# Four Principles Beneath Every Craftsman House by Gustav Stickley > “[The fundamental principles which underlie the planning of every Craftsman house] are simplicity, durability, fitness for the life that is to be lived in the house and harmony with its natural surroundings. Given these things, the beauty and comfort of the home environment develops as naturally as a flowering plant from the root.” > **— Gustav Stickley**, *Craftsman Homes, 1909* ## Sources and Context - **Primary text:** [Craftsman Homes (1909) — Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/craftsmanhomes00stic) — opening of “A Craftsman House Founded on the California Mission Style,” where the book introduces the best houses designed in The Craftsman Workshops over the preceding five years. - **Exact original:** “…and to make plain the fundamental principles which underlie the planning of every Craftsman house. These principles are simplicity, durability, fitness for the life that is to be lived in the house and harmony with its natural surroundings. Given these things, the beauty and comfort of the home environment develops as naturally as a flowering plant from the root.” - **Editorial clarification:** The bracketed words replace “These principles” and are taken from the immediately preceding sentence. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Collection:** [[collections/American|American Collection]] - **American route:** [[american/American Aesthetic - Interior Design and Space Composition|Interior Design and Space Composition]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Arts and Crafts Movement|Arts and Crafts Movement]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “[The fundamental principles which underlie the planning of every Craftsman house] are simplicity, durability, fitness for the life that is to be lived in the house and harmony with its natural surroundings. Given these things, the beauty and comfort of the home environment develops as naturally as a flowering plant from the root.” — Gustav Stickley, Craftsman Homes, 1909 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-gustav-stickley-craftsman-principles ```