Fort Wayne, Ind., Tracy and Dan Houser
Our 1924 Prairie/Craftsman foursquare was a diamond in the rough when we bought it eight years ago. After many hours of scraping Victorian wallpaper, refinishing wood floors, remodeling the kitchen and a half bath, along with extensive landscaping, our diamond is beginning to shine. We were honored to be included on the Oakdale Neighborhood Association’s Home and Garden Tour.
Cherry Valley, Calif., The Gray Family
My wife and sons and I built our home in 2002. We are a family of firefighters, but I had a custom cabinet and furniture shop for many years and fell in love with everything Craftsman. My boys and I did many of the finishing touches, from the rock work outside to the beautiful front door and custom furniture and millwork inside. It’s not a hundred years old, but the same feelings of family and home went into its building.
Austin, Texas, David Keene
This 1920 Craftsman bungalow is a rarity in the Texas Hill Country. Originally built in a bungalow district near downtown, the house was moved in 1974 to its present location in a rural wooded neighborhood 11 miles away, in the rolling hills near Lake Austin. The attic was finished out with two additional bedrooms (without changing the roofline) after it was moved, resulting in a spacious yet authentic bungalow with longleaf pine floors, shiplap walls, a huge front porch and triple-hung windows with original glass.
Brisbane, Australia, Bruce and Trish Stott
Our timber California bungalow was built in 1930. We have tried to stay with the bungalow-style interior through extensive renovations; the lounge and dining room have the original light fittings and plaster ceilings, but the floor plan has been reworked to accommodate views and increase air flow. Summer temperatures here routinely exceed 100 degrees, and we feel we now have a very energy-efficient home.
Houston, Texas, Kathleen High
We purchased this 1920 Craftsman last year in historic Houston Heights, a pocket community just outside downtown. (Historic homes are few and far between in Houston, where a “knock-’em-down” mentality prevails.) We gutted it to the walls and updated the interior for 21st-century living, but we kept it period on the exterior, including historic colors. Houston Heights is undergoing a complete rebirth, with older homes being restored and new ones being built in period style.
Alton, Ill., Christine Banda and Kim Shelley
It has been a pleasure to live in our 1923 foursquare home in this historic river town just outside St. Louis. It has four bedrooms, 11/2 baths, very spacious living and dining rooms with built-ins, and an all-year sunporch. Built as a wedding present, it is one of many bungalows and foursquares designed by prominent Alton architect James J. Maupin.
Corvallis, Ore., Doug Eaton and Roen Hogg
Built near Oregon State University in 1922, this Craftsman airplane bungalow exhibits a strong Japanese influence with some Swiss elements, making it unique in town. When we bought it in 1989 it had fallen into rental oblivion, and decades of Oregon rain had taken their toll. After completing major exterior structural work, it has been fun to restore the original fir and oak floors and put in a period kitchen with vintage appliances. The home has the peaceful, warm and inviting feel that is the magic of bungalows.
Huntington Beach, Calif., David Greiman
My 1960s tract home had a few hints of bungalow style, with knee braces and Swiss scallops on the front gable, but an architectural monument it was not. After researching the style of the Greenes and others, I designed and fabricated new trim work, rounded and smoothed in the Greene tradition. The small entry is lined with mahogany, and the front door is solid mahogany as well.
Tags: Alton, Austin, Australia, Brisbane, Cherry Valley, Corvallis, Fort Wayne, Houston, Huntington Beach
