What is a Craftsman bungalow? These small homes, anchored by charming front porches, originated in colonial India (that’s the “bungalow” part).
But bungalows really took off in the United States after the style was adopted by the Arts and Crafts movement (that’s the “Craftsman” part), which added intricate woodwork and handcrafted details to the interior and exterior.
Think: focal-point fireplaces, charming dormers, coffered ceilings, exposed rafter tails, and open floor plans. At one point, the Craftsman became such an American classic, you could even build your own bungalow from a kit in a mail-order catalog. Just one more thing to love about these Craftsman cuties!
Origins of the bungalow home
The term “bungalow” dates to 18th century India. Bangla, or bangala, is the Hindi word meaning “of the province of Bengal,” and was also used to refer to small, one-story huts, typically with thatched roofs (but still quite comfortable for India at that time). The term came to be used to mean houses built for the British colonial authorities.
Today in the United States, the term “bungalow” has evolved to refer to a small home with a gabled roof, typically no more than one or one and a half stories, often with a veranda or roofed front porch.
Bungalows have spawned a variety of styles—Mission, Tudor, Prairie Pueblo, Chicago, Cape Cod, and even Victorian (a seemingly contradictory mashup), among others—but the Craftsman bungalow is arguably the most popular. Craftsman houses are found in neighborhoods throughout the United States today, having taken root in Southern California in the early 1900s. Bungalows are also particularly common in the Midwest.
History of the Craftsman bungalow
The term “Craftsman” comes from the name of a popular magazine published by the furniture designer Gustav Stickley from 1901 through 1916. Stickley was a leading proponent of the Arts and Crafts movement, which bucked the rise of industrial mass manufacturing by espousing the virtues of handcraft and simple, folksy design.
While Craftsman-style homes are often described as simple in design (compared to, say, Victorian-style homes), the details are not especially austere.
Bungalows, which could be built without an excess of materials or effort, suited the Arts and Crafts movement and were designed with the working class in mind. Craftsman homes are relatively small, easy to care for, have no wasted space, and are easily tailored to the owner’s preferences.
Stickley started selling Craftsman bungalow kits through his magazine for the low price of about $1,000 (which was cheap even for the early 1900s). From there, the popularity of Craftsman bungalows took off. Copycat Craftsman designs began to crop up from architects throughout the United States, with kits available in the Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog, among other sources.
Key features of a Craftsman bungalow
No doubt about it—Craftsman style is iconic and often integrated into a variety of design schemes. Not sure if the small home you have an eye on is really a Craftsman home? Many homes include bungalow-style design elements but don’t quite fit the full Craftsman criteria. Here are some key features that will help you identify the real deal Craftsman-style bungalow.
Low-pitched, gabled roof (occasionally hipped), with wide, unenclosed eave overhang
Exposed roof rafters
Simplified decorative beams or braces under gables
One and a half stories
Horizontal shape
Porch with thick square or round columns
Porch supports usually squared and sometimes tapered
Porch support bases extending to ground level
Wood, stone, or stucco siding
Exterior stone chimney
Most of the living spaces on the ground floor
Living room at the center
Dominant fireplace
Connecting rooms without hallways
Built-in furniture and lighting
Numerous windows
Some windows with stained or leaded glass
Beamed ceilings
Dark wood wainscoting and moldings
All in all, Craftsman bungalows are intimate homes that, due to their small size, are still fairly affordable today. Here are more architectural styles of houses to consider.
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