House styles

As a newly-engaged sorta guy, I'm prepping for wedding and rest-of-the-life-type discussions -- china, flatware, houses, etc. -- and it's actually kind of fun. I've since discovered that her Mikasa china is our informal china, and upon further inspection of it, I can definitely live with it (it's actually pretty good; fancier than I'd pick, but nice). Her informal flatware is wonderful too, and neither of us are aching for formal flatware, which, even though it's a small thing, actually makes me feel pretty good.

Now, it's on to houses. We're not buying yet. Neither has finished, has a permanent job, etc. but I think it's good to explore these things to just sort of imagine arranging and rearranging our dreams (visions) of the future to include each other, and each other's tastes. Yesterday she was complaining about water in the basement of her rental and said I'd have a hard time convincing her to buy an old house because she wants a dry basement. I do too. If I had a dry basement for a shop, I could give up a lot upstairs.

Which brings me to this post, the longer title of which is: Why I like Craftsman-style houses."

I like the woodwork, especially the built-in stuff, especially cozy sunlit window benches. I like the coziness of the hearth-centered style that also allows for an openness of layout. I like the porches. I like the "less is more" maxim they embody, although I sometimes wish for more (not less) light in them, but I suspect that newer ones (I append "-style" for this flexibility) would allow bigger double-pane windows and skylight technologies. I like that they use local materials; that they're generally suited to their site; that they emphasize the craftsmanship; that they're often more ergonomically designed than their Victorian counterparts.

And they're a newer design (<100 years), so the basements should be in better condition.

But I am not opposed to building new -- or even having it built and finished by others (minus the shelves, window benches, etc. which I'd want to build). My friends are pushing factory-built housing, having recently built two houses in the past 5 years, one stick-built, and the other factory-built. And although I'm somewhat skeptical, it is what Buckminster Fuller would do (WWBFD?) (sort of). From Design Basics:

Ironically, while the style originated in protest against mass-produced factory made homes and furnishings, today's modern technology makes executing the style more economical. Cultured stone creates a dynamic textural base at a fraction of the cost of natural stone. New steel and concrete products mimic traditional wood shake shingles, Several major manufacturers now offer Craftsman style windows, doors and lighting fixtures.

Sadly, I have not yet found any new Craftsman-style homes that really jump out at me -- far too many are ugly, garage-centered monstrosities.

This will require more thought and research.