Bungalow style homes are known for their simplicity of style.
Craftsman, Mission Style, Prairie Style and Bungalow Style are all terms that define similar architectural and decorating motifs that have their roots in the Arts and Crafts movement. As the highly embellished Victoria Era faded out and the desire for mass-produced furnishings declined, a return to simpler and more functional design became popular. Depending on your geographical location, a derivative of the Arts and Crafts style was given a name and description. Frank Lloyd Wright popularized the Prairie Style in the mid-western states, Mission style developed in the west and bungalow style homes were being built throughout America. Clean lines, built-in furnishings, exposed beams and the use of natural materials symbolized the bungalow style of homes. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Select colors that coincide with nature for your home's color palette. Choose three dominant colors and two passive tones to keep the eye moving throughout the rooms. Watch the sunrise and sunset in your area and note the colors projected. Mute those colors for a more subtle theme. Look at muted greens, browns and grays, with tonal hints of soft blue and purple.
2. Shop for handcrafted furniture that is simple in design and structure. Buy handcrafted oak furniture that is plain and functional, upright and build solidly, like Gustav Stickley designs. Find chairs with rush or leather seats. Look for bungalow style trademarks of leather straps and copper insets.
3. Buy William Morris designs and copies for your walls and upholstery fabrics. Look for the simple designs without ornamentation, like flowers and leaves in bronze or pewter. Hang unembellished curtains from plain brass or wood poles.
4. Put wood, wide-plank flooring in all main living areas and place simple cotton or wool handmade rugs on top. Use linoleum in the kitchen and put a handmade, hook rug under the kitchen table.
5. Install simple wood-paneled cabinetry in the kitchen. Hide the appliances by using integrated machines so only the cabinet fronts are evident. Use porcelain for the sink and find reproduction lights and pendants to hang from the ceiling. Put wainscoting below the chair-railing height and place a wooden table in the kitchen for family gatherings, bungalow style. Use tiles in cobalt blue, green, turquoise or red for accents.
6. Build in a dining room side table or storage hutch for display and to store useful dining accessories. Use colored or stained glass for some of the panels. Put a built-in bookcase under the stairwell for an efficient use of space and a decorative look and build bookcases on either side of the fireplace.
7. Purchase copper and pewter lighting fixtures, especially with a hammered finish. Find stained glass or Tiffany-inspired multicolored chandeliers and table lamps. Install wall sconces for indirect lighting.
8. Hang a wooden swing by ropes on the bungalow's front porch. Shop in second hand stores and thrift shops for old wooden furniture to decorate the porch. Put a sisal rug on the floor of the porch. Hang flowering baskets on the eaves and put a few flower pots on stands throughout the porch.
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