Craig Ekedahl

Styled by A 1000 X Better

Photos by Lauren Moore

Property Site

Check out some of our other house tours: Tour a Stylist’s Mid-Century-Meets-Traditional “Farmhouse” Full of Thrifted Treasures | An Exclusive House Tour From (Design Girl Crush) Leanne Ford | House Tour: Original Woodwork, Moody Walls & A Gasp-Worthy Wallpaper | House Tour: A Home Crush a Year in the Making ….click HERE for more:)

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Understanding Craftsman Houses: Design and Features The

Craftsman House combines the space savings and warmth of built-in interiors with wood finishes.

The original Craftsman style homes were designed to provide a comfortable space for the family, using beautiful built-in woodwork, natural materials and light to enhance the warm feel of the home. The Craftsman style today continues to include many of the same design features of the original homes built in the early 1900s.

The origins of craftsman homes

The concept of the Craftsman home was popularized by several designers, including furniture designer Gustav Stickley, leader of the Arts and Crafts movement. Stickley was a great proponent of the virtues of simplicity, utility, and organic harmony. He said that the "nesting instinct" was humanity's "most deeply rooted impulse".

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Stickley founded and edited The Craftsman magazine, in which he showcased his new Craftsman furniture designs. The magazine will feature furniture in a specially designed house called the artisan's house. Stickley believed that every craftsman's home should:

Fit precisely to meet the requirements of the life that was to be lived in it. nine0010
Harmonize with the environment
Be built, as far as possible, from local materials

Each month, the magazine featured descriptions and drawings of different artisan houses. Subscribers could send in free plans for one artisan house each year. Stickley worked with architects to design over 200 houses and published over 200 plans.

House plans included extensive details, including:

Facade drawings front, side and back
Interior renderings of the main rooms, including carpentry details.
Design details including wallpaper, paint, carpet and curtain combinations

Early Craft Style

Craft style homes were built throughout the United States between 1903 and 1930. Middle-class buyers with families tended to be interested in this style due to the home's design and relatively low construction cost. The finished house was a solid, comfortable and easy place to start a family. Most of the houses were built in the suburbs of large cities, close to commuter railroads and streetcars. The houses tended to be modest in design. They were built for:

Be durable
Save on local lighting, space and materials
Be uncrowded
Be in harmony with nature
Use warm wood liberally
Have the charm of structural elements such as window sills, chimneys, stairs and built-in furniture.

The houses were built using local materials, often from the site itself. Local stone was used to line fireplaces, while local woods and stones were used for decorative accents. nine0003

Craftsman-style house features

Craftsmen's houses tended to be smaller than many projects built in the same time period. The Craftsman style is characterized by both the house's exterior design and interior design features. The combination of the house's open floor plan, exposed wooden poles and built-in furniture made it very comfortable to live in.

The original artisan houses ranged from very small, relatively inexpensive cottages and bungalows to very large and expensive houses. But regardless of size or cost, all Craftsman homes have been designed with:

Low pitched gable roofs with wide overhangs
Wide open eaves
Single storey with lofts and dormers
Open rafters
Wide, deep porches with tapered heavy square columns.
Exposed interior beams
Emphasis on well crafted and finished cabinets, corners, benches and shelving.
Main room centered around a fireplace
Artisan-style lamps as part of home design
Stained glass windows provide play of light and privacy
Open floor plans with columns and half-walls to separate rooms

Craftsman Style House Plans, Decor and Information

House Plans are readily available in both the original design and current multi-storey adaptations:

Craftsman Style - 35 authentic artisan house plans, including one of Stickley's original plans.
Architectural Designs - Plans for new artisan houses in a more modern style. nine0010
Craftsman's House - Furniture, lighting and accessories designed for the artisan's home.
Stickley Artisan's House by Ray Stubblebine. Includes all house plans for 221 published by Gustav Stickley in The Craftsman magazine.
Gustav Stickley's Craftsmen's Homes - 40 Plans for Building Classic Cottages, Cabins and Bungalows in the Arts and Crafts Style

26 photo: Country house Christmas lights - how to decorate the outside of the house and yard for the New Year

It is important to organize the light decoration of the house for the new year before stable sub-zero temperatures. The fact is that in the cold some types of cable windings tan, it will be difficult to mount them. Street garlands are taken to decorate the house outside - do not use “home” (interior) lights for these purposes. If you buy or rent a set of holiday garlands to decorate a garden or a country house, be sure to check the moisture protection index (ip-44) and frost resistance (up to -40C).

ABOUT IT…
It's time: How to choose the right garland for the facade

Servicepoint

1. Outline
The most common way to decorate the outside of the house for the new year is to hang a garland along the roof slope, along the balcony outline and above the entrance. 3

Hidden Creek Landscaping, Inc.

2. Garland - fringe
The decorative effect depends on the type of garland chosen. In this photo - the New Year's illumination of a country house according to the "fringe" principle. There are also curtains (item 6), threads and balls (next photo). nine0003

Need a repair technician?
Let's find a performer according to your criteria

Nite Scapes

3. Theater lights
The larger and brighter the lamps, the more theatrical effect they create. Google "retro garlands"). Pay attention to the distance between the lamps in the garland: with the same length, you can get, say, 20 or 25 lamps - more or less lights, respectively.

To decorate the house outside for the New Year, you will need at least 10 garlands of 10 meters each. nine0003

Light Up Nashville

4. Front only
Did you know that most users do not decorate the whole tree, but only one side (the other side is pushed against the wall anyway)? The same with real estate - decorating the outside of the house for the New Year is enough only from the side of the facade.

Landscape Illuminations

5. Add sockets
Lots of lights are not always good: modesty and saving electricity are in fashion. Look how effectively this garden plot is decorated - just a dozen large snowflakes on a tree, and a shining wreath as a facade decoration for the New Year. Of course, it could not have done without a garland along the contour of the roof. nine0003

Assiniboine Lights and Landscapes

6. Cascading Christmas lights at home
This solution came from the world of municipal Christmas decor. But if you live in a townhouse and decorate three floors for you, a similar option for decorating for the New Year is a godsend.

This is how the New Year's illumination of a country house looks from afar from the previous photo.

The Perfect Light

7. For the economical: spruce branches + garlands
Spruce branches allow you to save on lighting - it adds the missing volume to decorations. Please note: two types of garlands are used here at once, as a street decoration for the house for the new year.

8. Sculptural: outlining the roof
An option for minimalists how to decorate a house for the New Year is to decorate only the roof, literally outline it.

ilumus, llc.

9. Not a facade, but not a house either
Garlands on the terrace are perhaps the most common decoration of houses for the New Year. Easy to hang by yourself, no problem with power connection. The main trick is not to save on the number of garlands: there should be several cascades. nine0003

The Cousins

10. Budget: Chinese lanterns
If you are looking for a budget decor option for your summer cottage, you most likely do not consider a full-fledged facade decoration for the New Year. But you can definitely stretch a couple of garlands on the terrace. Add IKEA paper lanterns to them: large balls will add the missing volume of light to a modest backlight.

todd hamilton

11. Lamp with shadows
You will need a perforated lampshade - the sharper the contrast between the outer darkness and the bright light from the inside, the more distinct will be the lacy shadows on the walls and ceiling. nine0003

Garden beds and flowerbeds can be decorated with similar lamps.

ABOUT THIS…
Tip of the week (22/52): Replace landscape light

RénoDéco etc.

12. Containers and balls
Another way to decorate your terrace for the new year is to use battery-operated garlands. Wrap balls of rods, place fireballs among containers with spruce branches.

The Perfect Light

13. Fire Bowl
Garlands in pots without plants will perfectly complement the decoration of a country house. You can use both plant-free garden pots and options with New Year's street compositions. nine0003

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Outdoor Planters Winter Decor: New Year Rehearsal

Neave Group Outdoor Solutions

14. Garland wreaths
the outer side of the windows are wreaths wrapped in garlands.

Pay attention, in addition to the stroke along the contour of the roof, here - the curb in front of the house is glowing.

PollyPapier

Advice: If there is no wreath, but you want to decorate the house outside for the New Year, we wrap the hoop with a garland. Add spruce branches to complete the composition. We recommend installing the composition under the window or near the porch. nine0003

Grandin Road

15. Curtains
At first glance, this is an easy way to decorate the front of the house for the new year. It will take 30 short garlands. But think in advance where to connect so many outlets. Therefore, immediately look for such garlands that are connected through a splitter.

Christmas Lights, Etc

16. Spiral
A simple country house decoration is to wrap a garland around the stair railing.

Grandin Road

16. Poplar scene
You can get by with a small number of light paths that effectively descend from a tree into a snowdrift. The secret of success is luminous stars. And of course the “correct” corner of the garden, which is perfectly visible from the house, but does not interfere with the passage.

Sarah Greenman

17. Н garden buildings lighting for the New Year
Not only the house and trees decorate the outside for the New Year - a children's complex, a playground, a bathhouse, a greenhouse are suitable ... Fantasize! nine0003

ABOUT THE PROJECT WITH PHOTO…
Houzz USA: Magic tree house with Christmas lights

Brite Creations

basket-manipulator has already entered the site). It is not necessary to use traditional garlands - luminous stars are enough.

Assiniboine Lights and Landscapes

19. Garland cascade
Good old Christmas decorations for the garden are the best. Hang in a cascade

Smalls Landscaping

20. No Christmas tree - decorate the trees
Illuminated fruit trees look quite impressive. Check if there are adapters and splitters connecting several garlands. Otherwise, it will be difficult for you to achieve a “burning trunk” and a uniform distribution of luminous beams over independent Christmas tree legs.

Traditions Specialty Lighting Professionals

21. Shaping the lower part of the trunk
Why not? Make sure that the backlight ends at least half a meter above your height. Such decoration of the site for the New Year harmoniously works together with the existing landscape lighting - only shining trunks in the middle of the darkness will look strange.

Designs by Sundown

21. Whirlwind Garland
The solution is slightly easier than decorating each luminous branch - wrap the garland in a circle around the crown. nine0003
Brite NITES INC

22 Combine garlands
Along with traditional New Year's garlands based on small LED lamps, you can arrange a street garland with large lamps (

Smalls Landscaping
23. photo shows work in a pair of blue and green street lights

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Wilmington

24. Icicles
do not adopt the technique - feel free to decorate the winter tree with them.0003
James Martin Associates

25. Garland Grotto
Try to decorate only the lower branches. And let the lights from one tree smoothly move to the neighboring ones.

McKay Landscape Lighting

26. Doing Nothing
If you have a landscape light on your property, it will work just as well as a Christmas garland.
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How to decorate a craftsman style house

Classic Features of a Craftsman-Style Interior

A Living Room Off the Porch

A Fireplace

Built-In Bookcases

A Dedicated Dining Room

Lots of Natural Materials

Exposed Ceiling Beams

Dens and Reading Nooks

Eat-In Kitchens

Earthy or Neutral Color Palette

Focus on Natural Light