LOCUST KITCHEN

Elements of a Craftsman Kitchen:

—It began with the arts and crafts movement in Britain in the late 1800s.

—The movement was a social pushback against:

• the overly ornate Victorian-style homes that were popular at the time

• the rise of mass-produced products. The idea of the movement was to promote more hand-crafted, and affordable homes with a focus on artisan. Natural materials, craftsmanship, and practicality were the goals.

—Gustav Stickley: a furniture designer who created furniture with the same aesthetic as the craftsman style home. Simple, well-made furniture with a focus on the quality and material of the wood.

— Elements: wood trim, interior posts, wainscoting, beams, natural materials, craftsmanship, symmetry, architectural details, modest, bungalow

—Countertop choices that incorporate Craftsman décor include materials that come in cool slate or warm, rich colors. The contrast between dark, cherry woods and slate-like colors should be subtle. This design aesthetic is not “showy” and should feature colors and patterns that can be found in nature

—To capture the Craftsman style in the kitchen, large, wooden beams are left exposed to accentuate the home’s architecture. Function is favored over embellishment and decoration. Wooden beams are often left untreated to expose natural variations found in the wood grain.

BEDROOM LINKS