Linda Kelbert’s one-story 1916 Snohomish bungalow was built as a clean-lined, no-nonsense, working-class home.
Her Craftsman-style bungalow feels masculine, like a muscled workman hunkered down on the street. It has a covered front porch with thick square columns, a low-pitched roof and wide eaves with exposed brackets.
Why, then, did someone tart it up with baby-doll pink paint and ornate wrought iron accents?
Maybe envy of the elaborate Victorian homes in town, Kelbert guesses. Whatever the reason, she is working to restore the humble charm, stripping away dropped ceilings, carpet covering the fir floors, and that frilly wrought iron.
Her efforts couldn’t come at a better time. America is in the midst of an Arts and Crafts revival that has already lasted longer than the late 19th-century movement.
In Seattle, bungalows have their own annual fair, set to take place next week. Bungalow lovers can subscribe to “American Bungalow Magazine” or read one of dozens of books published on the subject. They can tour local homes.
If someone wants art tile, hand-hammered copper lighting, a reproduction William Morris chair or curtains just like those that hung in bungalows a century ago, they can get it. Renewed interest in the Arts and Crafts movement has spurred businesses large and small to offer home furnishings and objects. A quick Internet search or a look at the back of a specialty magazine yields plenty of resources for bungalow-loving shoppers.
Bungalows abound in Seattle and outlying areas such as Everett and Snohomish. A wealth of timber and a growing population helped fuel the boom of bungalows in the Northwest, historian Larry Kreisman said. People here tended to be free spirits who weren’t tied to restrictive East Coast traditions. Even those of limited means could afford a bungalow and a plot of land in the country, he said. The bungalow’s open design with rooms flowing into one another was a statement, too, about family life, coming home and togetherness rather than separating into tiny rooms, he said.
In the 1920s, bungalows and everything that went with them became passe, said Larry Johnson, a Seattle historian and architect who has remodeled hundreds of bungalows.
Tastes changed, and after World War I people began to prefer ranchstyle homes with big backyards, patios and barbecues, and a garage for an automobile, he said. Rather than talking with the neighbors sitting on the covered porch, Americans socialized in the back yard.
Johnson remembers when it was nearly impossible in Seattle to find period lighting or hardware without a lot of time and patience scouring salvage shops. He remembers, too, when authentic furniture was plentiful and affordable. Today, the reverse is true.
The renewed appreciation for the Arts and Crafts movement and the bungalow began with a Princeton University exhibition in the 1970s. Collectors began snapping up the best pieces in the ’80s and by the early 1990s, the revival was in full swing in the Northwest. Most of the best original objects and furniture command high prices at auction. But the upside is that there are plenty of reproductions, some of high quality, Johnson said.
Bungalow owners today furnishing their homes don’t need to replicate the look perfectly although some strive to, he said. The Arts and Crafts movement celebrated natural materials and the creation of beautiful things by craftsman. Its proponents were reacting to the overwrought Victorian style. If it’s simple, cozy and well-made, it can work in a bungalow.
“You don’t have to be totally traditional but you do want to respect the house and the design aesthetic,” said Laurie Taylor, an interior designer who specializes in bungalows.
She has seen some horrible remodels of bungalows. Woodwork and built-ins may have been stripped away. Fireplaces may be covered and woodwork may be painted over. Floor plans are rarely the same as they were originally built. Bungalows are designed to be efficient and small, she said. Think “The Not So Big House” books by Sarah Susanka.
“This is about details, quality and not quantity,” Taylor said.
Modern developers wanting to capture some of that coziness have picked some design elements of Craftsman homes. Inside, most have little resemblance to original bungalows, which were designed to human scale, she said. For instance, a Craftsman would never have a 15-foot-high entryway.
“The fact is this is ageless design in an area like Seattle or Everett,” she said. Neighborhoods throughout the Puget Sound region are filled with bungalows, and while some will be lost to teardowns, the livable design will continue to endure, she said.
“These homes will be around forever. I believe that.”
When remodeling a bungalow, opt for real stone, tile and wood. Replacing lighting and hardware in a home can drastically change the look, and many businesses manufacture quality reproductions, such as Rejuve in Seattle. The furnishings should be simple, warm and cozy.
It’s Johnson’s philosophy that a bungalow owner need not hide their modernity. The kitchen, for instance, was one of the few drawbacks about the original designs. The kitchens were often small and at the back of the home.
Today’s bungalow owner might consider remodeling the kitchen so it’s comfortable to work in. Rather than countertop finishes and fancy cabinets, think first about the flow of the room, he said. No one, for instance, should have to walk through the middle of the kitchen to get somewhere else. While some purists will hide appliances behind cabinets, Johnson said leave them in sight. That’s more authentic.
Reporter Debra Smith: 425-339-3197 or dsmith@heraldnet.com.
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