To anyone who’s been a casual architecture fan (or spent time trawling Airbnb and Zillow), the “Craftsman bungalow” is a familiar term. Today, historic districts around the US celebrate the Craftsman’s beauty. But how did this style of house become so ubiquitous and so beloved? It’s due to a socialist artist, an entrepreneurial furniture maker, and a real estate movement.
How this house style took over the US
Why is the Craftsman bungalow everywhere?
Phil Edwards was a senior producer for the Vox video team.
The above video explores the history of the Craftsman bungalow, from the 1800s Arts & Crafts movement, to its popularization in America, to its commodification in the 1910s and ’20s.
Further reading:
- Want to check out “The Craftsman” and Stickley’s Craftsman home plans? Archive.org has a lot of his work, including early issues and home plan catalogs.
- Oklahoma Houses By Mail chronicles the detective story of tracking down a kit home in the real world.
- Janet Ore provides the humorous history of Seattle bungalow entrepreneur Jud Yoho, who made Craftsman into a brand.
- Kim Hernandez wrote about how the Los Angeles Investment Company developed LA with lots of bungalow flair.
You can find this video and all of Vox’s videos on YouTube.
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