Wyoming Craftsman Bungalow

After living on Cincinnati’s west side for many years, April began looking to relocate when her kids settled in other neighborhoods. She is someone who cares deeply for her family, and she wanted to be closer to them, to be more actively involved with her grandkids. She found a wonderful Craftsman Bungalow on Grove, just a few minutes away from her daughter’s home in Wyoming.

Although her daughter lives here, April wasn’t initially focused on Wyoming. Her house hunt took her through Woodlawn, Evendale, Blue Ash, Montgomery and other nearby areas. However, when she visited Wyoming, she was impressed by the lively neighborhood atmosphere. She noticed kids were riding their bikes in the neighborhood, something she didn’t see elsewhere. The walkability of Wyoming was also an appeal. She particularly likes that she lives so close to the Wyoming Avenue shops although she jokes about the temptation of the nearby Wyoming Pastry Shop. Personally, I’m partial to their Cherry Bismark donut. April told me her favorite is the Chocolate Covered with White Filling. Yum!

In addition to strolling through the neighborhood, Wyoming provides plenty of opportunities to stay active (and burn off the calories from the Pastry Shop’s treats). With programs at the Rec Center, public pickleball courts, and the nearby Powel Crosley YMCA, there are numerous ways to get your steps in. April enjoys taking full advantage of these amenities to keep herself active and engaged.

Architectural Features of a Craftsman House

Craftsman houses are known for their low-pitched, gabled roofs with wide, unenclosed eave overhangs and roof rafters that are often exposed, sometimes with decorative beams or braces frequently added under the gables.

Porches, whether full or partial width, are typically supported by tapered or square columns that extend to ground level although some variants, like April’s Craftsman on Grove Avenue, feature columns that rest on the porch floor. Sometimes, the roof of the porch is created by the wide overhanging eaves and a continuation of the main roof of the house. The below graphic shows typical Craftsman style porch supports and variants. You can see other types of Craftsman roof styles here.

Simplicity, Functionality and Hand-Crafted Nature

Craftsman style, emerging from the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century, is celebrated for its emphasis on simplicity, functionality, and a handcrafted nature. It championed the idea that creating well-made, simple goods contributed to a more honest and ethical society, encouraging individuals to learn a craft and produce their own work. This philosophy extended to home building when manufacturers made it possible for working and middle-class families to build their own homes using pre-packaged kits.

From 1908 to 1930, Sears and Roebuck sold 70,000 of these kit homes through mail-order catalogs. They promised that an average person could assemble a Sears kit home in about 90 days. No detail was overlooked. Sears homes were shipped with 75 page instruction books and contained 10,000-30,000 pieces, marked to facilitate construction. Some kits contained up to 750 pounds of nails all marked with correct spacing outlined in the manual. Fine materials were often used such as cypress on the exterior, top grade Southern pine for framing and maple for kitchen and bath floors. Homeowners who chose Sears kits saved, on average, 30% compared to traditional home construction.

Midwest Craftsman Homes Influenced by Prairie School

In the Midwest, Craftsman-style homes were often influenced by the Prairie School style, which originated in Chicago. The Prairie style emerged in Chicago around 1900, led by a group of young architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright². These architects combined the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement—emphasizing nature, craftsmanship, and simplicity—into their designs. In some ways, April’s Craftsman seems to take a simplified approach to the design style which is why I think there was influence from the contemporary Prairie style. Notably, there are no exposed rafters or decorative brackets at the roof of the porch or at the gabled dormer roof which was very common in traditional Craftsman homes. Also, the porch columns are not typical of the Craftsman style; instead of short columns resting above the porch floor, they are tall, made of one material and extend to the ceiling of the roof. This was only seen in about 20% of Craftsman homes nationally but it is more common here in the Midwest.

Craftsman Interiors

The Craftsman ideal of simplicity and functionality extended into the interiors of Craftsman homes. These spaces embraced a more understated elegance than the lavish details seen in earlier Victorian architecture. Plain wood floors, small woven rugs, and exposed beam ceilings were common features. Walls were often divided by moldings and painted, and when wallpaper was used, it was typically confined to the frieze, not the entire wall. The frieze is a decorative band or panel. similar to what we know as a wallpaper "border." In Craftsman-style interiors it was a larger band than what you are probably remembering from your parents circa 1988 kitchen. If Craftsman style is your thing and you'd like to incorporate wallpaper and a frieze, consider this colorful and happy pattern³ or maybe something a bit more refined and less bold⁴.

Dining rooms featured high wainscoting and a dish rail, and color palettes tended to be muted. Built-in furniture was a hallmark of the style, particularly near fireplaces and in dining room nooks. Small stained glass windows, hammered copper lighting, and decorative glazed tiles—such as Cincinnati’s own Rookwood Pottery tiles—were also prevalent.

Craftsman furniture was simplified and straightforward in design, often featuring large, thick elements with exposed joinery, reflecting the honesty in its construction. Most pieces were made of oak, with ammonia fuming⁵ commonly used as a staining technique to darken the wood and highlight its grain pattern. Tables were substantial, typically with four thick legs connected by stretchers or sometimes with a trestle base. They came in rectangular, circular, and occasionally octagonal shapes. Exposed joinery was intentional, serving as the decorative detail. Hardware was made of hammered metal, adding to the handcrafted aesthetic.

Gustav Stickley's United Crafts Furniture Co⁶ and Elbert Hubbard’s Roycroft Furniture line were among the most popular pieces of Craftsman furniture. Over 120 years later, Stickley Furniture Company is still in business, continuing to emphasize craftsmanship and sustainability as their guiding principles. You can purchase Stickley Furniture locally, at Cincinnati Furniture Fair locations. While Craftsman homes often featured built-in furniture, freestanding pieces like dressers, sideboards, and bookcases remained popular and were widely sold.

April often starts her day sitting in one of the lounge chairs at the bottom of the steps. She likes to sit there and drink coffee while reading the news on her ipad or watching it on the TV. She also has a good viewpoint of the street where she can see neighbors heading off to work and kids walking to school, which reminds her of the sense of community she enjoys in Wyoming.

Living Room

Upon entering April’s home you’ll find more elements of Craftsman design. The staircase is a prime example and on the far wall of the living room you will find a nice fireplace, flanked by windows.

Built in bookcases under the windows, typical of Craftsman style, were not a part of this home’s original design. We know this because there are large metal grates on the floor that were part of the original heating system, sitting where the bookcases would have been built in.

The fireplace was not in good working order when April bought the house. Some thought it may have been used with the home’s original oil furnace. She hired Karl Mattes to rebuild the fireplace as a wood burning fireplace. She then decided to convert it to a gas fireplace because it burns cleaner and is easier to maintain. It was during this small renovation that she realized a drawback of owning a home that is nearly a century old is that there aren’t a lot of tradesmen who know how to work with old homes. She talked to a few different plumbers about running the gas line to convert the fireplace. When the one she thought she would hire stopped answering her calls, she felt frustrated. Luckily, Zins Plumbing had a straightforward approach of running the gas line from the main line, not having to deal with the old house, small basement utility room, and furnace. Wardway installed the logs and the project was completed.

Dining Room

From the living room you can access the dining room and kitchen. The floors are the original hardwood floors from 1927. You can see old hardware on the floor between the living room and dining room that is evidence of a previous pocket door.