Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-20
The American Bungalow

The bungalow style of home is fast be- |
coming the most popular OF any style that
has ever found favor with the American
people. Its popularity started in the far
west, where one-storv homes are almost a
necessity owing to frequent seismatic erup-
tions. From there its popularity went
northward and then eastward, until we
now find bungalows from Florida to Maine
on the Atlantic coast. 1t is especially
popular for summer homes, During the
heat Of summer the housewife does not
ike the running up and down stairs or the
tedious care of a homo on two floors. 1t
is popular with a great many the year
round owing to the saving in steps through
its compact one-floor arrangement, which
is very similar to our modern flat, but
differs with this modern combination of
home comforts in the fact that it can be
made more compact and have windows ad-
hitting light and air on all sides. Whereas,
the flat must necessarily be arranged along
orc side of the building with the rooms in
a row.
Besides the convenience Of a bungalow, It
offers many opportunities to a designer to
get UP striking and original designs that
are attractive, though far different from
ar thing it would be possible to design
III IL lWO-SlOiN mousse, lneIG seems 10 DC
something about this quaint style of home
that suggests to the designer an opportun-
ity for originality ard for this reason
there IS a greater variety in the design and
style Of bungalow homes than in any other
J ind of n home built today. This is espe-
Cislly noticeable in the California coast
cities, There, originality has been carried
TO utmost extremes until one is tempted to
question their beauty In many cases, al
though never denying the entire originality
and oddly.
Many people build the bungalow home
because the economy OF its construction
reduces the cost. Wheu this is the case II
Is best 10 make the bungalow as simple
as possible. and, after all, as Ruskin says,
simplicity is the terminal point of all
progress" The bungalow is essentially a
small home, II should never contain over
six or seven rooms, for, If more floor space
than this is placed together on one level
the roof to cover It must 20 so high that
the pi-cturesqusness OF the home is lost
and the expense becomes considerable. II
moro than two or three bedrooms are dc
sired I'm the bungalow, ii is best 10 project
q dormer or two or the roof and place
them in the second story, thereby obtaining
several additional bedrooms and still re-
ducing tho bungalow appe arance.
Bungalows have one characteristic prom
inent in them all, and that is the great
projection Of the ~overhanging roof, This
is "a distinctive southern stamp upon the
style of the bungalow, the object of the
protection being TO shield the side walls
from the direct rays Of the tropical sun,
In the northern states this is not so nee
essary, but a prominent projection has be-
come an integral part of the bungalow,
and no bungalow would look Just right
without it., This point, however, can be
carried to an extreme. Three feet Is a
good projection for Che roof; when It is
made five and sometimes six feet the root
gives one the impression OF a mans hat OF
a small boy.
Any material Is appropriate for the eX-
terror of a bungalow, the most commo,
and appropriate being bTown-stained
shlngled walls, Cobhle stones are also used
with pleasing effect on this style OF home
They can Ne used as foundations, alsC
porch piers aud chimneys. Where the bun.
galow is TO be bull; Cor summer use only
many pleasing effects can be obtained a