There are a lot of misconceptions between the craftsman style home and the farmhouse style home. Both may have a similar architectural character but are different from each other in many ways. Both styles are inherently American in nature; being the epitome of every American’s dream home style.
There are a lot of differences between these two styles that make them distinct from one another. It’s important to know the differences between all these styles to make sure you can properly and accurately determine a home’s architectural character.
To give you a brief background, craftsman-style homes were coined after the magazine entitled “The Craftsman”, written by Gustav Stickley. This magazine featured an assortment of various home designs we now know today as the craftsman-style home. This architectural style emphasizes craftsmanship and artisan construction.
Farmhouse homes on the other hand have evolved from the traditional folk houses from the past. Its simplistic characteristic, which focuses on function over aesthetics, is what sets it apart. Putting both side by side, you would notice that farmhouse homes possess plain and simple details as compared to craftsman-style homes.
Porch
One of the distinct characteristics of craftsman-style homes is its entry porch. It’s an element that truly makes it craftsman in terms of style. You would notice that the entry porches of craftsman style homes are mostly framed with a low-pitched gable roof and are often paired with two symmetrical tapered columns.
On the other hand, a farmhouse-style entry porch is usually flat in nature. Since most farmhouse-style homes have a larger floor area, the roof usually slopes from the walls of the house, towards the front, making wrap-around porches possible to build.
In terms of floor area, farmhouse-style homes typically wrap around the entire perimeter of the house. It enables
Roof
Craftsman-style homes are generally known for having a low-pitched gable roof that frames the house from the front. This distinct feature gives it an inherently craftsman vibe.
Consequently, steep Gable roofs are common in most farmhouse-style designed homes. In other styles considered as a precursor to farmhouse style, such as the dutch colonial styles and saltbox architecture, steep roofs have been a mainstay.
Exposed rafters and trusses are a common element in both styles. However, craftsman style homes possess this element both exterior and interior. Whereas in farmhouse style homes, exposed beams are typically found in the interiors only.
Scale
In terms of scale, craftsman-style homes are typically modest in size, often sized below a total area of 3,500 square feet.
Farmhouse style homes often refer to homes that are located in rural areas. With that said, the size of these homes often span a larger floor area, compared to the modest size of craftsman-style homes. In terms of scale, farmhouse homes are larger in size.
Siding
In terms of wall siding, craftsman-style homes often use lightweight materials such as wood and shingles. Most craftsman-style homes take pride in the amount of detail and craftsmanship that go into building the walls, both exterior and interior.
On the other hand, farmhouse-style homes often use a combination of various materials for its walls, cladding, and siding. Examples of materials are natural stone, brick, wooden panels, vinyl siding, among others.
While most craftsman-style homes may have stone wainscotting at the bottom, this does not really compare much to the farmhouse-style home wherein masonry constructed walls are present.
Regarding orientation, craftsman-style homes typically use horizontal siding. On the other hand, farmhouse style homes uses either horizontal or vertically positioned wood planks.
Details
While craftsman homes celebrate artisan carpentry details, farmhouse-style homes lean towards simplicity in its overall design.
Looking back at history, craftsman-style homes were born from the arts and crafts movement. Meaning, the style in itself was triggered by humans desire for art amidst the industrial revolution, where mass produced building materials were made possible.
In terms of wooden details like door jambs, cornices, and casings, it’s evident that craftsman-style homes use intricate details, as compared to its’ farmhouse counterpart.
Window Openings
In farmhouse-style homes, you would notice less surface area dedicated to openings, and more surface area dedicated to walls. This basically means that windows in farmhouse-style homes are smaller in terms of proportion and surface area. On the other hand, craftsman style homes possess a balance between walls and window openings. Wooden Shutters are also a common feature in most farmhouse-style homes.
Doors
Craftsman style doors typically use a combination of wood panelling, plain glass, and stained glass inspired by the arts and crafts movement. Intricate wood carvings are also normally used in this type of architecture.
Farmhouse-style doors on the other hand focuses on simplistic designs and forms, with the predominant plain wooden planks. Unlike the craftsman-style, farmhouse doors are more streamlined and modern.
Columns
A prominent feature found in craftsman-style homes is the use of a tapered column in the entirety of the plan. This distinct feature is inherently craftsman in nature. On the other hand, farmhouse-style homes use straight and slender columns, usually coupled with diagonal braces that help stabilize the column structurally.
Plan and Spaces
Due to the difference in function and location, most farmhouse style homes have more rooms than the craftsman-style home. Most farmhouse-style homes feature a mud room, large and expansive kitchens, outdoor and indoor dining rooms, and an attic.
Craftsman-style homes on the other hand typically work with smaller and more compact spaces. Room designations in this style are more generic and multi-purpose compared to farmhouse-style homes. The low-pitched roof design of the craftsman-style home also makes it impossible to have an attic.
