Feelin' Crafty

My favorite Craftsman: by Andy R

I like how Kunstler traces the history and evolution of popular architectural styles in chapter 9 of The Geography of Nowhere entitled “A Place Called Home.” He seems to have quite a handle on the progression of styles, and I was particularly drawn to the section on the Craftsman style of architecture, an early 1900 response “to the lingering distaste for Victorian frippery; to the formality of the Beaux Arts movement that followed the Victorian orgy of styles; to the industrial system and its mass-produced junk; to household improvements brought about by electricity; and to a growing young, mobile managerial class who wished to live in smaller houses (164). Growing up in central Los Angeles, not far from Hancock Park, I was pleasantly surrounded by these charming Craftsman bungalows that Kunstler specifies as common and popular on the West Coast. Although I grew up in a very L.A. Mediterranean-esque (Stucco, Spanish roof, etc.) home, I have always had a special place in my heart for these cozy homes. Many of my friends grew up in Craftsmans that possessed, regardless of individual interior decoration, the handcrafted style Kunstler addresses. I have spent countless hours at my friend Zan’s family home in Hancock Park, which is pictured above. I know it is hard to really see the house from the given photograph, taken by Zan’s dad Andy, but from what I understand, it is a pretty typical Craftsman. It is all dark woods and exposed beams with a special essence that exudes HOME. My personal experience of Craftsmans is their strong sense of home, no matter who actually lives there. Certainly, Zan’s family is a very inviting one, which goes with the neighborhood. Hancock Park, filled with Craftsman design, is the closest experience I have had to the days when doors were left open, kids played in the street, and neighbors were so much more than just people living next door. There is just a lovely sense community in the area that is welcoming and comfortable without sacrificing taste. I think the Craftsmans, and the mentality behind them, must have a lot to do with it. In the 1999 Drew Barrymore film “Never Been Kissed,” you can see the exterior of Zan’s house and some others on the block. I used to just get that funny feeling of familiarity when a place I know very well appears on screen (not such an infrequent phenomenon when the cities I know best are Los Angeles, Manhattan, Paris, San Francisco, and New Orleans). What now intrigues me is that most viewers would not even associate the shots with Los Angeles – I suppose we have on our hands some successful location scouts since I believe the characters are meant to be in a Chicago suburb. When people think of the West Coast, I presume they more often think of the cubical floor-to-ceiling window look along the beach. However, the film unobtrusively portrays one of my favorite visions of home in California. I do feel inclined to note that a Zen, minimalist house—all right angles and windows—has been on the corner of Zan’s street now for a few years. It is a cool architectural specimen, although I remember my shock to see it go up on such a cozy block of mostly Craftsmans. I think it’s fine, but I hope they don’t make a habit of it. Kunstler does note that although the California bungalows were in part designed in an effort to move away from generic mass-production, they ended up as “the most popular mass-produced kit houses sold by Sears and Roebuck” (164). Gotta love irony.

Location