Bungalow Basics: Bedrooms

We just built a new Craftsman home and wanted to incorporate period details while still making our home modern. This book has lots of photos from period homes and illustrates many different styles of bungalow fireplaces. However, I wish there were examples of newer bungalow fireplaces. In the end, I did end up mixing details from two of the photos in the book to create the design for the wood parts on the fireplace we built. Instead of using porcelain tile or brick, we ended up using slate tiles for the face of the fireplace.

The "Bungalow Basics" series is economy-sized and economy-priced, and fits well, appropriately enough, on bungalow-sized shelves. With their lavish illustrations and attractive size, these books form a good introduction to the basics, ahem, of classic bungalow elements. There's something very satisfying about the cozy size and format of these books.

Popular and abundant a century ago, the bungalow is today enjoying a renaissance as people discover the craftsmanship, utility, and charm of these little gems. Whether you're living in a masterfully maintained bungalow, are interested in restoring a bungalow to its former glory, or just a fan of good architectural or furniture design, Paul Duchscherer and Douglas Keister's "Bungalow Basics" series has a lot to offer. Unlike many modern homes with their spacious and luxurious "master suites," bungalow bedrooms were often small and utilitarian spaces. As much as half of the home's limited space was generally devoted to the public living and dining rooms. But though the bedroom was often a small retreat, the quality of the design was not inferior to the rest of the home, and this volume in the series is every bit as informative and evocative as the others. Master, children's, and guest bedrooms are all covered, as are lofts, Murphy beds, and other innovative space-saving solutions. As you would imagine in a book this small, there's not a lot of depth to the discussion. Nor does any individual example receive more than one or two photos (except for the famous Gamble House in Pasadena, California). And finally, there's no list of sources where an interested reader could find any of the items or materials pictured herself. So this is not, by any stretch, a do-it-yourself handbook. As the series name suggests, however, this is a focus on the basics. And someone who reads this will have a better idea of the theory of bungalow design, and more than a few great examples of the theory in practice. For the handy little resource this is intended to be, this title carries out its mission quite well.