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Front door - Craftsman trim or not with a stone entry?

6 years ago

We're building a craftsman style exterior with the typical white craftsman window/door trim. Will be dark gray siding with about 3' wainscot of stone around bottom of the front. I'd always pictured and pinned many pictures of the front door with the same wide craftsman styles trim - to pop against the stained door and siding. But LATER in the process we decided to stone the whole porch including front door/entry area - on both sides of and above door; not just a short wainscot. The builder says that with stone, they usually just stick with the brickmould around the doors and windows. It's less common and more difficult to stone around actual trim. I'm finding this true in photo searches also. Most of my favorite trimmed doors are against siding, not stone. Is the "extra" craftsman trim unnecessary with stone around the door? I'm also considering dropping the stone here to shorter wainscot height (same as garage and elsewhere), and doing siding above that and around the door, so that the white craftsman door trim would be siding instead of stone. Advice/opinions?

Featured Answer

leland_78

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

LV,

I bet you didn't plan on getting an education in architectural styles when you asked your question did you :)

Anyway, in response to your question. It sounds like you have a specific style that you like and I do not think the stone around the door is going to achieve the look you are going for. I think I would stick with the other option that you listed at the end of your post:

I'm also considering dropping the stone here to shorter wainscot height (same as garage and elsewhere), and doing siding above that and around the door, so that the white craftsman door trim would be siding instead of stone.

Here's an example I found that achieves the look you described in the text above:

http://luxurydecor.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/220817187959365876.jpg

I would keep the rock at the same level as the rest of the house. I think you'll end up with a far better look.

Here's an example I found of a house with both trim and rock around the door.

http://www.livingandlearningwithluisa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Craftsman-Cottage-Home-Exterior-1024x681.jpg

It's not a craftsman door like your's but at least it may give you some idea of the look of rock and trim around the door way.

In the end it really comes down to what you like. We are building as well and if you are like us you've been pinning ideas for at least a couple of years. As new options come up I am having to ask myself "will this change the look of our house in such a way that it no longer has the aspects that drew us to it to begin with"

I hope I've been some help. Best of luck.

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Comments (7)

cpartist
6 years ago
White trim is NOT typical for a craftsman house.

If you want advice post your elevation.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
6 years ago
" . . . we decided to stone the whole porch . . . "

Who's "we"?
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trickyputt
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
The trim hides its real purpose through decoration, that being to allow replacement and maintainance of millwork such as doorzzz.
L V
Original Author
6 years ago
I'm not a stickler for terminology, so guess you could say I have Craftsman "touches." Point is, I have white straight-cut trim, and what everyone around here calls a Craftsman style front door. Someone asked who decided on stone... we did. It's a custom home and we can choose to do or change anything we wish.

First 2 construction photos are my house. The 2 finished porch photos are examples of how I envisioned my stained front door with white trim. In changing the entry from siding to stone, my builder said they'd normally stone up to brickmould rather than doing the additional wide trim plus stone. 2 photos of front door close-ups show stone up to brickmould.
cpartist
6 years ago
Only the last house is a craftsman.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
6 years ago
I owned a craftsman bungalow that was built in 1917. There was brick moulding around all the windows and doors.

When attempting to achieve traditional style seek details from authentic designs.

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