(which funny enough is a bit too big for our taste). The home that caught our attention is called the 
These are hands down the best craftsman style fireplace mantels on the web. I challenge anyone to find one that should be included in this list. Let me know if you’ve found something better than what I have here by leaving a comment and if it’s as good as you think, it just may end up on the list. Click on any of the images below to view a larger version.
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1. From The Craftsman Home, this mantel’s thick, flanking columns are what I like most about this one. Really makes it feel substantial and solid. I also like the arched opening and the dark inset tile. Although they are very different from one another, for me, it’s a toss-up between this one and the one below to take top honors.
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2. From furnituresculpture.com, this is a simple design but the sheer length of it makes it unique. Also love the stonework more so than the inset tile included in some of the designs below. I’d like it if the mantel had a bit more depth to it and if the opening were a bit wider with a slight upper arch. As it is now, it’d be difficult to put any decor on the shelf and with no built-in screen it’s not very child-friendly.
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3. Though I’ve always liked stonework more than tiles, these have great earthy colors and just enough detail to make it unique but not too ornate. I also love how it stretches from floor to ceiling and though the lights add a nice, warm touch, I like the idea of a more substantial piece of artwork being placed above the mantle, which this particular design would not allow due to space issues. If the tiles were a few shades darker like design #4, this one would be in contention for the #2 slot.
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4. This design has a lot of clean lines, yet the design seems more intricate than many of the others in this list. I love the darker wood and as I mentioned above, the tiles darker tones provide a feeling that’s richer and warmer than the one above. Not sure what that wimpy plant on the mantle is all about – some quality decor could really make this fireplace pop.
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5. Also from The Craftsman Home. This one offers simple, clean lines – and I like the thickness of the mantle and brackets. The hearth could use some additional detail, seems very plain and almost doesn’t flow well with the color of the surrounding tile. The screen is rather clumsy looking and from this angle the columns seem a bit disproportionate with the mantle itself. They could stand to have a bit more
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6. From finewoodworking.com, this mantel is an overmantel that’s simply built with four panels and a 2-1/4-in thick mantel shelf.” Fairly simple (if you’re good with wood) yet offers a classic look. I’d prefer a darker stain and something about the white brick just doesn’t scream Craftsman to me. The picture does this mantel no justice and I have a sense – the plates, the flowers – looks like something my blind uncle would do.
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7. This one, in my opinion is a bit over the top (something about the columns that look inverted), but it still has many common craftsman design elements and is definitely high quality work. This is another situation similar to the overmantel above, where the fireplace itself leaves something to be desired. It could use some warmer colors on the surrounding walls and the Asian style accessories almost seem too ornate. The overall package could use some help – something to compliment the beauty of the woodwork.
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Here’s a single story Craftsman house plan I came across today from The Plan Collection. The outside looks great with the classic pillars and brickwork, though the inside doesn’t quite have what we’re looking for in terms of an open floor plan. We would need to do some major restructuring if this plan were to work for us and the fact that there is no second floor is kind of a bummer. I will give them credit for the layout of their master suite – with their 10ft. boxed ceiling, spacious walk-in closet, and roomy master bath, I have a sense this would be an excellent place to end of the day.
So this house has some definite charm and although it’s only a single story home, it should be noted that it’s packing 1900+ square feet inside. Which means there is plenty of space for most small and medium-sized families to live comfortably.
But we’re looking for perfection here and this home just doesn’t have what it takes to stand among the top three (1st, 2nd, 3rd) on the dream home podium.
Here we go again. All of sudden it seems like I can’t help but find new Craftsman home plans that I really love. There are now three plans that we’ll be seriously considering for our dream home. The latest comes from Healthy Home Plans, which has a collection of home plans well worth perusing, including Sarah Susanka‘s “Not So Big House” (which funny enough is a bit too big for our taste). The home that caught our attention is called the Idea Home and though it’s a bit larger than we’re looking for (2300-2800sq. ft.) it’s still worth considering. It has all the charm of a classic Craftsman – exposed beams, built-ins, and plenty of millwork details. There are plenty of actual photos from a “live version”of the home which makes me love it even more.
Obviously, deciding which home to build is the first step in the homebuilding process, but I’m a little worried that it may be one of the most difficult to overcome. My guess is that the dollar signs will make the decision for us.
Came across this house (left) yesterday designed by a company in Canada called Robinson Residential Design. After about three months of searching for the perfect house we thought we had found “the one.” Now this one comes out of nowhere and has us seriously playing eenie, meenie, miney, mo to decide which one we should push for. It has the open layout we’re looking for (kitchen looks out to the great room) and there’s a good separation between the master suite and kid’s rooms. I have a sense that this one will cost more to build though, considering for example that each room is a suite, which means you’ve got 3.5 baths instead of our planned 2.5.
It’s not perfect – it’ll need some slight changes to the floorplan, but we really love the design of the exterior which makes this design a serious contender for our Craftsman dream home.
Crap. At this rate, we’ll be in the planning stage for a looooooong time.
So I’ve been searching around the web for different Craftsman-style doors and I found this site for Marvin Windows and Doors. No prices listed which typically means that they’re crazy-ass expensive, but I absolutely loved the photo on their Craftsman Collection page (left). The stone pillars and arched wood is stunning. Though for the house we’d like to build, which is far less dramatic, I like a couple different doors I found at none other than craftsmandoors.com. I really like their mahogany arched door and I also like their three-panel, stained glass mahogany door without the arch. They run $2410 and $1596 respectively and to be honest I actually don’t feel like that’s too expensive for what you get, especially since the front door on a Craftsman home should make a statement.
These same doors are on a couple other sites as well, so they’re not exclusive to the craftsmandoors.com site. Prices are roughly the same though so based on price, it doesn’t really matter where you get them.
Other Craftsman Door Companies:
Pinecrest – They have two doors that (3021-3 and 3018-3) I would consider purchasing depending on price. No prices are listed on their site. Seems they have much more available than what can be seen on their website. Their door catalog is $20. Why they don’t just make it available to download is beyond me.
Homestead Exterior Doors – If you’re lookin’ for some truly unique doors then look no further. They specialize in custom doors and have some beautiful examples of their work posted on their site. If money allows, I’ll seriously consider this place as well.
Simpson Door – Nothing too unique here, though they do have a lot of variety within both their Craftsman and Bungalow collections. Again, no prices are listed and you have to buy their doors through a third party dealer. Their dealer locater was on the fritz when I tried so I have no clue if you’d find these in the big home stores or in more local shops.