About Cottage or Craftsman Style Homes

Cozy

• Cottage homes are often referred to as cozy, although you do not feel cramped. These homes feature lots of windows and open floor plans, which make them seem bigger than they really are.

Identification

• A cottage-style house is generally considered to be a one-family dwelling and is usually frame construction. The exterior and interior may feature brick, wood and rock. There may be decorative detailing on the outside and a steeply pitched roof, complete with gables. The interior layout may be somewhat irregular.

Tied to Region or Landscape

• Cottage-style homes often feature exterior architecture that is tied to the local region or landscape, according to Architecturalhouseplans.com.

Arts and Crafts Movement

• The craftsman-style home had its origin in the arts and crafts movement that occurred at the end of the 19th century in England and eventually moved to the United States. This type of house emphasizes natural, rough materials and an informal and simple lifestyle, notes Nwrenovation.com.

Distinctive Features

• A craftsman home has an open interior floor plan, natural and stained interior wood and trim, exposed rafter ends and the use of natural materials such as river rock, wood shake shingles and clinker brick. A craftsman home is usually two stories, whereas a bungalow, which is often confused with craftsman style, is a story and a half.