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

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