The Craftsman Style
Craftsman style kitchens are just one of the many fun styles you can add to your house. This style is most often noted as a clean and simple style with an emphasis on the quality and craftsmanship of the cabinets, woodwork, and stonework as they brought warmth and beauty into the house from nature while keeping it functional and practical.
A Bit of History
The Craftsman style was actually a social movement during the Arts and Crafts Era near the end of the 19th century. It originated in England as a response to the Victorian Era, their industrial era of ornate, mass-produced furniture.
During this time, woodworkers and individual artists became more valued for their quality designs and handiwork, allowing for more simplistic, yet functional and beautiful pieces of furniture. The movement eventually took hold in America and developed into what we know as the Craftsman style today.
Function over form was the heart and drive for this movement, and due to this, Craftsman style kitchens have many unique characteristics. Here are some ways you can spot a Craftsman style kitchen.
Natural Materials
Since the Craftsman movement was so focused on returning to the simplistic beauty of nature, many if not all the materials used were directly from nature. Natural wood and stone have helped to define much of the style in the homes and kitchens and is one of the most notable characteristics of this style.
Natural, Clean-lined Cabinets
Cabinets were made from rich, heavy woods, typically hardwoods such as oak, cherry, hickory, pine, and maple, as it gave them the defined sturdy, functional build known with this style. They were also known for their flat-paneled and frameless cabinet doors with exposed joinery and absolutely no ornamentation. The cabinets are usually left unfinished stained or to draw out and enhance the woods’ natural beauty, as painted cabinets cover the natural look. One of the distinguishing features for today’s Craftsman cabinets is the use of solid wood for the cabinetry and not any artificial or mixed materials.