- Excerpt
The New Bungalow
by Gibbs Smith, Publisher
INTRODUCTION
This feature article is taken from the book, The New Bungalow, team-written
by five architects, designers, builders, and renovators. The feature
walks you through the typical characteristics of a bungalow style house,
from the generous front porch, through rooms loaded with custom woodworking
and built-ins. To see the rich photographs in a larger format, just click
on the smaller versions that highlight each section.
Bungalow homes are enjoying a renaissance, and rightly so. Often found
in urban neighborhoods, they offer affordable living in modest buildings
featuring open floor plans that bridge interior spaces with mature landscaping
and friendly neighborhoods. The author of the text below is Jill Kessenich,
Associate AIA, a housing designer who specializes in restoring old bungalows.
More information about the author and the book, The New Bungalow, follows
the excerpt. Enjoy!
A Virtual Walk Through The New Bungalow
Text by Jill Kessenich, Associate AIA
Ask anyone in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, what a bungalow is and nine times
out of ten, they can simply point to one on their street. It is a clapboard
or brick home with a hipped or jerkin-head roof and a three-season front
porch. It is a story and a half tall, and the upper level has an open
attic, or maybe has one bedroom with a dormer window. Milwaukee is just
one of many cities that came of age during the industrial era, when housing
was needed for a growing population and growing families. The bungalow
seemed to fit most everyone's requirements.
Most bungalows in America were built in the early 1900s on narrow city
lots, grouped in neighborhoods near a local industry. Vintage bungalows
are ideal for today's living because of where they were built. They are
most often in first-ring suburbs of major cities, or just blocks away from
the downtown in smaller towns. That makes them close to shopping, entertainment
and other services, often within walking distance.
EXTERIOR
The
trees that were planted when the houses were built are now mature, and
provide welcome shade from the summer heat. The towering canopies give
the streetscape an inviting quality. The houses themselves also provide
a neighborly quality. The front porches are a place where children can
play, or a parent can watch from a distance. This promotes interaction
with the neighbors.
The American bungalow of the mid-1900s typically has a prominent front
porch, a low roof pitch, and wide eaves. The narrow end usually faces
the street, and the first floor has six rooms, stacked side-by-side:
a living room, formal dining room, kitchen on one side, and two bedrooms
and a bath on the other side.
ENTRANCE
Upon
entering a vintage bungalow from the spacious porch, you see there's a
built-in bench or boot box in the front hall. You immediately feel the
house envelop you with its warmth. Most likely, it's the woodwork, maybe
a natural redwood, or Douglas fir, or a richly stained white oak. Even
if the woodwork is painted, it's usually abundant, and still gives the
room a rich quality.
STAIRS
One
of the great things about a bungalow is that it's most often a one-story
house, which makes it a viable retirement home for when negotiating stairs
can be a problem. It's also a good first home that can be expanded upstairs
as the need arises. Sometimes staircases are narrow and steep, or hidden
behind a door. These can often be opened up or reworked to make a more
natural transition between first- and second-floor living spaces.
LIVING ROOM / DINING ROOM
The
floors will also be wood, maybe a natural maple or vertical-grain fir,
but typically oak. In the living room, there's almost always a fireplace,
and it may be flanked by bookcases and piano windows. It's the perfect
place to relax on a chilly evening with a good book and blazing fire.
In the dining room, there will most likely be a built-in china hutch,
often with a beveled mirror and, if you're lucky, some stained art glass.
This may even have a pass-through to the kitchen. The hutch provides
a lot of storage space and doesn't clutter up the room like freestanding
furniture can. Maybe there's a window seat, or a bay window that lets
in more natural light and gives the room a spacious quality.
KITCHEN
The
kitchen might still have its original cabinets, which are probably painted
white or at least a light color. Perhaps there is a wall-mounted sink or
a wood-burning or gas stove. There might even be some funky old linoleum
on the floor. Some bungalow kitchens might still have the old icebox and
compressor, or at least the cabinet.
BEDROOM
The
bedrooms will most likely be small and cozy. Many remodeled and new-construction
bungalows have adjusted to modern times by creating large master bedrooms
that act as private retreats as an antidote to hectic schedules. As such,
the bedrooms are designed with large attached baths and ample closet space.
BATHROOM
The
bathroom may have its own set of treasures. If it's in original condition,
it will most likely have white hexagonal floor tile, maybe with a colored
accent. There could be a tiled wainscot on the walls, or plaster scored
to look like tile. A pedestal sink and claw-foot tub would be the norm,
and the toilet might have a wooden tank mounted high on the wall, or even
a round tank. The original shower could have a sunflower-shaped head surrounded
by a round or curved curtain rod.
OWNING A BUNGALOW
Many people living in vintage bungalows are attracted to them for the same
reasons: they're affordable, they're close to the city, and the houses
are built with character. These homeowners also have something else in
common. With the value of these houses on the rise, they all have some
ideas for restoring, remodeling, or adding onto their houses. Any improvements
they make will add to their equity.
REMODELING AND RENOVATION
Whether you own a modest kit bungalow or one that was designed by a local
architect, chances are that your house has gone through a few changes over
the years. The rooms most likely remodeled were the kitchen and the bathroom,
as the advent of amenities like refrigerator/freezers and stand-up showers
were seen as modern advances, and most people wanted to obtain them. Later
on, items such as pre-manufactured cabinets, built-in ovens, and fiberglass
shower surrounds began to appear.
RESTORATION
Unfortunately, most of these new innovations were not built in styles that
complemented the old-fashioned bungalow and, to our eyes, might clash with
the original built-ins and furniture. One of the first steps in restoring
these spaces to their original charm, while maintaining the modern functions,
is to identify the style, or styles, of your bungalow. Then, when you plan
a larger project such as a major remodeling or addition, you can know what
to look for in products and design. You'll find an extensive library of
bungalow styles in the book, The New Bungalow.
Copyright ©2002 by Gibbs Smith, Publisher. Excerpt copyright ©2001
by Jill Kessenich. Please feel free to duplicate or distribute this file
as long as no changes are made and this copyright notice is attached.
Thank you.
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