Craftsman style architecture was a huge hit in the early 1900s. The beautiful architectural style with unique craftsman trims and decorative exterior accents were a display of craftsman beauty, architectural diligence, and pure woodworking expertise. The craftsman style faded, however, because as beautiful as these architectural accents were, they became maintenance nightmares on the exterior due mainly to rotting. Beautifully crafted architectural details needed to be removed or redone in order to maintain the architectural integrity. Craftsman style homes eventually faded out and track homes took the limelight. Competition and affordability became hallmarks in the building and real estate industry to cater towards middle income families.
Lately, however, there’s been a reverse of the trend, especially with the 2008 housing recession in full gear. There are two reasons for this. First off, the current buyers market makes it difficult for plain houses to stick out anymore. This makes it easy for a homeowner to get a custom home or a house with upgrades and details at a stellar price. These houses are selling more now and track homes are sitting on the sidelines. Additionally, new low maintenance products on the market like PVC and composites have helped revive the craftsman style of architecture. Fabricators, manufacturers, and craftsman woodworkers have found better ways to develop architectural accents that are maintenance free. Because of this, architectural quality has returned and is continuing to make a comeback. The current housing recession is aiding in the return of the craftsman-style architecture by brining quality homes and upgraded details to an affordable price.
Window boxes are an example of the trend that is quickly returning. Brackets and functional shutters have also made a comeback. PVC has worked great for window boxes as a no rot alternative that is also water resistant. Many builders phased window boxes out of the architecture in the early 1900s because the water would rot the boxes out in as fast as little as three to five years. The quick rotting and maintenance jeopardized the reputations of the builders. Now, more builders are brining window boxes back, because they add architectural beauty and curb appeal and finally they are maintenance free. Anything that can get more potential home buyers to step foot inside has been the motto during this current recession. PVC has also been a huge hit for trim work and windows as well. There’s no better selling feature than to be able to ensure potential homebuyers that the quality that went into building the house is there to stay for a long time. With all these factors considered, expect to see a win for architecture in general as we move forward in 2008.
By: Matthew Buquoi
Posts Tagged ‘Window Boxes’
Architectural Details Coming Back
January 9th, 2010Atlanta New Hotspot for Fusion Architecture
December 17th, 2009With the housing market in a small recession, home buyers are in a great power position to get the home of their dreams at a spectacular price. This is especially true in Atlanta where a very large surplus of homes has left the market flooded and plenty of choices for buyers to choose from. Builders are dropping prices and offering incentives and upgrades to the exterior to add more curb appeal for buyers. This has included architectural elements such as window boxes, cedar brackets and gables, garage door hardware, functional shutters, and more.
2006 was a year of tremendous housing growth and development in Forsyth county and helped that county to be one of the fastest growing in the nation. Builders were flocking in and trying to get in on the action. Many builders decided to construct custom homes to separate themselves from the track builders and mainstream. Because of this the architectural style in the north Atlanta area has undergone a great transformation in style which has seen a fusion of many differet architectural genres. Custom homes have done quite well compared to track homes in the housing recession due mainly to the fact that the buyers market has allowed buyers to get more for less than before. Many of the track home builders are having to upgrade their exteriors with window boxes and other accents to attract the buyers in. Many of them are now offering upgrades to the homes to try to be competitive.
Classic country-style homes, cedar shingles, and a mix of mission-style architecture are some of the highlights. Most custom homes offer a combination of rock, brick, siding, and cedar shingle fusion into the home that creates a distinct look of character and variety. Now, you can rarely find a boring custom home in Atlanta that offers simple repeated features all over the front. Because most custom homes in Atlanta are built on hills they are 2-story and this has given architects the freedom to expand into unique elevations that are not typical outside of the state. The new combination of custom homes and architectural styles has helped with the growth in the north Atlanta area and has helped combat the housing recession. “I believe that Atlanta is setting a trend in architecture for rest of America to follow. Atlanta is setting a new standard of architecture by being on the cutting edge and is a great place to raise a family and to find custom homes,” says Matthew Buquoi, a window box manufacturer in the Atlanta, Georgia area. “The success of custom homes in the north Atlanta area has helped to revive classic architecture yet bring new elements of other styles to create a nice fusion of many architectural genres. ”