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Craftsman Style Architecture Making A Comeback
Craftsman style architecture is being revived thanks to maintenance free materials being introduced on the market. With no rot materials that last, architectural details are coming back, especially during the 2008 housing recession.
Detailed homes and craftsman-style homes were very popular at the turn of the 20th century. The unique details, woodworking, and architecture was a true display of beauty and craftsman talent. Craftsmen were each trying to one up each other to see who could create the most magnificent detailed displays of architectural beauty. However, the craftsman style of architecture quickly faded due to the maintenance issues that tagged along with them. Beautiful wooden details would rot and decorative accents slowly fell apart. As wonderful as the details were to look at, they just didn’t last long enough. Competition and price began to drive architecture in a new direction toward track home building that quickly took mid-america by storm.
Lately, however, there’s been a reverse of the trend, especially with the 2008 housing recession in full gear. There are two reasons for this. Number one, it’s a buyers market and there are too many houses on the market. This makes it easy for a homeowner to get a custom home or a house with upgrades and details at a stellar price. Detailed homes are now the ones that are selling and plain track homes are having to upgrade to remain competitive. Another reason the craftsman architecture has returned is because of products like PVC, TREX, and other no rot alternatives. Fabricators, manufacturers, and craftsman woodworkers have found better ways to develop architectural accents that are maintenance free. Because of this, quality architecture is beginning to return and making a comeback. The current housing recession is aiding in the return of the craftsman-style architecture by brining quality homes and upgraded details to an affordable price.
Window boxes are an example of the trend that is quickly returning. Brackets and functional shutters have also made a comeback. PVC has worked great for window boxes as a no rot alternative that is also water resistant. Many builders phased window boxes out of the architecture in the early 1900s because the water would rot the boxes out in as fast as little as three to five years. It became a maintenance nightmare and their reputations for quality were at stake. Now, more builders are brining window boxes back, because they add architectural beauty and curb appeal and finally they are maintenance free. Anything that can get more potential home buyers to step foot inside has been the motto during this current recession. PVC has also been a huge hit for trim work and windows as well. There’s no better selling feature than to be able to ensure potential homebuyers that the quality that went into building the house is there to stay for a long time. With all these factors considered, expect to see a win for architecture in general as we move forward in 2008.