The contemporary craftsman style bridges two design traditions. It borrows the honest materiality and handcrafted details of the arts and crafts movement while embracing the clean geometries and open interiors of modern architecture. At 1,986 square feet, this three bedroom single story home demonstrates how those two approaches can work together. Angular rooflines, a board and batten facade, and a striking glass garage door create an exterior that feels both familiar and fresh. The open floor plan extends that sensibility indoors, with a great room and kitchen organized around a single story mid century modern layout that prioritizes open concept living.
Contemporary Craftsman Architecture: Blending Old and New
The contemporary craftsman approach takes the traditional craftsman elements that homeowners love and updates them with modern proportions and materials. Board and batten siding, once a practical solution for covering wooden structures, becomes a textural statement on the exterior facade. Rich wood accents add warmth to what would otherwise be a stark modern composition. The glass garage door is a distinctly contemporary addition that would not appear in a traditional craftsman home, yet it works because it respects the same principle of visible craftsmanship. A single story mid century modern home with a courtyard floor plan layout uses a similar strategy of blending natural materials with modern forms to create an exterior that feels timeless.
Board and Batten Facade Details
Board and batten siding consists of wide vertical boards with narrow strips called battens covering the seams between them. Standard board width is 8 to 12 inches with battens 1 to 2 inches wide. This vertical orientation draws the eye upward, making a single story home appear taller. In contemporary craftsman designs, the boards are often installed with consistent gaps for a clean, rhythmic appearance rather than the irregular spacing found in historic barn construction.
Material Choices and Durability
Cedar and redwood are the traditional choices for board and batten siding due to their natural resistance to decay and insects. Western red cedar has a class 2 durability rating, meaning it can last 15 to 25 years with proper finishing. Modern alternatives include fiber cement board and batten panels, which offer a 50 year service life with significantly less maintenance. Fiber cement does not rot, warp, or support termite infestation, making it the practical choice for homeowners who want the craftsman look without the upkeep.
Open Great Room and Kitchen Layout
The heart of this contemporary craftsman home is the open great room, which combines living, dining, and kitchen functions in one flowing space. At roughly 550 square feet, this central zone accounts for about 28 percent of the total floor area. The kitchen island anchors the space, providing a visual and functional pivot point between the cooking zone and the living area. Large windows on two sides flood the great room with natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting during daytime hours.
Kitchen Island as a Design Anchor
The kitchen island in an open plan serves multiple roles. It provides counter space for food preparation, storage for cookware, and seating for casual meals. A well designed island is 36 to 42 inches wide and 6 to 8 feet long. The overhang on the seating side should be 12 to 15 inches to accommodate bar stools comfortably. Island lighting with three pendant fixtures spaced 24 to 30 inches apart provides task lighting and defines the island as a distinct zone within the open plan.
Great Room Proportions and Furniture Layout
A rectangular great room measuring 22 by 25 feet provides enough space for a seating area with a sofa and chairs, a dining table for six to eight people, and the kitchen work zone. The seating area should face the kitchen or fireplace, depending on the primary sightline. A large area rug under the seating group anchors the zone visually. The dining table should be centered between the kitchen island and the living area, providing clear circulation paths on all sides.
| Open Plan Zone | Typical Dimensions | Square Footage | Furniture Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Living area | 14 x 18 ft | 252 sq ft | Sofa, 2 chairs, coffee table, side tables |
| Dining area | 10 x 12 ft | 120 sq ft | 6-8 seat table, sideboard or hutch |
| Kitchen work zone | 12 x 15 ft | 180 sq ft | Base cabinets, wall cabinets, island |
| Circulation paths | 3-4 ft wide | n/a | Clear passage between all zones |
Pergola Covered Patio and Outdoor Living
A pergola covered patio extends the living space outdoors, creating a transitional zone between the interior and the landscape. This design includes a pergola patio adjacent to the great room, accessible through large glass doors. The pergola provides partial shade while maintaining an open feel, unlike a solid roof which would block all light. A modern mountain craftsman home design with five bedrooms uses a similar covered outdoor area as an extension of the main living space.
Pergola Construction and Materials
A standard pergola consists of vertical posts supporting horizontal beams with open rafters on top. Common materials include pressure treated pine, cedar, aluminum, and vinyl. Cedar pergolas are popular for craftsman style homes because the material matches the wood accents on the house facade. Aluminum pergolas with adjustable louvers allow closing during rain or opening for full sunlight. Pergola post spacing should not exceed 10 feet to maintain structural integrity of the beam system.
Outdoor Kitchen and Dining Integration
A covered patio adjacent to the kitchen naturally becomes an outdoor dining area. Adding a built in grill, counter space, and a small refrigerator creates a functional outdoor kitchen. The minimum dimensions for an outdoor kitchen counter are 8 linear feet, which accommodates a 36 inch grill, a sink, and a small prep area. Power and gas lines must be planned during the initial construction phase, as retrofitting these utilities is significantly more expensive.
Angular Rooflines and Natural Light Integration
The angular rooflines of this contemporary craftsman home are not purely decorative. Shed roofs and angled planes direct rainwater runoff, reduce wind uplift, and create opportunities for high windows that bring light deep into the floor plan. The dynamic roof forms also break up the massing of the single story volume, making the home appear more sculptural from the street. A single story country craftsman floor plan with three bedrooms and a double garage demonstrates how angular roof forms can be applied to a more traditional craftsman aesthetic while maintaining the same functional benefits.
Shed Roof Design and Performance
A shed roof is a single sloping plane, typically with a pitch between 2:12 and 6:12. This simple form offers several advantages over a gable or hip roof. Material costs are lower because there are fewer valleys and ridges where flashing is required. The single slope allows for higher ceilings on one side of the room without raising the entire roof structure. In a single story home, a shed roof can be oriented to maximize solar panel exposure on the south facing slope while keeping the lower edge on the north side to minimize visual impact.
Clerestory Windows for Deep Plan Lighting
Clerestory windows are placed high on a wall, typically just below the roof line, to admit light without sacrificing wall space or privacy. In a home with shed roofs, the high side of the roof plane is the natural location for a clerestory strip. A continuous clerestory window running 15 to 20 feet along the high wall can provide as much light as a standard picture window twice its size. These windows should be specified with low emissivity glass and an insulating value of at least U 0.28 to prevent heat loss in winter.
Bedroom Zoning and Privacy Planning
This floor plan separates the master suite from the two secondary bedrooms, placing them on opposite sides of the great room. This zoning strategy creates distinct public and private zones within the home. The master suite occupies one wing with its own bathroom and walk in closet, while the secondary bedrooms share a bathroom on the opposite side. This layout reduces noise transfer between bedrooms and gives the primary suite a hotel like sense of retreat. Homeowners who need more flexibility may consider a modern single story home floor plan with two bedrooms and a three car garage, which reconfigures the extra bedroom into a flex space that can serve as a home office or guest room.
Secondary Bedroom Sizing and Layout
Each secondary bedroom in a three bedroom home should provide between 100 and 130 square feet of floor area. A 10 by 12 foot room fits a queen size bed, a dresser, and a desk. Closet space for secondary bedrooms should be at least 4 linear feet of hanging rod with 24 inches of depth. Positioning the closets on the interior wall rather than the exterior wall improves acoustic separation between bedrooms and reduces the number of exterior wall penetrations needed for windows.
Acoustic Separation Between Bedrooms
Interior walls between bedrooms should be constructed with staggered studs or double stud walls to reduce sound transmission. A standard 2 by 4 stud wall with 1/2 inch drywall on both sides has a sound transmission class rating of about 33. Adding resilient channels raises the STC rating to 45 or higher, blocking conversational speech. Insulation within interior walls significantly improves acoustic performance.
Mudroom and Garage Entry Organization
A dedicated mudroom connects the double garage to the main living area in this floor plan. This transition space is one of the most used rooms in a family home, serving as the primary arrival point for daily comings and goings. A well designed mudroom includes built in bench seating, hooks for coats and bags, cubbies for shoes, and a counter or shelf for dropping mail and keys. The mid century modern home that features an open floor plan living arrangement uses a similar entry sequence, recognizing that the garage entry is often the most used door in a suburban home.
Mudroom Dimensions and Layout
A functional mudroom needs a minimum of 5 by 7 feet. This allows a 24 inch deep bench along one wall with 18 inch deep cubbies above, plus a 36 inch wide walking path. Hooks at two heights make the space usable for both adults and children. The floor should be finished with a durable material such as porcelain tile or luxury vinyl plank. A floor drain in the mudroom is a practical addition for wet weather days.
Garage Storage and Workbench Area
The double garage offers storage beyond vehicle parking. Wall mounted shelving on side walls stores seasonal items without consuming floor space. Ceiling mounted racks add overhead storage for kayaks and ladders. A workbench should be 24 to 30 inches deep and at least 60 inches wide for home repairs. A utility sink near the mudroom entry makes it easy to clean up before entering the home.