Customer Reviews

Updating Classic America Bungalows: Design Ideas for Renovating, Remodeling, and Building New

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The authors of this book do a very good job of highlighting the bungalow's unique traits and then showing inspirational bungalow renovations. Early pages give the requisite definitions of what makes a bungalow, but I was most impressed by the middle three chapters: "Remodeling Inside the Walls"; "Beyond the Walls"; and "Brand New Bungalows". It is here that the authors challenge you to update your bungalow without losing any of the home's original character (or build anew with the same overall goal of classic home character).

As any bungalow fan knows, there are three definite "branches" to the bungalow tree: in the Eastern U.S. craftsman bungalows rule, in the Midwest you find prairie styles and simple Chicago bunghalows, and in the west you find mission styles and the Greene and Greene influenced California bungalows. Being from the Midwest, I found this book especially compelling because so many of the example houses illustrated in the book are from my part of the country. Thus if you are from the Midwest I recommend this book with 5 stars, otherwise I give it a 4.5.

Updating Classic American Bungalows is a must read for anyone who owns, lives in, or loves the bungalow style of architecture.

Highly recommended!

I am building a new house and I'm looking at many books on Bungalows, Mission Style, and Arts and Crafts. This was one of my favorites because it related more to new construction. It has many pictures and lots of ideas. I'd love to have an old bungalow with all the beautiful woodwork, but I can't. This gave my ideas on how to incorporate the bungalow look into a new home.

This book focuses largely on the updating of bungalows through renovation (and even new construction), rather than restoration. While it's not as true to the period as books like Bungalow Bathrooms or Bungalow Kitchens, it is a useful reference to readers like us who are looking to balance a respect for vintage architecture with modern conveniences.

The most interesting things we found in this book were definitions of the different kinds of bungalows. While the Chicago-Style Bungalow Initiative restricts their bungalow program to a fairly specific architectural style (the "Chicago-style"), this book points out the definition of a bungalow and reviews the different variations of bungalows that exist in many places.

I appreciated the photos of the exteriors but was disappointed to see how many of the interiors were gutted to beyond recognition of the bungalow style. I bought the book to see bungalow style, not poorly interpreted modern cutups.

This book is called UPDATING Bungalows! Amazon is a wonderful resource because you can browse pages before you buy. This book should not be a disappointment for those who are paying attention.

I am now the proud owner of a 1922 California Bungalow. I have no illusions that this was the tract home of its day (I have found 4 others exactly like it in my neighborhood). This book embraces the ideals of the bungalow and the intent of the lifestyle completely. Not all of us can live in rarified homes in Pasadena or Chicago, and a strict period restoration with Stickley furnishings may not be practical for our lives in the 21st century. This book is about UPDATING what you have to balance the traditional Craftsman aesthetic with modern sensibilities.

For those who are hard core Craftsman enthusiasts bent on a period correct restoration, this is not the book for you. If you live in the modern world but respect the ideals of the era, check this out. There are plenty of good ideas, and a few photos of loving restorations too.

The authors confess early on in this beautifully illustrated book that they are themselves bungalow-owners and -dwellers, which makes them automatically sympathetic to the situation of the novice who finds himself with a fixer-upper or a house that needs a new kitchen, more storage, or just more space. And they tell, in a very practical way, how to go about creating what you need. Quite apart from the many beautiful full-color photos, they offer plenty of really vital information. "With the right architect, a radical overhaul can be sensitively done...[integrating] many of the interior details that people love about their bungalows," they say. "A potential side benefit of [renovating one's attic] is that [its slanted knee walls] may mean [it] isn't legally a room at all and therefore not taxed as a bedroom. Check to see if your local ordinance states that if more than a certain percentage of a room's walls are sloping, it is exempt from full taxation." (This is something that would never have occurred to me!) "As real estate values escalate, you may find that the lot is more valuable than the house itself. That, in turn, can make it difficult to get a mortgage on a 900-sq.-ft. house. But if you apply for a loan with a proposal to add on, you may have a better chance of getting financing...Look at the local ordinances covering setback and height requirements and limits on the percentage of the site that can be built on...You also have a chance to address any shortcomings your lot [yard] may have..." Team this volume with Treena Crochet's Bungalow Style: Creating Classic Interiors in Your Arts and Crafts Homeand Diane Maddex's Bungalow Nation (see my reviews) and you'll have a core shelf that will help you understand, appreciate, and sensitively update your bungalow.

I've always been in love with bungalows, the images they invoke are warm and inviting, and since I'm in the process of designing my own home, I'm also on the look-out for innovative ideas. This book didn't dissapoint. So many different styles lend each of the homes featured between the covers of this publication an air of individuality and it gives us a glimpse into the personalities behind their creation. I'm finding this particular book to be a great learning tool as I try putting my own personality into my own home design.

I was impressed by the intelligence and aesthetic of the book. Having grown up in a bungalow, sentimentally I bought the book. However, I found that elements of the design ideas and way the authors approached the book was applicable to my life, and my current home. The writing is terrific, the pictures are gorgeous and the whole thing is great. i actually keep it on my coffeetable....and I live in a condo!

I was happy to find this book as I have been looking to update my berkeley bungalow for some time. Instead of getting a 'cookie-cutter' contractor, I took the advice of the authors, and feel confident in the changes I'm making to my great bungalow---and also confident that I am maintaining the lines of my home---what drew me to it in the first place.

The book did not meet my expectations. Photos are great but I was looking for restoration of 1920 house with authentic appliances and details. This book is focused on modernizing bugalow style home.