The American Bungalow as a type may be defined by its architectural characteristics. Prominent roof, deep overhanging eaves, craftsman treatment of materials, avoidance of historic styles, a low form of modest size, and a close affinity to the environment are all prominent features.
One is led to speculate whether there might be an un-architectural adjective that typifies the bungalow. Classic buildings are solid; medieval buildings are picturesque; and Far Eastern buildings are volume-conscious — but what term describes bungalows?
It has been suggested that bungalows are casual. But so are barns. It is well known that early settlers in California built barns and lived in them until their newly planted fruit trees matured and sales permitted them to build residences. The latter usually are bungalows, but barns are not. So what is the difference, architecturally?
Books by A. J. Downing in the middle of the 19th century differentiated residences from dependencies by the presence of chimneys (denoting fireplaces) and porches. They are signs of domesticity. Taking our cue from Downing, we might consider a new word, a synonym for the word “domestic” that includes more than just the functional requirements of living, by which is meant provision for preparing and eating meals, socializing, and sleeping — in a warm “homey” bungalow. Being homey denotes all that “domestic” means, plus being comfortable and cozy, having charm, and the sense of where one belongs — one’s home. The bungalow was the culmination of the ideal of the homey toward which Western civilization was headed for more than 2.000 years.
The homey quality of the bungalow is borne out by publications of the bungalow period. Periodicals such as Good Housekeeping, Ladies’ Home Journal, House and Garden, The Craftsman, and Bungalow Magazine were all home-oriented. They were bolstered by portfolios of bungalow plans issued by California architects, and by catalogues of pre-fabricated bungalows obtainable from Midwest manufacturers, both groups advertising their wares in the magazines.
Contemporary sheet music of popular songs were strong on love themes directed toward building “a little home for two, or three or four or more,” signifying a cozy bungalow. And juvenile books included illustrations of children curled up reading or looking at picture books in inglenooks and cushioned window seats. Both were unique features ot bungalow living rooms, reminding us that the bungalow living room was meant to be lived in, not off limits to children or informal living, as the Victorian parlor was. All of the family had access to every part of the bungalow, and this factor made the bungalow homey.
Clay Lancaster
Author and Architectural Historian
