Craftsmen
Creating Green Art with Purpose
Craftsmen are experienced and skillful makers of home furnishings and decor, usually crafted from local renewable or natural resources such as wood and stone. Their specialty is in creating home decor that blends functionality with aesthetic value.
Craftsmen have a specific, "green" ethic and code of design that separates them quite distinctly from the manufacturers of furniture and home decor who might sell through large shops and department stores. While most mass producers of furniture are focused entirely on function, craftsmen broaden their scope to include aesthetic value as well, weighing it as of equal importance. This results in goods that are not only useful to the homeowner, but beautiful and well-designed.
Modern craftsmen can be very expensive, simply because their work takes more time and effort to produce than similar products from a "big box" store. Their most affordable products, like an example of their artistry in miniature, are house signs.
Carefully Crafted House Signs
House signs created by craftsmen tend to be wooden more often than made of stone. These house signs display ornate detail, intricate patterns, and careful hand-carved lettering. Their true value is in the workmanship, not the materials; the purchaser pays more for the privilege of having house signs created by a "master" in the "old ways" of woodworking.
Modern manufacturers of house number signs might employ craftsmen to create designs and graphics, chisel, carve, or paint house signs, and otherwise offer insight into the unique capabilities of carving in the field of house signs. If you're considering purchasing such a sign, you should contact the manufacturer and ask about the involvement of any professional craftsmen.
Post-Industrial Life as an Artisan
Modern craftsmen often aren't employed as such full-time, though some rural craftsmen can and do earn quite a bit of money making furniture and house number plaques for their neighbors. For most, it's a hobby, something they do to give them pleasure and maybe earn a few extra dollars on the side. The creation of house signs and furniture often grows out of a love of whittling or carving statuary.
With mass-produced house signs, you're not getting the same human experience as you would with a genuine craftsman. However, many manufacturers of custom house signs strive to re-create this experience, as they know they're creating a product designed for the enjoyment and enrichment of your home and family. Coupling a personal connection with modern convenience is what modern-day Internet business should be, and the house signs industry seems to understand that.
Customization is an important part of the home sign creation process. Working with a custom house signs manufacturer guarantees your house sign will be created to your specifications, while working with a craftsman leaves more to his imagination and abilities. Try to locate a manufacturer that has had the benefit of a craftsman's experience, and you'll have found the perfect combination: old-fashioned style and work ethic, with modern-day convenience and attention to detail.