Tweaking The Cult of Craftsman
Personally, I love Craftsman-style homes: they’re stylish, character-filled, and invariably built like forts.
And lots of people agree with me, judging by how fast Craftsman (Craftsmen??) homes in good condition sell in older Twin Cities neighborhoods (think, Seward, Mac-Groveland, and Linden Hills).
But can Craftsman fans be, well, a little too ardent?
“Reinterpretation of Craftsman”
Novelist Maria Semple, taking on Seattleites’ passion for Craftsman homes (and me-too trendiness), certainly thinks so:
“Turn-of-the-century Craftsman,” “Beautifully restored Craftsman,” “Reinterpretation of Craftsman,” “Needs-some-love Craftsman,” “Modern take on Craftsman.”
It’s like a hypnotist put everyone from Seattle in a collective trance. “You are getting sleepy, when you wake up you will want to live only in a Craftsman house, the year won’t matter to you, all that will matter is that the walls will be thick, the windows tiny, the rooms dark, the ceilings low, and it will be poorly situated on the lot.”
–Maria Semple, “Where’d You Go, Bernadette”
Call it “Craftsman sacrilege” (heresy?).
And no, I don’t automatically associate Craftsman homes with tiny windows and low ceilings.
I think what most people think of when they think of “Craftsman” are the beautiful built-in’s, moldings, arches, hardwood floors, characteristic warmth, etc.
P.S.: For more Seattle – Minneapolis parallels, see “Does the Twin Cities Have an Alter Ego?”
