House Design

Craftsmanship - Tradition-based - Architecture-designed - Ornamentation - Biophilia

What?

How do I set up my home for the life I live? Why don’t houses ‘feel’ intrinsically inviting anymore? Why is there no new old-style houses? What happened to craftsmanship?

Why did people who had far less means, far less time, and far less capability to build and design their homes do such starkly better and with more intricate detail than anyone is building today?

Why aren’t houses built with brick or stone anymore? “They don’t make things the way they used to” —why?

Why Old Houses Are More Charming And Better Designed Than New Houses - Brent Hull

Why Do American Homes Suck? - Matt Ferrell

Matt Risinger

Building Culture

Modern Craftsman

McMansion Hell

A Step Saving Kitchen (Notice how much time and thought was put into design and home life)

Were Old Houses Built Better? - I think the important takeaway from this video is not the central two ideas here: were old houses built better and can we build like this again, (because, spoiler, his answer is ‘no’ but just based on unavailability of old-growth wood, large quantities of stone (which actually are still available) and the uncomfortability of non-climate-controlled houses) but instead that he shows that new buildings are being built in ways that deteriorate and rot the building materials within just a few years of installation. I also believe that builders and homeowners both do not fully understand the differences and tradeoffs in building materials, building styles, and in building for durability and that they are not making these choices fully knowing the differences. Instead, neither fully understand the differences and tradeoffs which is a fundamental problem because when you don’t understand the differences then you can not make a true decision based on what you want and what will provide significant benefit for minimal additional cost. Because of this lack of education, builders are unable to make educated building decisions and homeowners can’t ‘vote with their money’ on the kinds of builders they hire and the kind of homes they actually want.

Why City Design Is Important - Not Just Bikes

Video:

Today’s Building Industry - Building Culture

Podcast:

Article:

Webpage: McMansion Hell

The Houses That Can’t Be Built in America

Creators to Watch / Listen

Books

  • Building a Timeless House in an Instant Age

  • A Pattern Language

Why?

Video: What Makes Buildings Beautiful and Why Does It Matter

Video: Durability is the REAL Sustainability

Article:

Find Resources on lack of home durability, etc.

How?

VIDEOS & ARTICLES

Matt Risinger

The concept of adding on and changing your house within to fit your families needs (and adding teenager sheds or granny huts out back/above a garage)

Features:

German Shutters (Privacy, blackout, security- glass is the single biggest security risk in a home)

Tilt-Turn Windows & Korea’s Auto-Locking Windows

Old Home Features to Bring Back - back when people carefully considered the design of- and how they live within- their homes because they lived within one house for so many years, and with so few creature comforts that we have now, what they did have held with high importance

How to spot modernism

BOOKS:

Book: A Pattern Language - Christopher Alexander

An incredible book that has a place of honor on my desk. The very first book that got me interested in smart design. I purchased it upon being recommended by my Home Horticulture professor at NC State, Ann Spafford. She recommended it to us for inspiration in home and garden design but I took notice of how inspirational the entire book is for designing based on living a good life. It discusses home design from perspectives including circadian rhythms, keeping in mind children’s needs as they grow, community building, the need for parents’ bedrooms to be a retreat, and much more. In discussing the design of communities he mentions elements like having older people everywhere, the benefits that a semi-public workshop can have on elders, the benefits and exact design of street cafes, and the importance of keeping shop spaces small and owned by present locals so the community’s money stays in the community and so entrepreneurs have the opportunity to start up their small business without the huge risk imposed on them by requiring them to rent large buildings on the edge of town.

Book: Timeless House in an Instant Age - Brent Hull

PODCAST EPISODES

Austin Tunnell - Modern Craftsman Podcast

THOSE DOING THE WORK

Institute of Classical Architecture

Website | YouTube | Twitter | Instagram

The Aesthetic City

YouTube | Website | Podcast | Instagram

Building Culture

Website | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook

Modern Craftsmen

Website | Podcast

A Better Place Project - “Conversations about all the things, big and small, that we can do to create impactful changes in our lives and in our communities.”

Website | Apple Podcasts

EDUCATION

The American College of Building Arts

The North Bennett Street School

The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art

https://www.moderncraftsman.co/post/midweek-with-tyler-books-that-build

ORGANIZATIONS

Terms:

Tumbled Bricks —

Adaptive Reuse —

I want to first say that my personal interest in Home decorating is in decor authenticity, thrifting, and creating a homey space.

Mentality:

  • Authenticity

  • No Words

  • Materials (Wood, glass, ceramic, cast iron, metal)

  • Craftmanship

  • Thrifting

  • Personal Style (When you live in a space that is cohesive, it feels good in a way that can’t easily be described

    (From that holiday House Tour I liked)

  • Cut the clutter and over consumerism

  • It Feels Better To Solve a Space Problem than it does to make something look good - From American over consumerism video

  • History (a perspective) (Do not focus on dark history. It is in the past. It is not forgotten but there has been evil in all time periods there is no reason you must focus on those. No matter what race or background you have, no matter where you live, you get to choose the style you want in your home. We don’t all get to live in the exact place we want to or will eventually live. We DO get to make the best we can out of what we have now and we are allowed to enjoy what we like, forgetting everyone else and their opinions and any dark history associated with those designs)

English Cottage/Farmhouse Style with a hint of Paris

  • Wood trim, paneling, moulding, framing, (and doing it rental-friendly)

  • Foraging Home decor (pine cones, holly, flowers, grasses, lavender,) (benefits on environment, can compost)

  • Authenticity: Vintage Items, vintage hats, old canes, wood-handle umbrellas, cast iron shoe cleaners,

  • Living in your decor (Be intentional and pick nice-looking shoes, boots, pens, cleaning supplies, notebooks, plates, lamps, cleaning supplies, etc. Functionality is not the only factor, items CAN be functional and beautiful)

  • Be ‘extra’ I dont want to have to even use the word extra on this site but, it is what many people think when they are shown the idea of increasing the beauty of certain aspects of our lives

    • Hint: People in other countries absolutley do NOT consider this to be ridiculous, this is how they live. So you have permission to do these things knowing that you can put pride and what you think other people will think aside and do what makes your heart sing.

    • (Make ‘pretty’ food, bake because its quaint (and a good skill), have fun with beautiful food presentation, drink tea (out of a tea cup), be intentional in your dress and have fun with accessories, replace modern functional home decor with the real deal in vintage versions (pressed wood desk -> hardwood vintage desk, modern LED task lamp with two color options and 8 brightness levels for a cord-pull T8 desk lamp)

Practicality:

Connecting your home (to the public realm & the ground)

Creating an Inviting Cosy, Welcoming Home (‘Creating a Home That Doesn’t Need a ‘Welcome’ Sign’)

Finding Amazing Cheap Artwork

Thrifting

(how, why, benefits, unique challenges)

Buying Beautiful (Beautiful tools you don’t have to hide)

A Note on Health - (candles, essential oils, opening windows, regular cleaning, wall-to-wall carpets, using alignment to keep your space tidy, humidifiers and dehumidifiers)

“People should not have to read my clothing… or my home decor”

“from all of the different apartments you live in as you go through college, and through [your] younger adult years, as [you] go through your first couple jobs…when you travel: take in the exteriors and the interiors of houses and what [makes you] feel at home, feel cozy, functional but also warm and welcoming…take all of that information, there’s the patience part, and take the knowledge of who [you are], which changes, but there is a core component when you know who you are that is key…and [start] to apply it as [you customize your home, even small homes].”

-Shannon Ables - Simple Sophisticate Podcast #324

  • Cottage Decorating

    Cozy, warm, comforting, and eclectic. Uses vintage pieces and soft textiles. The style of the home inside should also be reflected on the outside to give a passersby an idea of the type of people who live within.

    Make It

  • Authenticity

    The style and feel of a home cannot be conveyed through signs that say ‘farmhouse’ or ‘cozy’. Look to ways of conveying the intended feeling authentically. Use real materials like hardwood and glass instead of pressed wood and plastic.

    Make It

  • Beautiful Living

    Everything in a home should be beautiful. This does not mean it has to be expensive. Especially among the functional items in a home like cleaning supplies, shampoo bottles, dishes, and TV stands. Opt for simple authentic items that match go with your interior design. An added benefit is these functional items will actually double as decor.

    Make It

YouTube:

Books:

Websites:

Individual Posts:

Resources: