Craftsman Custom Millwork

Craftsman style homes, originating in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, are renowned for their organic design elements and meticulous craftsmanship that wins in the hearts of Gepetto staff! Central to the allure of these homes is the intricate millwork featured in built-in cabinets, shelves, doors, baseboards, door frames, and crown detailing that really tie their interior spaces together with both function & aesthetic. As these homes age, preserving their original charm necessitates replacement or restoration of millwork components. Gepetto Millworks of Virginia has over 50 years of cumulative experience producing replica millwork to replace pieces damaged by time or accident.  As a beacon of craftsmanship we offer bespoke millwork to your architect’s plan upholding the authenticity of a Craftsman style home being built from the ground up today. If the interplay between the millwork found in Craftsman homes built between 1900 and 1950 capture your admiration and inspire you in your dream home building process Gepetto Millworks stands ready to supply your project with attention down to the quality of the kiln dried rough-cut lumber we begin making your pieces from.  If you are building your home to hold it’s value or inspire the next generation, you won’t be using veneer over a composite who’s structural integrity degrades with the swings in humidity.  Gepetto craftsmen are doing hand joinery and working with solids every day in the shop and have the expertise to produce your drawings.

Craftsman Style Homes and Millwork:

Craftsman style homes emerged as a balancing response to the overly ornate Victorian architecture prevalent in the late 19th century. Influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement coming out of the furniture industry and academic design, Craftsman homes exude simplicity, warmth, and a connection to nature. The millwork found within these homes serves as a testament to the era’s emphasis on quality built by craftsmen honoring the natural materials they were most familiar with. Matt Wiley and Gepetto Millworks supplies replacement or new millwork to maintain the integrity of these architectural treasures if you are restoring one of these homes and seeking authentic replacement pieces.

The craftsman house has been around for more than 100 years, making it one of America’s favorite architectural styles, with home-design elements built in to maximize space and elevate quality. “Craftsman-style homes are an expression of handcrafted artistry and natural materials utilized in honest ways,” says Rachael H Grochowski.  This American Arts and Crafts style was popularized by furniture maker Gustav Stickley, who published a magazine called The Craftsman and a book, Craftsman Homes (1909), that talk about the “simplification of life” and “a plain house that will last for generations and need but few repairs.” The tome served as a guide to Craftsman design that spans everything from furniture to light fixtures and pillows.

Built-in Cabinets and Shelves:

One of the defining features of Craftsman style homes is the presence of built-in cabinets and shelves. Made to fit elements are often characterized by sturdy construction, clean lines, and intricate detailing that doesn’t draw the eye like the former period of victorian squibbles. Craftsman cabinets and shelves typically are stained rather than painted, and showcase exposed grain and joinery, such as dovetail or mortise-and-tenon joints. The exposure highlights the skill of the craftsmen who created them, and honors the natural material’s texture. Gepetto Millworks of Virginia specializes in replicating these traditional joinery techniques, ensuring that replacement or new cabinets and shelves seamlessly integrate with the original millwork of Craftsman homes.

If you are launching into a ground up build and want to achieve the warmth of interior function in many of the interiors of America’s most famous architect, look no further than Gepetto as your trusted supplier!  Built in bench seating, custom tables matching the design and grain of wall paneling – all of these options are available today through a supplier like Gepetto – but are generally lost in the transition to pre-manufactured home goods.  If you are an interior designer and looking to make a splash for your client, give Matthew a call and talk through your goals as we have a cadre of experienced architects and millwork design draftsmen that can collaborate with you to produce the drawings and exact specifications to complete a project like this.

Doors and Door Frames:

Craftsman style doors and door frames are notable for their simple but elegant lines and solid construction. Doors featuring flat panels with simple geometric designs reflect the movement’s focus on craftsmanship with timeless geometric accents. Craftsman door frames may be unadorned with stained trim featuring the beauty of the natural wood grain to shine through. When you are featuring the grain, you’ll want to choose a supplier who can source slow grown species which have fewer defects.  We make your doors to your custom design and frame detailing, allowing individual homeowners or architects to carry the authentic character of their Craftsman style homes into the future.  We have some modern durability upgrades and weather proofing options that didn’t exist in the 1920’s and ’30s that will still honor the integrity of the wood materials.

Craftsman Baseboards and Crown Detailing:

Baseboards and crown detailing play a crucial role in defining the architectural character of Craftsman style homes. Baseboards are typically simple yet substantial, providing a visually pleasing transition between the walls and floors. Crown detailing, and even entire ceiling details on the other hand, adds a touch of elegance to the interior spaces, framing the ceilings and drawing the eye upward. Whether you’re dealing with a modest craftsman home or something bold and complex that might be categorized into the ‘midcentury modern’ aesthetic we specialize in crafting bespoke wood architectural elements.  Baseboards and crown molding that capture the essence of Craftsman style produced using high-quality wood species and traditional milling techniques to achieve authentic period details.

Bungalow Columns & Room Dividers:

In addition to the built-in cabinets, doors, and trim, Craftsman style homes often feature distinctive bungalow columns and room dividers that mirror the square tapered column.  The exterior to interior theme contributes to their recognizable charm from the street view. Bungalow columns, typically square or tapered, support the expansive front porches characteristic of Craftsman homes, evoking a sense of strength and solidity. The columns are often adorned with simple, yet elegant detailing, such as decorative capitals or geometric patterns, echoing the overall aesthetic of the home. That exterior theme is brought indoors to room dividers. Another hallmark of Craftsman design separating rooms with solid wood detailing often open to sound and light maintaining an open and airy feel. Dividers may feature built-in shelving, decorative screens, or crafted woodwork, adding visual interest and functionality to interior spaces. Today we can light them with LED accents and offers custom solutions for replicating or restoring solid wood columns and room dividers, ensuring that the timeless beauty of Craftsman style homes remains intact.

Bungalow, Prairie School, and Mission Revival style Millwork

As Craftsman style homes continue to age, the preservation of their original millwork can feel like an impossible task until you find us! Gepetto Millworks of Virginia understands the unique challenges associated with renovating these architectural treasures and offers tailored solutions to meet the needs of homeowners and restoration professionals alike. Whether it’s replicating a damaged cabinet door, matching the profile of a historic baseboard, or crafting custom-built shelving with live edge solid wood to complement existing millwork with your needs of today. Gepetto Millworks of Virginia combines traditional craftsmanship with modern technology to ensure the longevity and authenticity of Craftsman style homes for generations to come.  No one in 1940 was thinking of building in their flat screen TV – but today, you can build in your audio visual equipment into free standing or wall attached designed millwork.

Custom Millwork MaDe to Order

Is all we do every day of the week! 

Craftsman style homes stand as enduring symbols of American craftsmanship and ingenuity, embodying the principles of simplicity, honesty, and connection to nature. The intricate millwork featured in these homes plays a vital role in defining their architectural character and we wish to work with the architects, interior designers and owners who are inspired to keep this tradition alive. We offer bespoke solutions for the replacement or restoration of millwork components in Craftsman style homes built in any era and their brethren styles: Bungalow, Prairie School, and Mission Revival. Our combination of traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques and materials ensures that the beauty and integrity of architectural woodworking shine for future generations to enjoy.