Top 7 Things That Gave Our Small Bungalow Character & Function

When we originally bought the home it was listed as a cottage, and not a historic craftsman bungalow (which we found out years later and some crazy amount of research of deeds). This home was one of the first pre-fab homes brought in on horse and buggy from the local train depot. We've never found any markings or been able to match the layout to a architectural plan (such as a sears catalog). Even as a young designer I figured out the orginal interior trim was craftsman and we started adding back in some of those details on the outside. The inside was another matter all together since we always have been working with a very strict budget. Some of the inside just had to be finished in something close to cottage/bungalow and not altogether a craftsman look (like the kitchen cabinets).

Outside Bungalow Character

1.When we purchased the house the entire thing was a steel-blue grey,  it was the same exact color as metal primer with no end in sight. So when paint started peeling from the cedar shakes, and we couldn't afford to replace everything, we painstakingly striped all the peeling stuff and re-painted.

Since we were already working on the exterior I somehow convinced Mitch to let me add some character to the sad cottage. Some folks love the color, others not so much, but I will probably forever be known as the teal lady!

We added stained shakes to the tops of the roof peaks or gables of the home and all through the center of the (then) porches.

2. Replacing front windows with smaller ones.  They face a busy roadway so seeing out of them wasn't the intention, now folks tell us it's there favorite part of our home!

Inside Bungalow Character & Function

The first thing on the docket was to add some function back into this home.  The kitchen had an apartment fridge and stand alone metal sink from the 50's (and not the cool kind), the bathroom only had an opening of 15" from the sink to shower wall which you needed to pass through to access the porcelain throne. It was a disaster to say the least. So we completely overhauled the two spaces trying to maximize storage (the whole house only had two small closets in the master bedroom).

3.Custom cabinetry was made by my father and added to the kitchen to use the space wisely and add a bit of character.

(I spy a spot that still needs baseboard)

4. Making the laundry room perfectly accessible by opening up the space into the kitchen.

In a small home such as ours function really matters. Not ideal in the sense that if someone drops by you may have a mess of laundry right in the kitchen, but it's so much easier to do when it's right there in the most used room in the house.

5. Opening up the floorpan, with a nod to the original trimmed opening.

When we decided to take down the wall between the porch (now entry) and dining, it only seemed fitting to mimic the original 9' opening. That opening from the dining to the living room was the number one thing that made me fall in love with this home, it had an open feel without creating a huge great room without any separation.

6.  Match all the trim as close as possible. When we did the remodel turning the porches into interior rooms all the trim needed to be matched. Although we haven't been able to match the top trim molding, all the other pieces are exactly the same (we even rounded the edges of the trim with our router).

7. Remodeling the entryway with small closets on each side of the window. We did a ton of research on craftsman entryway and tried to add some of that character into the entry remodel. We knew that more closets were in order, but really needed that small window for light and so the exterior was balanced. So, we added two small closets, his and hers (which of course both became riddled with Haverly's stuff). These closets and the fact that you can see them from so many areas of the home have really brought back the craftsman bungalow character and we couldn't be more pleased!