Craftsman Bungalow - 1905 to 1930

With its roots tracing back to India and later to the summer homes of British colonists, the bungalow is characterized by its simplicity and efficiency of design. The American version of the bungalow first appeared in the early 1900’s and enjoyed popularity throughout the 1920’s.

It was the simplicity of its design that made the bungalow style a perfect fit for the Arts and Crafts movement that spread throughout America at the turn of the twentieth century. As America’s industrial revolution took hold, the Arts and Crafts movement called for a return to handcraftsmanship and quality design, notably in homes and furnishings, as a means of restoring the dignity of labor that had seemingly been lost to an increasing drive towards mass production. The Arts and Crafts movement, and in turn the bungalow, was promoted in national magazines of the time.

Although much of the enduring qualities of the American bungalow can be attributed to the Arts and Crafts movement, it was the popularity of inexpensive house plan books and mail order catalogs of the 1920’s that deserves much of the credit for making the bungalow a prolific and an all-American house style.

Bungalow Exterior Features

Craftsman style bungalows are typically one or one and half story homes characterized by low-pitched gabled roofs with wide overhang eaves supported by exposed rafters complimented by decorative (false) braces. Dormer windows and front porches featuring square often-tapering columns are classic Craftsman style. Although sharing the before mentioned common features, Craftsman bungalows vary greatly in appearance. They are typically categorized by the style of roof: front-gabled, cross-gabled, side-gabled, or hipped roof.

Classic Exterior Hardware

Shop 4 Classics offers many high quality products for this style of home including the following items:

	Extend the distinctive style and charm of your Arts & Crafts décor to the outdoors with authentic bronze and copper house numbers. House numbers can be found in the House Numbers section of the Home Hardware department.		Mail slots and boxes are available in several designs and finishes and can be found in the Mailboxes section of the Home Hardware department.
	Arts & Crafts door knockers and door bell buttons create a memorable first impression for guests to your bungalow home. Door knockers and bell buttons can be found in the Door Knockers section of the Door Hardware department.		Windows of Craftsman homes are a hallmark feature, frequently including beautiful art glasswork. Decorative window hardware can be found in the Window Hardware section of the Door Hardware department.

Bungalow Interior Features

Bungalow homes are known for their simple and functional floor plans. Commonly, the first floor was designed to include all the major rooms of the house in an organized and compact fashion. The front door opens to the living room with a small dining room and functional kitchen adjoining. In keeping with the Arts & Crafts movement, the interior of Craftsman bungalows feature superior craftsmanship as evidenced by the superb quality of built-in cabinetry and furnishings, hardwood floors, and wall paneling found throughout the first floor rooms.

Bungalows enjoyed popularity during a period when bathroom design and plumbing rapidly transitioned to the modern style resembling bathrooms of today. Bathrooms of early bungalows commonly shared similar features as other popular housing styles of the time, namely Victorian homes. Cast-iron clawfoot tubs, pedestal sinks, and pull-chain toilets were standard in early bungalow bathrooms. Plumbing fixtures including the faucets for the pedestal sinks, clawfoot tub faucets, and shower enclosures were most commonly nickel-plated brass. The walls of early bungalows often included high wooden chair rail moldings with bead-board below. The floors were tiled with small hexagonal white porcelain tiles. During the later half of the 1920’s, fully enclosed bath tubs and modern low-tank toilets became standard. Chrome faucets and cabinet-styled sinks also became popular. By the late 1920’s, Victorian wall and floor treatments gave way to the liberal use of larger and more colorful square tiles that are still popular today.

Classic Interior Hardware

Shop 4 Classics offers many high quality products for this style of home including the following items:

	Shop 4 Classics offers a variety of petite pedestal sinks for your bungalow’s compact bathroom. Pedestal sinks, large and small, can be found in our Sinks department.		Clawfoot tubs of all sizes can be found in our in our Clawfoot Bath Tubs department and associated plumbing can be found in the Clawfoot Tub Faucets and More department.
	Shop 4 Classics features door hardware inspired by authentic historic patterns including the Arts & Crafts Prairie design. This popular bungalow pattern and other door hardware patterns can be found in the Door Hardware department.		Registers and air return grilles of many designs and finishes can be found in the Vent Covers department.

Bungalow Interest Groups & Blogs

Kansas City Bungalow Club
The Kansas City Bungalow Club is an advocacy, educational and social organization dedicated to promoting the restoration and preservation of all types of bungalows in the Kansas City area.

Twin Cities Bungalow Club
The Twin Cities Bungalow Club is dedicated to fostering an appreciation for these charming and livable early 20th century homes.

Historic Chicago Bungalow Association
The Historic Chicago Bungalow Association's mission is to preserve the Historic Chicago Bungalow and to provide resources and advice to homeowners wanting to adapt the bungalow to meet their current needs.

Bungalow Heaven
California is known for its quantity and quality of Arts & Crafts bungalow homes. This site is dedicated to the Bungalow Heaven historic district in Pasadena, which was established to protect and preserve hundreds of area homes built from the 1900s through the 1930s.

Shop 4 Classics Old House Blog
A blog for old homes or new homes with vintage appeal. The Shop 4 Classics Old House Blog features tips and tidbits on clawfoot tubs, clawfoot tub faucets and showers, heat registers and cold air returns, antique reproduction door hardware, and many more products for classic homes.

HouseBlogs
The central hub for hundreds of do-it-yourself home restoration blogs that exist on the internet. On HouseBlogs, one can find more than just diaries of do-it-yourself home restorers. These blogs often include helpful how-to advice, the fascinating histories of the homes, and amazing before and after images of completed projects.

Bungalow Publications

American Bungalow Magazine
American Bungalow is the premier publication for bungalow home enthusiasts. This quarterly magazine provides articles that range from specific home restoration advice to discussions on the lifestyle and philosophy of the Arts & Crafts movement.

Additional Resources

Shop 4 Classics offers many tip topics to help you with your project. A list of these topics can be found in our Help Center. Additional on-line resources can be found in our Other Resources directory page.

Disclaimer

The resources listed here are for reference only. Shop 4 Classics is not associated with these resources nor does their listing imply endorsement of any kind.