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| ISBN-13: | 9780486157818 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Dover Publications |
| Publication date: | 09/06/2012 |
| Series: | Dover Architecture |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 96 |
| File size: | 19 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
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Beautiful Bungalows of the Twenties
By Dover Publications
Dover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 2014 Dover Publications, Inc.All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-15781-8
CHAPTER 1
Why the Bungalow is Popular
THE tendency of today among families of moderate incomes is towards homes with no more rooms than is necessary, these being located as conveniently as possible. As regards appearance, the main demand is that the house shall look like an attractive, comfortable home lived in by a happy family.
The bungalow meets this perhaps better than does any other type of home.
With the true bungalow, all the rooms are on one floor. This provides the conveniences of an apartment with the advantages of a country home. There is no climbing of stairs, a popular feature where there are elderly folks; the atmosphere is especially cozy and homelike by reason of the very intimacy of the plan, and it can be furnished in a free and easy fashion that may be handled inexpensively and yet most artistically.
One is generally accustomed to consider all homes with long sweeping roofs as bungalows, especially in the East. Indeed this term is often applied to all homes built in the country for there is a homelike cosiness about the word "bungalow" that is delightfully attractive in itself.
Where there are one or two rooms on the second floor, the roof having the characteristic bungalow sweep, the home is generally called a bungalow or, more correctly, a semi-bungalow. Homes that are a story and a half, without the bungalow characteristics, are correctly termed cottages. As they are likewise frequently called bungalows, this has given rise to the term "cottage-bungalow" as a means of designating this type.
The bungalow is built on all sorts of sites, although it generally presents its best appearance when placed where the country is rather rugged, with trees and shrubs around. This is especially true of the more informal types, the severe colonial being somewhat too prim for anything but a suburban setting.
Because the bungalow is so popular, so capable of being handled with wide variety of design and yet an easy harmony, many groups of bungalows called "bungalow courts" have been built, especially in California. These bungalow courts are really little individual apartments built around a central court which may contain a fountain, flower gardens, trees, etc. The grounds are in fact community grounds, presenting an appearance that is far more striking than could one of the houses built alone. Each has its own striking note, a note that adds to and is helped by the appearance of every one of the others.
Groups of friends who are interested in homes in the country would do well to give this matter of the bungalow court serious consideration. It is quite conceivable that the occasional court with its central heating plant cared for by an all year round janitor, who acts as gardener and man of all work, may well be the type of home that will be owned by the average man of moderate means a score or so of years from now.
Several of these courts, as well as a large number of individual bungalows, are illustrated in this book.
All types of architecture are given, the Spanish, Italian, Colonial, English, Mission, Swiss, etc. There are ideas here on all styles of bungalow homes, ideas which will well repay the reader who studies this book with a view towards adapting those ideas to the home of which he has dreamed and saved for.
A Three-Room Colonial Bungalow at Pine Valley, N. J.
Upon approaching this little bungalow, perhaps the most unusual feature that strikes one is the exceptionally heavy shadow cast by the clapboards. This effect is gained by the placing of a cyma reversa, or reversed ogee molding, under the lower end of each clapboard. This molding gives a body to the shadows that is indeed charming.
The small porch is typically Colonial. The slender columns are simply paneled, the caps being devoid of ostentatious ornamentation. Pilasters, or half columns, finish against the house wall, lending the appearance of supporting that part of the roof to the advantage of apparent stability.
The manner in which the clapboards are finished at the corners of the house is individual and somewhat out of the ordinary. It is these little touches, inside and out, which make this particular bungalow charming, for otherwise its too great plainness might soon cause a loss of interest to the frequent passerby. The exterior window trim, the manner in which the roof returns back to the house wall, the cornice molding—these are all interesting and effective.
The roof is provided with gutters only on the flat deck over the porch. The conductor here is placed at the side of the porch column, which is on the opposite side to the usual approach, and so is inconspicuous.
Astonishing, perhaps, is the total absence of a kitchen. This is accounted for by the bungalow being on the grounds of a country club, meals being served at the clubhouse. A kitchen could, however, easily be added at the rear of the house. In fact, this has been done.
A Bungalow at Los Angeles, Cal.
The charm of this little California bungalow of Colonial type lies in the extreme simplicity of its design.
The main feature is the central porch with its graceful columns simply moulded, and having a slight entasis. The lattice work at either side, with its climbing roses, adds a homelike touch.
The Colonial spirit is carried out by the green shutters, white clapboards and weathered shingles on the roof.
One enters directly into the living-room. An attractive vista is presented of an open fireplace and a wide opening through to the dining-room, the feature of which is a buffet that one catches a glimpse of upon entering.
The breakfast room—always a desirable thing in the small house, is so placed that it might, if desired, be used as a pantry.
Only too often in the small bungalow is one of the bedrooms placed so that it opens either from the living-room or dining-room, which is certainly not desirable. In this dwelling, however, a small central hall provides access to all rooms.
Bungalow of Mr. L. D. Hudson Pelhamwood, N. Y.
There is a very real charm about this simple little design, for its proportions and general handling as a whole give it a character that is decidedly attractive. The scale of the first story is excellent, the windows, bay, and door way with its sidelights being well proportioned to the mass.
The roof and overhang are just right, perhaps the only feature subject to adverse criticism being the scale of the dormer. This, however, was made advisable by the requirements of the plan and in nowise detracts from the generally artistic aspect of the design.
The dining-room, with its wide openings into the living-room and enclosed porch, presents a spacious appearance and gives an open effect to this part of the house.
The second story is laid out with the bedrooms well separated one from the other, a tiny alcove in each room providing an interesting cozy corner. The bathroom is placed directly over the kitchen and, as the bathroom on the first floor is right next to the kitchen, the plumbing is concentrated more than is usually the case when two bathrooms are provided.
Entrance is had into an enclosed porch, which in the winter time when the windows are closed serves as a hall. This is a rather unusual arrangement, but solves the entrance hall problem very well.
The living-room has as its main feature a large stone fireplace which is more in keeping with the bungalow type of house than the Colonial, which latter exercised considerable influence on the exterior. The placing of the stairway behind the chimney in this case is very economical and presents an attractive appearance.
The arrangement of the bedrooms and bathroom on the first story is one of the best possible, as these rooms are entirely cut off from the main part of the house by a small hall closed off by a door. Thus the rooms are all readily accessible, one not having to enter any room directly from another, and yet the hall space is kept at a minimum.
Bungalow of Mr. Louis J. Hurley Cranford, N. J.
Bungalows intended for all year round use present slightly different problems in design from their summer brethren. Free circulation of air must not be obtained at the sacrifice of winter comfort. The plan must admit of a certain degree of formality not always essential to the summer bungalow.
An interestine plan, well adopted to living conditions in the East, is that of the Hurley residence. A good sized living-room, the main feature of which is a brick fireplace, is entered from the outside directly from a porch. The arrangement of this entrance is particularly interesting, as it is so situated that the prevailing winds of the locality do not blow against it, and there is therefore little danger of the living-room being suddenly chilled when the door is opened in winter.
The bedrooms are well separated from the rest of the house. As the doors of the bedrooms and bathroom are usu-ally left open, the hall is closed, and this effectually shuts off the sleeping portion of the house.
A flight of stairs leads up to an open attic, which is large enough to admit of the placing of two good-sized bedrooms, merely by the running up of partitions.
The cellar is spacious and adequately lighted. The section at the front of the house is walled off, and earth placed in, thus affording a place for the starting of vegetables or the growing of mushrooms.
Three Bungalows Designed for Mr. E. W. Alexander Santa Barbara, Cal.
The influence of the California bungalow has spread throughout the United States, and adaptions of it are to be found in almost every locality. When built in the colder climates, the design is naturally influenced by considerations of temperature, as the necessity for an adequate heating plant and better insulated siding requires somewhat different construction. Yet the salient features of the design are easily recognizable.
The sweeping roof surface and daintiness of the design make these homes one of the most attractive types for the average builder. One of the characteristics is the necessity for providing adequate ventilation to minimize the effects of the warm temperature, which requires wider windows and plenty of porch space.
This characteristic is noticed when one glances at the three bungalows illustrated. Each has wide windows, which do not make the mistake common in small houses of being out of scale with the dwelling. Each house has three porches. One of the porches is, of course, at the front of the house while a sleeping porch is placed at the rear and another porch opens from the kitchen and bathroom, this being used as a sleeping porch if so desired.
The tendency to build small houses in rows is a good one, as it gives the street a harmonious appearance that is much more attractive than when various styles of architecture are used, one clashing with the other. Although in the three houses illustrated the floor plans are practically alike, yet the handling of the dwellings gives a sense of harmonious variety that is most pleasing.
Modern Bungalow Types
Not so many years ago a bungalow was considered merely a sort of shack. Gradually the idea has grown and during the past twenty years the exterior designs have constantly improved in appearance. Many of the bungalows that are being erected today have behind them the best architectural thought. All types of architecture seem to have been drawn upon to obtain the pleasing results that are today so apparent in practically every locality.
The bungalow idea, as is well known, originated in India. Here in the United States its use is steadily growing in popularity owing to its convenience; in most cases it is simply a well appointed apartment contained in a house by itself, and this feature endears it to the woman who likes an apartment but wants a private house.
Various kinds of building materials can be successfully used for the exterior of bungalows. Drop siding, bevel siding, vertical boarding and shingles are forms of wood covering that lend themselves very readily to many artistic designs, whether used singly or in combination with some other material.
Stuccoed bungalows are quite common. They can either have a wood frame or be of hollow tile, concrete or common brick construction. Brick and stone are also used to quite an extent. The concrete block, however, has been used with poor success owing to the fact that people who have been using this to quite an extent simply use it for economy's sake and not with the idea of getting any beauty. Some very attractive looking designs, however, are capable of being worked out by the use of cement block. So far it has been a case of not knowing how to use the material on hand.
The use of metal is also coming into vogue both for roofs and siding of bungalows and the chances are that in the not remote future, many buildings with metal exteriors will be erected. True beauty in the use of any material lies in the fact that it should not appear in disguise.
Particular attention is now being paid to the roof. The different materials now on the market enable one to obtain a beautiful roof at but small expense by the means of various acids, stains and paints and many artistic roof effects are obtainable at a remarkably small cost. The roofing materials themselves can also be had in various forms, and color so that practically any design in the way of a roof can be carried out.
The use of color on roofs is receiving more attention, the mottled effect is very pleasing on certain styles of houses and this is very easily produced by use of different stains or different shades of material.
The Spanish and Italian styles seem to have been drawn on quite a good deal for ideas for bungalow builders. The architecture lends itself very readily to artistic results when properly handled. Italy, however, does not abound in one-story houses, they seem to have the go-up-stairs habit.
Both in the Spanish and Italian houses stone stairways seem to be the rule, while in our American houses wood is the favorite. The Italian and Spaniard, when he is prevented by the expense from using the marble that he likes so much for his interior work, has his walls plastered or stuccoed and this is painted and veined to represent some marble.
The idea of using stone for staircases has emigrated to the Western Hemisphere quite a good deal in Spanish-speaking countries. In Cuba white marble seems to be the favorite material for staircases; even the handrails being frequently made of polished marble and this, too, in some of the cheaper dwelling houses.
While we like to have Italian and Spanish style bungalows, we do not follow the interior arrangements of these countries, in that, we seem to be all American in our idea of what is comfort.
The Colonial architecture of our New England ancestors has been drawn on quite freely for ideas to be used in creating new bungalow designs. The plain gable roofs with perhaps a few dormers, delicate columns and well-proportioned doors give grace combined with the substantial appearance to designs modelled after this interesting phase of American architecture.
A very interesting example modelled after New England Colonial lines is shown herewith. One of the other illustrations shows a two-family or rather twin bungalow with a New England Colonial influence in its make-up that is quite pleasing.
The Dutch Colonial style of bungalow follows the lines of the old houses that were built around Philadelphia by some of the earlier settlers. A hooded entrance is usually the distinctive feature and in the design shown herewith this has been retained, the brick steps and shingled exterior with the solid shutters on the front windows are all details borrowed from this popular form of our domestic architecture. The Dutch Colonial style has been followed to quite an extent, some even have the gambrel roof effect so common in Eastern Pennsylvania.
The English style house has been drawn on quite a good deal for bungalow designs, half timbered effects being worked in the gables with pleasing results. Usually the main part of the house is of stucco or brick with the half timbered and stucco effect in the gables only, in other cases, the half timbered effect is carried out throughout. In other words, some of the old houses of England have served as models for many successful bungalows.
(Continues...)
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All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Title Page,Copyright Page,
Why the Bungalow is Popular,
A Three-Room Colonial Bungalow at Pine Valley, N. J.,
A Bungalow at Los Angeles, Cal.,
Bungalow of Mr. L. D. Hudson Pelhamwood, N. Y.,
Bungalow of Mr. Louis J. Hurley Cranford, N. J.,
Three Bungalows Designed for Mr. E. W. Alexander Santa Barbara, Cal.,
Modern Bungalow Types,
A Bungalow Court at Tucson, Ariz.,
Bungalow for Mr. F. E. Gaines Indianapolis, Ind.,
A Quaint Charm Characterizes this Concrete Bungalow Built in Porto Rico,
Bungalow with Basement Garage,
Convenient Southern Bungalow,
A Colonial Bungalow at Bay Shore Long Island, N. Y.,
Bungalow for the Small Family,
The House of Mr. A. S. Barnes Los Angeles, Cal.,
A Swiss Chalet Built in California,
A Bungalow at Nepperhan Heights, N. Y.,
Porch Treatment a Feature,
Stone Semi-Bungalow with Pergola Porch,
A Farm Bungalow with Novel Treatment of Siding,
Bungalow of English Design with Two Floor Plans,
Kitchen Placed in Front an Unusual Feature of This Bungalow,
Attractive Bungalow of Hollow Tile,
Stucco Bungalow Design,
A Charming Bungalow at Locust Valley, L. I.,
A Bungalow in Which Wallboard Is Attractively Used with Unusual Effect,
Swiss Chalet of "Aeroplane" Type,
Low Cost Bungalow and How It Was Planned,
A Stucco and Half-timbered Bungalow,
Charming Bungalow Design from California,
Stone Bungalow with Five Rooms,
Attractive Bungalow of Seven Rooms,
Four Florida Bungalow Homes,
A Brick Bungalow Built in Florida,
Interior Decoration of the Bungalow,