For homeowners who crave the character of a classic home but need the functionality of a modern one, the modern craftsman house offers the perfect solution. This evolved aesthetic, also known as a contemporary craftsman house, masterfully blends timeless artisan quality with the crisp, clean lines of today’s architectural design. The result is an inviting home that feels both grounded in history and perfectly suited for contemporary life, full of warmth, simplicity, and abundant natural light.
At its core, the modern craftsman style house is defined by its welcoming front porches with tapered columns, a rich mix of natural materials like stone and wood, and sophisticated exterior color palettes that range from bright whites to dramatic, dark hues. Ahead, we explore 46 beautiful examples that showcase these essential elements, providing all the inspiration you need to bring this enduring look home.
What Defines the Modern Craftsman Style?
A modern craftsman home is rooted in the historic Arts and Crafts movement but updated for contemporary living. It sheds the heavier, darker elements of its predecessors in favor of cleaner forms and brighter spaces. The core philosophy remains: a deep connection to natural materials, an emphasis on structural honesty, and a warm curb appeal achieved through texture rather than excessive ornamentation.
From Classic Roots to Contemporary Forms
Understanding this style means seeing its evolution. Traditional Craftsman homes provide the essential blueprint with their earthy palettes, cozy porches, and handcrafted details.
The modern interpretation streamlines these features, introducing open-concept interiors and crisper exterior lines that feel fresh, airy, and perfectly suited for today’s lifestyle.
1. Embrace a Bright, Modern Look
Multiple gables and a crisp, light color palette define this modern craftsman home’s character. It embodies the style’s evolution, maintaining the classic low-pitched rooflines and substantial form of its predecessors while embracing a brighter, more streamlined aesthetic that feels fresh, airy, and perfectly current.
2. Adapt the Style for a Narrow Lot
Charming and efficient, this design adapts the style for a narrower lot without sacrificing key features. A recessed garage allows for a welcoming entry, while the second-story balcony adds dimension and a private outdoor space, showcasing the style’s flexible and functional nature for modern living.
3. Design a Cozy Cottage Feel
Charming and compact, this cottage proves the style’s incredible versatility. Even with a smaller footprint, it features all the essential elements, from the stone-based columns to the gabled roof. Warm lighting transforms the porch into a cozy, welcoming retreat at twilight, embodying the style’s spirit.
4. Honor Historic Arts & Crafts Roots
Traditional Craftsman homes provide the essential blueprint for today’s updated designs. Rooted in the Arts and Crafts movement, they showcase earthy color palettes, cozy front porches, and visible handcrafted details like decorative brackets, establishing a foundation of warmth that modern interpretations respectfully streamline.
5. Celebrate Timeless Brick Artistry
Historic brick Craftsman homes feature the style’s enduring substance and artistry. Characterized by their solid construction, decorative gable trusses, and warm, inviting light, these homes provide the rich architectural foundation from which the sleeker, more streamlined modern interpretations directly evolve.
6. Ground the Design in Earthy Tones
Earthy color palettes and solid brick piers ground this home firmly in the Arts and Crafts tradition. The design highlights the timeless appeal of the original style, with its balanced proportions and welcoming porch, providing a clear and beautiful link to the modern craftsman house of today.
Anatomy of a Modern Craftsman Exterior
From our analysis of recent building trends, the enduring curb appeal of a modern craftsman home lies in its thoughtful composition. It’s a study in balance, where strong geometric forms like low-pitched roofs and expressive gables are softened by a rich blend of natural materials. The result is a home that feels both grounded in tradition and confidently modern in its architectural details.
How to Layer Stone, Wood, and Siding
One of the style’s most defining characteristics, and a detail designers often emphasize, is the layering of exterior materials. Expect to see stone or brick bases grounding the structure, paired with various types of siding. Wood shakes, board-and-batten, and traditional lap siding are often used together to create a dynamic, textural facade that is visually interesting from every angle.
7. Layer Texture with Wood and White
Crisp white siding creates a bright backdrop for the rich texture of a natural wood shakes on the gables. This thoughtful layering of materials is a hallmark of the contemporary craftsman house, resulting in a dynamic facade that feels both substantial and impeccably detailed from the curb.
8. Anchor with Natural Stacked Stone
Combining multiple textures is fundamental to the modern craftsman style house. Here, rugged stacked stone provides a natural anchor for the smooth siding and shingled gables above. This layering creates visual depth and reinforces the home’s connection to traditional, high-quality building materials.
9. Feature Structural Timber Trusses
Extensive stonework and exposed timber trusses are key features of this home’s facade. The design expertly balances rugged stone with smooth vertical siding and rich wood details, creating a layered, textural exterior that celebrates the art of construction and natural materials beautifully.
10. Use Cedar Shakes for Natural Texture
Warm cedar shakes provide a rich, uniform texture across the entire facade. This natural wood is grounded by light-toned stone piers and contrasted with dark trim, presenting a sophisticated layering of materials that is central to the contemporary craftsman house and its timeless appeal.
11. Contrast Dark Siding with Wood
Striking contrast between dark siding and warm cedar shakes creates a visually dynamic exterior. The timber-framed portico and columns add a layer of natural warmth and structural beauty, resulting in a balanced and inviting facade that is a hallmark of the contemporary craftsman house.
12. Blend Materials for a Custom Look
Multiple textures and materials create a rich, layered facade. This design combines rugged stone on the lower level with smooth siding and wood shakes in the gables. This thoughtful composition adds depth and highlights the home’s substantial, well-crafted structure against its natural woodland backdrop.
13. Add Warmth with Wood Garage Doors
Natural wood garage doors and a matching entryway provide a warm focal point against the home’s earthy siding. Stone piers ground the tapered columns, creating a harmonious blend of textures that is fundamental to the modern craftsman style house and its inviting curb appeal.
14. Mix Siding Styles for Visual Interest
Combining vertical siding with natural cedar shakes in the gables adds significant textural interest. This deliberate mix of materials is a popular strategy in modern craftsman design, creating a layered, custom look that highlights the home’s strong architectural lines and beautiful craftsmanship.
15. Embrace Classic Craftsman Character
Earthy tones and natural textures bring a warm, inviting character to this home. This beautiful mix of materials creates a look deeply rooted in classic principles, a key reason the modern craftsman house remains so popular and timeless.
The Signature Welcoming Front Porch
More than just an entryway, the front porch is the heart of a modern craftsman’s exterior. It serves as a true extension of the home’s living space, defined by iconic tapered square columns. These columns, often set on substantial piers of stone or brick, create an unmistakably hospitable first impression, inviting neighbors to stop by and family to relax.
16. Define the Entry with Tapered Columns
Generous front porches define the character of this architectural style. Here, substantial tapered columns rise from sturdy stone piers, creating a grounded and inviting entryway. This signature element not only provides structural beauty but also serves as a clear nod to classic Arts and Crafts design principles.
17. Add a Wraparound Porch
Elevated wrap-around porches serve as true outdoor rooms, extending the living space and capturing surrounding views. This design strategy not only enhances curb appeal but also deepens the home’s connection to its landscape, creating an inviting transition from the outside world to the interior.
18. Make a Grand Entrance
Grandeur and hospitality are conveyed through a wide, elevated porch and a stately central staircase. This design creates an impressive sense of arrival while providing ample outdoor living space. Whitewashed stone piers and classic columns complete this light, airy take on the style.
19. Ground the Porch with Stone Piers
Classic tapered columns resting on stone piers create an unmistakably inviting entrance. This quintessential feature grounds the home, providing both visual weight and a clear nod to its Arts and Crafts heritage, while the clean, simplified forms keep the overall aesthetic feeling fresh and modern.
20. Create Drama with Evening Light
Warm lighting at dusk creates an undeniably inviting scene. This classic porch, defined by its substantial stone piers and clean tapered columns, becomes a glowing beacon of hospitality in the evening, highlighting the home’s thoughtful design and deep connection to comfort and welcome.
21. Use Brick for a Traditional Feel
Red brick piers provide a solid, traditional foundation for the classic tapered columns on this inviting porch. This pairing of of materials, combined with an earthy color scheme, creates a warm and substantial entryway that is deeply rooted in the Arts and Crafts aesthetic yet feels perfectly contemporary.
22. Design a Porch for a Sloped Lot
Adapting to a sloped lot, this design elevates the main living space and porch above the garage. This functional solution creates a commanding presence, featuring classic stone piers and substantial columns that maintain the inviting and hospitable spirit central to the contemporary craftsman house.
23. Find Harmony in Balance
Harmonious balance defines the inviting facade of this modern craftsman house. The classic tapered columns on stone piers create a welcoming entryway, while simplified gable trusses add a touch of architectural detail, perfectly embodying the contemporary craftsman style.
24. Add a Grand Staircase for Hillsides
A grand staircase navigates the sloped terrain, making a feature of the ascent to the elevated front porch. This clever adaptation preserves the style’s essential welcoming nature, using stone retaining walls and classic columns to create an impressive and functional multi-level entry sequence.
Celebrating Craft: Exposed Beams and Modern Trim
While the form is classic, the execution is modern. Details like exposed rafters, gabled trusses, and timber framing are simplified, favoring clean geometry over intricate ornamentation. This approach celebrates the home’s construction in a polished, refined way. Modern building materials like standing-seam metal roofing or copper accents are often paired with traditional ones for a custom, updated look.
25. Feature an Exposed Timber Portico
Exposed timber framing over the entryway adds striking architectural interest and structural honesty. This modern update to the classic gabled porch uses clean geometry and warm wood tones to create a focal point that is both rustic and refined, celebrating the home’s expert construction.
26. Use Shingles for a Cohesive Look
Uniform gray shingle siding wraps the entire home, creating a cohesive and highly textural facade. Paired with crisp white trim and classic columns, this material choice offers a sophisticated, monochromatic look that feels both timeless and distinctly modern in its clean, streamlined application.
27. Mix Vertical and Horizontal Siding
Vertical board-and-batten siding in the gable adds height and texture, contrasting with the horizontal lap siding below. This intentional use of clean, simple lines, paired with substantial, unadorned columns, gives the home a crisp, polished look that is central to the modern aesthetic.
28. Add Artistry with Gable Trim
Intricate trim work in the gables adds a layer of architectural artistry. This signature detail, highlighted by crisp white against the darker siding, pays homage to the Arts and Crafts tradition while maintaining the clean, geometric lines essential to the modern craftsman style house.
29. Go Contemporary with a Metal Roof
Standing-seam metal roofing and vertical siding give this home a crisp, contemporary profile. A sophisticated, low-contrast palette pairs warm neutral siding with dark trim, highlighting the clean lines of the gabled entry and window awnings for a polished take on the classic form.
30. Add Luxe Copper Accents
Warm copper roofing adds a distinctive, luxurious touch to the porch and window awnings. This premium material, paired with gray vertical siding and substantial stone chimneys, creates a sophisticated facade that beautifully balances modern refinement with the rustic strength of traditional Craftsman design.
31. Display Bold Timber Framing
Visible craftsmanship is celebrated with substantial exposed timber framing and brackets. The dark-stained vertical wood siding provides a rich, cohesive texture, while the light stone piers offer a grounding contrast, resulting in a design that feels both elegantly rustic and structurally honest.
32. Highlight Gables with Trusses
White decorative trusses in the gables and over the portico serve as crisp architectural highlights. This modern approach simplifies traditional handcrafted details, using clean geometry and bright contrast to define the home’s character while honoring its classic Craftsman form and structure.
33. Go Bold with Heavy Timbers
Exposed heavy timber framing is a celebrated feature of this home’s design. The dark vertical siding creates a modern backdrop that makes the warm wood structure pop, presenting a beautiful blend of raw, natural materials and crisp, contemporary lines for a commanding presence.
Inside the Modern Craftsman: Light, Flow, and Signature Features
While the exterior makes a stunning first impression, the most significant contemporary update happens inside a modern craftsman home. The interior philosophy centers on creating spaces that are open, functional, and filled with light, while still retaining the warmth and handcrafted feel of the original Arts and Crafts movement.
Open Floor Plans and Expansive Windows
Unlike the compartmentalized rooms of the past, the modern craftsman is defined by its open floor plan. This layout creates a seamless flow between the kitchen, dining, and living areas, amplified by the use of generous windows.
Large groupings of double-hung windows, expansive picture windows, and dramatic two-story features are common, not only creating bright, airy interiors but also serving as architectural statements.
34. Frame the View with an Arched Window
Large, thoughtfully arranged windows are essential for flooding interiors with natural light. This design features an impressive arched window, which serves as an architectural focal point while creating a bright, airy atmosphere inside, perfectly blending classic form with a modern desire for open, well-lit spaces.
35. Add Grace with Arched Windows
Elegant arched windows soften the home’s gabled rooflines, adding a custom, refined touch to the exterior. This thoughtful detail, combined with the rich texture of cedar shakes and crisp white trim, creates a facade that is both grand and gracefully detailed, celebrating natural light.
36. Install a Two-Story Statement Window
A soaring two-story window makes a dramatic architectural statement. This feature not only defines the home’s contemporary character but also floods the interior with an abundance of natural light, embodying the modern desire for bright, open spaces that feel seamlessly connected to the outdoors.
Signature Interior Details
From our experience, certain interior details are consistently central to achieving an authentic modern craftsman feel. The fireplace, often clad in sleek stone or tile, remains the heart of the living space, frequently flanked by signature built-in shelving or cozy nooks.
In the kitchen, which is the heart of any modern open kitchen design, clean-lined Shaker cabinets are a hallmark, often paired with a large island and artisan tile backsplashes.
Exterior Color Trends for the Modern Craftsman
While traditional Craftsman homes favor earthy greens and browns, modern exterior paint colors are more expansive and expressive. A detail we consistently see homeowners gravitate towards is a color scheme that creates a specific mood, whether it’s bright and airy, dramatically sophisticated, or graphically bold.
Sophisticated Darks and High-Contrast Schemes
Moody charcoals, deep blues, and even black are increasingly popular house colors, creating a sophisticated and commanding presence. These dark palettes are often paired with crisp white trim for a classic high-contrast look, or with warm wood tones to add organic balance and prevent the design from feeling too stark.
37. Choose a Moody, Dark Palette
Deeper, moodier palettes offer a sophisticated take on the traditional earth-toned look. This contemporary craftsman house pairs dark siding with warm stone and rich wood accents, creating a layered, high-contrast facade that feels both commanding and deeply connected to its natural surroundings.
38. Create a Fresh Look with White
Bright white exteriors offer a fresh and airy alternative for a modern craftsman house. This crisp, clean look highlights the home’s architectural lines and details, creating a standout presence while the warm wood front door provides an inviting focal point of natural color.
39. Use a Graphic Black-and-White Palette
High-contrast black and white palettes give the modern craftsman house a graphic, contemporary edge. Vertical board-and-batten siding adds texture, while bold black trim sharply defines the gables, windows, and porch columns, creating a striking look that is both classic in form and modern in feel.
40. Design an Intimate Bungalow Vibe
Deep, moody tones give this modern craftsman bungalow a sophisticated and intimate presence. The dark trim and columns anchor the design, while warm siding and glowing interior lights create an inviting contrast, showcasing a contemporary approach to the style’s traditionally earthy color schemes.
41. Embrace a Dramatic Dark Facade
Dramatic dark exteriors give this modern craftsman house a bold and sophisticated presence. The monochromatic scheme creates a cohesive look, while warm wood columns at the entryway provide a welcoming touch of natural texture and contrast, a popular choice for this home style.
42. Mix Modern Lines and Organic Warmth
Rich, dark wood siding and deep overhanging eaves create a dramatic, sheltering effect. Warmed from within by glowing lights, this sophisticated palette proves that a dark exterior can feel incredibly cozy and inviting, perfectly balancing modern lines with the organic warmth of natural materials.
43. Balance Dark Tones with Warm Wood
Deep charcoal siding creates a dramatic backdrop for crisp white trusses and trim. This high-contrast palette is a popular choice for the modern craftsman style house, where the warmth of the natural wood garage doors provides a perfect point of balance and inviting color.
Blurring the Lines: Indoor-Outdoor Living
A seamless connection to the outdoors is paramount for this home style. More than just a porch, these homes prioritize a total link between inside and out. Expansive sliding glass doors, folding wall systems, and thoughtfully designed landscapes work together to blur the line between spaces, perfect for entertaining or simply enjoying a quiet moment in nature.
44. Blend the Home Into its Setting
Natural wood shingles allow this lakeside home to blend beautifully into its wooded surroundings. This material choice enhances the contemporary craftsman house aesthetic, creating a warm, rustic appeal that feels entirely organic and deeply connected to the tranquil, natural setting just outside its doors.
45. Unify the Home and Garden with Stone
Natural stone pathways meander through the garden, echoing the materials used on the home’s substantial porch piers. This intentional design choice creates a seamless transition from the landscape to the structure itself, grounding the house in its environment and enhancing its organic, timeless appeal.
46. Go Bold with a High-Contrast Palette
High-contrast color schemes define this home’s modern appeal. Dark navy siding provides a bold foundation for warm cedar shakes in the gables and crisp white trim. This confident use of color, paired with classic stone piers, creates a look that is both timeless and strikingly current.
A Timeless Choice for Today
The modern craftsman house continues to capture hearts because it successfully blends the best of both worlds. It offers the character, quality, and connection to nature of a beloved historic style while delivering the bright, open, and functional spaces that modern life demands. For homeowners who value both timeless design and contemporary comfort, it is a style that feels perfectly, and enduringly, like a modern craftsman home.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the main difference between a Modern and a traditional Craftsman house?
The key difference is the interior layout and color palette. A modern craftsman house features a bright, open-concept floor plan, while traditional versions typically have more enclosed rooms and darker, earth-toned wood finishes.
What are the key exterior features of a Modern Craftsman house?
Key features include a low-pitched gabled roof, a prominent front porch with tapered columns on stone or brick piers, and a mix of natural materials like stone, wood shakes, and siding.
Is the Modern Craftsman style still popular?
Yes, it’s extremely popular. The modern craftsman style house is a favored choice because it blends the timeless character of a historic home with the open, light-filled, and functional spaces required for a modern lifestyle.
