Gustav Stickley’s Log House was not the only building he designed for his Craftsman Farms. After all, it was intended to be a farm. His style was inspired by his build-with-nature belief, the same reason he would build horse stables, dairy barns, and cottages. Built with similar materials as the Log House (stone and wooden shingles), some included porches with red-tinted flooring or bands of windows similar to the Log House. The buildings usually had open interiors. Craftsman Farms was to become self-sustainable; however, Stickley would soon run out of money, changing plans and leading to bankruptcy. Additionally, a few of these outlying structures would succumb to fires in the 1960s. Regardless if it stands today, Gustav Stickley’s designs also provided that simple natural aesthetic, giving warmth, comfort, and tranquility to those who visited or lived there.

The man who sparked the craftsman style of architecture and interior design, Gustav Stickley, took advantage of a home disaster. In 1901 a fire destroyed his home’s interior, giving him the chance to rebuild it in his image. While the exterior is not of his own creation, Stickley incorporated his personal Arts and Crafts style inside. He built almost the entire house out of dark wooden boards, seemingly from pieces of furniture from his career. The doors, the floors, the ceiling beams, the stairs, and the bookshelves were all made out of the same dark timber, which contrasts greatly with the white exterior of the home. It is believed that the inside of the Gustav Stickley House became the first of Stickley’s style, sparking a new movement in the country.

Because he designed furniture for most of his career, Gustav Stickley is also admired for his interior design. One example of his aesthetic is within his Log House. Great emphasis on the dark browns of wood, used in both the structure of the home but also in the handmade furniture, is seen in every room. Spanning the entire length of the house is the living room, dimly lighting the log walls and stone fireplace. Other rooms also spanned the house, connected by large open doorways and filled with wooden furniture: chairs, tables, shelves, and sideboards. Just us the exterior of the Log House Stickley designed, the interior provides a comfortable and warm atmosphere that makes one feel at home.

Gustav Stickley became famous during his lifetime for his craftsmanship, particularly for his designs of furniture. He became the face of what is now known as the Arts and Crafts movement. In the early 1900s, Stickley created Craftsman Farms, a place that was hoped to become a farm school for boys as well as an estate for him and his family. In the center of Craftsman Farms is a building he designed himself: the Log House. Made primarily of logs, stones, ceramic tiles for the roof, and other local materials, Stickley’s Log House embodied his passion for craftsmanship and modest, practical homes. The Log House is simple but beautiful. Its stone foundation, band of windows, and wooden walls give it that comforting log cabin feel.

During my high school career, my dad moved out into the nearby city of Denton. I was finally old enough to drive, and since my school and friends were in the same town, I found myself hanging around what we called The Square. In the center of The Square was the Denton courthouse, broadcasting beautiful Romanesque architecture. It is a very lively part of the town but is a microcosm of Denton. Some days you might see trucks waving confederate flags; Some days you might see the flat-Earther car. There’s never a dull moment on the Square. I have taken many family portraits next to the courthouse. I have even attended an amateur spontaneous Christmas concert put together by two friends who just so happened to have their saxophones. Its Romanesque style is seen in many other courthouses and government buildings throughout the nation, but its thick wooden doors and flashy domes will always accompany my memories of home.

When first buying the lot on which my parents would build my childhood home, it was in the middle of nowhere to the extent that there weren’t any real roads. Just to get to the lot, my parents had to transfer onto a truck that would drive them along an artificial dirt path. As you can imagine, there weren’t many shops, stores, or restaurants around us. However, only ten minutes away along highway 380 lived the locally famous restaurant Prairie House. Its rustic architecture bleeds from its exterior design and patio into its seating, tables, decorations, and bars. Here is where we often spent birthdays and had get-togethers. Despite the dim lighting, the soft country music, and the relaxing smell of barbecue, the atmosphere was always one to enjoy. I still think about their root beer floats, with root beer out of the bottle. I also think about the life-sized bear at the entrance, which scared me until I accidentally broke off a claw. Prairie House has always been one of my favorite buildings as well as one of my favorite places to eat. It is one of the things that has always drawn me back home.

In 1995, the home in which I would spend my entire childhood began construction. It is the place that has shaped my entire life, good and bad. This house not only holds the lovely memories of growing up with my sisters, all my childhood slumber parties, and some wild high school hangouts, but also those documenting a disintegrating marriage. It is a beautiful house, one that neighbors and visitors frequently compliment. Whether it’s the grand foyer with the massive chandelier, the downstairs space connecting the kitchen and living areas, or the expansive back patio marking the beginnings of the trail to Lake Lewisville, everyone who has placed their eyes on the Oak Point House falls in love with something. I, too, felt this way while growing up. However, since the official split of my parents in 2016, I find myself associating as many negative memories as the positive with this home. Moving away to college became a much needed escape, and while I will always consider it home, I dread coming back.

Having a talented interior designer for an aunt has come with some perks, one being my favorite vacation home. In early 2000s San Diego, my aunt Tiffany Heon began renovating one of the three historical neo-classical homes overlooking Mission Bay. Known as the “Three Sisters,” these homes were built around 1915, becoming a site to see by visitors ever since. This house is one of the most relaxing places you could ever stay, even with the noise of planes taking off at the nearby airport. The cool ocean wind and clear skies provide ideal weather year-round, and if one doesn’t enjoy it sitting inside with opened windows and opened doors, they’ll enjoy it on the back patios. I have spent many summers at this house, which has become as much of an attraction of San Diego as the beaches. Sometimes it does not feel real, does not feel like an actual home, rather like a beautiful museum with stunning exterior architecture, stylized interior design, and a breathtaking view of the ocean.