Bungalows and arts and crafts style homes provide lots of nooks and crannies and places to let the imagination run free....
5/18/2008
SAVE A BUNGALOW: Green the Community and Save a Piece of History
I have nearly wept sometimes going through older parts of a community and see the rich diversity of bungalows and arts and crafts houses now hidden by "improvements". Warm and welcoming porches stripped away to turn them in to mock New England salt boxes, plastered and turned in to a Santa Fe Mission, the warm, earthen tones turned into flamboyant blues or pinks, or worst of all, the lovely columns stripped away to be replaced by iron New Orleans posts. The bare bones of a good bungalow is modern enough to please the ascetics of any contemporary person, the restored oak of floors, book shelves, or doors enough to please the most traditional among any group. The philosophical foundation of simplicity, merging nature and daily life, and creating a small oasis of peace and harmony should resonate with anyone in the contemporary world. The small space is also very "green" as it allows more people to share the resources of a community without creating the faux "mansions" that seek to demonstrate status instead of generate a home. Several companies specialize in resources for the rennovator and restorer: Hammered and Hewn http://www.hewnandhammered.com/hewn_and_hammered/remodel_restore/ and are
EARLY OKLAHOMA CITY BUNGALOWS
In a 1915 edition of the Oklahoman an article stated "100 Homes Built Here During Year: Bungalows Predominate as Type of Construction in Buildings". The hugely popular style was slated to reach 400 in the coming year due to its style, attentions to detail, and its price range of $12,000 to $40,000. There was, quite literally, a style for almost every pocket book. It was the emergence of the American middle class and the "home ownership" movement that merged individualism, modernity (freedom from the stuffy Victorian styles) and a decidedly American equalization of status in society that made these homes real estate winners. Add to that in the coming years the "kit" houses, from Aladdin and Sears, that were easy to deliver, easy to build, and easy to buy and the stage was set for wide spread home building. "On Capital Hill, throughout the precincts of University and Putnam and other additions...their tile, slate, or shingle roofs cover comfort and inviting elegance." The ubiquitous bungalow, so carelessly cast aside and denuded of its many charming and unique features is worthy of salvation through restoration. The bungalow and the larger arts and crafts movement styles were all designed and carried out with charming attention to creating an "atmosphere" of harmony, of integration of nature and art, and a space to feed the inner soul as well as protect the outer being.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)