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Bungalows: Domestic Design at the Dawn of the Auto Age
Craftsman details, open floor plans and detached garages make the bungalow-style home an enduring favorite
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I am licensed to practice architecture in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey & Wisconsin and I am a certificate holder from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Since 1996 I have worked from my home office and provide full architectural services exclusively to the single family residential market. My passion is to transform my clients' houses into their homes. I strive to have the "new" home accommodate my clients' lives without fighting them at every junction. I look to add curb appeal to encourage a beautiful streetscape. And I design any addition to look and feel like it has always been there.
Our projects have won numerous design awards as well as having...
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located... More »
As the Great War came to its end and the Roaring Twenties started, America became ever increasingly an automobile dominated society. Cars, cheap gas and the availability of inexpensive land created a housing boom in the suburbs and outlying areas around the cities. A new house style, the bungalow, came about as the result.
Though the particulars varied from location to location (a Chicago bungalow is visually very different from its Southern California cousin), the bungalow was typically small, with all its living spaces on one floor. The houses typically had five or six rooms, with two or three bedrooms and one bathroom.
More: Shingle-Style Homes from Seaside to Suburb
As much as these homes were brought about by the growing popularity of the car, it would take a subsequent generation of domestic design (ranches, split-levels, 1970s Colonials) and larger lots to fully integrate the garage with the house. In bungalows, the garage was typically detached and accessed by a back alley or, if the lot was wide enough, a side driveway.
Expanded, renovated and updated, bungalows have an enduring quality that make them enviable homes for today's family. Many cities across the country have actively promoted the preservation and renovation of bungalows. Chicago, in fact, has a citywide initiative, the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association, to encourage and strengthen the many bungalow neighborhoods in the city.
An interesting side note is that the term "bungalow" originated in India and has Hindi roots. It was used to describe small lodgings and later came to mean a one-story, detached home with a veranda.
Though the particulars varied from location to location (a Chicago bungalow is visually very different from its Southern California cousin), the bungalow was typically small, with all its living spaces on one floor. The houses typically had five or six rooms, with two or three bedrooms and one bathroom.
More: Shingle-Style Homes from Seaside to Suburb
As much as these homes were brought about by the growing popularity of the car, it would take a subsequent generation of domestic design (ranches, split-levels, 1970s Colonials) and larger lots to fully integrate the garage with the house. In bungalows, the garage was typically detached and accessed by a back alley or, if the lot was wide enough, a side driveway.
Expanded, renovated and updated, bungalows have an enduring quality that make them enviable homes for today's family. Many cities across the country have actively promoted the preservation and renovation of bungalows. Chicago, in fact, has a citywide initiative, the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association, to encourage and strengthen the many bungalow neighborhoods in the city.
An interesting side note is that the term "bungalow" originated in India and has Hindi roots. It was used to describe small lodgings and later came to mean a one-story, detached home with a veranda.
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| Bungalows in the South and Southeastern parts of the United States are typically built of wood and heavily influenced by the Craftsmen style. The large front porch extends the living space outside, and broad, the elephant columns support the low sloping roof. |
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| In the Chicago area and upper Midwest in general, bungalows were built long and narrow to fit long, narrow lots. Second-floor living spaces were created under the roofs, with dormers added for natural light and air. The Chicago bungalow is mostly a brick structure with a solidity that befits the "city of the big shoulders." |
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Whether new or a century old, West Coast bungalows are typically built of wood and influenced by the Arts and Crafts and Craftsmen styles. These bungalows also have front porches providing outdoor living space for the milder climate.
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| Another West Coast bungalow influenced by the Craftsman style is, like the Chicago bungalow we saw earlier, long and thin to fit a narrow lot. The small front porch roof is supported by elephant columns. |
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| Bungalows incorporated the open floor plan that was becoming popular early in the 20th century. The living and dining rooms, traditionally separated by a full wall, were starting to be combined with just a bit of woodwork between the two. |
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| Though initially intended to be modest homes, it wasn't long before bungalows became quite large. Even at a larger scale, bungalows more often than not rely on Arts and Crafts and Craftsman aesthetics. |
| Bungalow living rooms are typically anchored by a large fireplace flanked with built-in cabinetry and shelving. These fireplaces could be brick, stone or faced with a decorative tile to add color and interest to the living room. In the early days, these fireplaces provided warmth, hearth and entertainment center all in one. They were the true center of the bungalow home. |
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| Original bungalow kitchens were often basic and modest. Subsequent remodeling and renovation has created kitchens that accommodate today's lifestyles. Craftsman details, stained wood trim and cabinetry with the look and feel of furniture maintains the vintage quality of this home. |
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Bungalows are all about using space efficiently. So breakfast nooks are the norm.
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Bungalows often have a richness of detail even though, for the most part, a bungalow began as a house for people of modest means. Art glass windows are a staple in many bungalows.
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The typical one-bath bungalow was, like everything else in a bungalow, modest and consisted of tub, toilet and sink. Today these bathrooms, even when kept to their original footprint, can be made special with built-ins and elegant finishes.
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| The lower ceiling, canted walls and opportunity for built-ins makes the upstairs (attic) rooms in a bungalow quite appealing. Do you live in a bungalow? Tell us about it below! More: Cape-Cod Style Across America The Colonial: America's Home Style Shingle-Style Homes from Seaside to Suburb Getting it Wright: Today's Prairie Style American Home Styles: The Queen Anne Mountain Homes: Big Design for Majestic Places |
Ideabook published on Nov. 11, 2011.
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My bungalow (Vancouver WA) was built in 1926. Renovating the kitchen was like an archeological dig. Five layers of wallpaper, four layers of vinyl flooring, lathe and plaster, the back of a hidden chimney...
Rachel Grace,
Beautiful work on your home. I want more details and to see more!!!
ur 1928 bungalow in Pasadena, CA. It has an original Batcheldor Fireplace, he was a local artisan of the era. We have restored nearly everything, added molding, refinished the original oak floors, and added a really fun palate. while we are keeping the house in tact (minus the bfast nook!), we have had fun working with vintage, modern, and ethnic aesthetics we lean towards in our household. got character? :)
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