House Plan with Tower

¶ A craftsman house in which tower construction has been effectively used.

Tower House.
Front view of house showing towers and verandas in front and pergola at the side.

¶ Something of a departure is made from the usual style of the Craftsman house in planning this one, which we regard as one of the most completely successful house plans ever published in "The Craftsman". It is not a large house, yet it gives the impression of dignity and spaciousness which usually belongs only to a large building it is in no sense an elaborate house, yet it is decorative possessing a sort of homely picturesqueness which takes away all appearance of severity from the straight lines and massive walls. This is largely due to the square tower like construction at the two corners in front and to the upper and lower verandas, both ample in size and deeply recessed, which occupy the whole width of the house between the towers. Of these, one is the entrance porch and the other an outdoor sleeping room, the latter a very essential part of every house that is built with special reference to health and freedom of living.

¶ As suggested here, the house is of cement and half timber construction with a tiled roof and a foundation of local field stone carefully split and fitted. The foundation is carried up to form the parapets that shelter the recessed porches on the lower story, and the copings are of gray sandstone. The walls are of cement plaster on metal lath, the plaster being given the rough gravel finish and colored in various tones of green.

¶ All the exterior wood trim is of cypress very much darkened by the chemical process which we use. In this house the exterior woodwork is especially satisfying in its structural form, being decorative in its lines and the division of wall spaces and yet obviously an essential part of the structure. The horizontal beams serve to bind together the lines of the whole framework, and the uprights are simply corner posts and continuations of the window frames. The roof of dull red tiles gives life and warmth to the color scheme of the exterior, and the thick round pillars painted white lend a sharp accent that emphasizes the whole.

¶ The entrance door is at the left end of the porch which, by this device, is made to seem less like a mere entrance and more like a pleasant gathering place where outdoor life may go on. This porch is pictured in detail on page ninety nine as a typical Craftsman front porch.

Tower House Floor Layout
First Story Floor Plans

Tower House Floor Layout
Second Story, storage room and servants room in attic.

Dining Room Alcove.
Alcove in the dining room made by the tower construction. This little nook is fitted up for a smoking room or den and has all the advantages of a bay window or small sun room, as the windows on either side admit floods of sunshine, provided the house is so paced as to give this tower a southern or western exposure. Note the construction of the overhead beams.

Tower House Living Room.
A corner of the living room, looking into the dining room so that the post-and-panel construction which indicates a division between the two rooms is plainly shown. The chimneypiece is made of large square tiles, matt finished in a dull tone of brownish yellow and bound at the corners with strips of either copper or iron. The fireplace hood is of copper and the andirons of wrought iron. Combined with the brown of the oak or chestnut woodwure, this would form the basis of a rich and quiet color scheme.