Bungalow The Ultimate Arts & Crafts Home [Hardcover]

Jane Powell (Author), Linda Svendsen (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 2004

Bungalow: The Ultimate Arts & Crafts Home is the definitive compilation of Arts & Crafts architecture, philosophy, and architectural details. Bungalow expert Jane Powell examines a variety of bungalows and Arts & Crafts homes across the U.S. and Canada, exploring and dissecting the best to come up with a book that defines the very nature of the bungalow itself.

From a sleeping porch to a claw footed tub, to hallmark uses of wood, stone, and tile, the insightful text is accompanied by Linda Svendsen's detailed and expressive photography.

With a brief history of the arts & crafts movement included, Powell's latest offering is the perfect gift for bungalow owners, Arts & Crafts enthusiasts, and those looking to restore old or build new. Go deeper into the world of Arts & Crafts, and see exactly what makes a great bungalow design-from interior design to colors, architectural elements to the littlest details.

Jane Powell is the proprietor of House Dressing, a business dedicated to renovating and preserving old homes. She is the former president of the historic preservation organization in her hometown of Oakland, California. Her books include Bungalow Kitchens and Bungalow Bathrooms. Linda Svendsen, a graduate of Music and Art High School and Parsons School of Design in New York, has been a renowned photographer for more than thirty years. Her work is showcased in numerous magazines and books; she is the author of Bicycle: Around the World.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

The term "Bungalow" is more than just a romantic term for a beautiful home. Bungalows were the first houses available to the masses that were truly modern. But there was more to bungalows than that.

The Arts & Crafts advocates believed that design could change people's lives. They believed that the design of objects mattered, they believed that the built environment mattered, and they believed that people living in these houses, having these objects, raising their children there, would result in a wholesome life, upstanding citizens, and a peaceful and prosperous country.

In Bungalow: An Ultimate Tour of Arts & Crafts Homes, the queen of bungalows, author Jane Powell, dissects one of the most endearing home styles and showcases eighty-five of the truest examples of the form across North America through the brilliant photography of Linda Svendsen.

Experience the beauty of the bungalow in this behind-the-front porch look at many homes never before photographed for any Arts & Crafts tour and discover the style and tradition of simplicity, informality, ease of construction, and affordability that will inspire homeowners to reach for higher levels of architectural form.

About the Author

Linda Svendsen, a graduate of Music and Art High School and Parsons School of Design in New York, has been a renowned photographer for more than thirty years. Her work is showcased in numerous magazines and books; she is the author of Bicycle: Around the World.

Jane Powell is an experienced bungalow kitchen restorer and a sought after speaker on the subject. She lives in Oakland, California.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith (October 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158685304X
• ISBN-13: 978-1586853044
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 10.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #563,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars much more than just a coffee table book, November 12, 2005

By 

Mantlady- Woman of the West (Quilcene, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bungalow The Ultimate Arts & Crafts Home (Hardcover)

This is my first contact with Powell/Svendsen's books, and while it is indeed coffee table size (it needs to be large to accommodate the beautiful photography)it is so charming and readable that, without so intending, I READ it (in one sitting, yet). We have several other books of gorgeous bungalows, many with the same houses as subjects, with accomanying commentary equivalent to dry stale cornflakes; this one is crumpets and cream. Like others documenting bungalow style architecture, this book is not intended as a construction or instruction manual, but as inspiration. For admirers of bungalow style and for those seeking a picture to replace the thousand words BUNGALOW is an easy choice.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Exotic Exteriors/Exciting Interiors, April 23, 2011

By 

Patrick Curren "The no self" (The Happy Dream) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bungalow The Ultimate Arts & Crafts Home (Hardcover)

The quality of book materials is of the highest. The binding, hard cover and the glossy pages are of the highest quality. The content is a different story; many (many!) of the exterior house photographs are difficult to read due to the excessive dark contrasts associated with shadows. As a result much of the detail remains hidden. Some of the photographs due to their size (being large) are blurry. The exterior photographs depict for the most part exotic or unbalanced bungalow houses with the exceptions of an occasional Greene & Greene masterpiece. The first half of the book is filled with these exotic exterior photographs with descriptions peppered with the author's humor that I found extremely annoying and I adore Zen Buddhism. The second half of the book was much better mainly because there were photographs and descriptions were of bungalow interiors. In fact the interior content was quite beautiful and very informative. However, even some of those photographs suffered from shadow problems. Then a chapter was devoted to historic preservation which I can respect but the author left out the most important factor in determining what is required to be successful at historic preservation; hazardous materials such as lead paint and asbestos impregnated plaster are extremely expensive to abate. If not abated, serious health hazards could affect one's health. In addition to hazardous material concerns is the author's liberal view of more divine government intervention to be thrown at bungalows in the way of more tax dollars that appear to be gone or non-existent since this book was written. Sometimes historic structures are just too far gone and need to be demoed; not because a strip mall needs to be built there but because due to lack of funds, interest, exoticness or materials the building is too far gone to save. This is not ignorance but a reality that needs to be faced both locally and nationally. With what this book is, I did the best I could to salvage what I would consider "knowledge" worth keeping but if you purchase this book, it may take due diligence to find it. I recommend "choose another" bungalow book.

10 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book, August 23, 2005

By 

C. Brown "oaklandact" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bungalow The Ultimate Arts & Crafts Home (Hardcover)

This book is lovely to look at with marvelous pictures. A great 'coffeetable book. My only complaint is that it is light on 'how to' information.