Bungalow house plans are quickly returning as a desired home style. Bungalow house plans originally came from western areas of the United States but quickly drew interest from southern and northern area families. The original bungalow houses were quite small and only a single storey in height. Bungalows often had wide verandas across the front or wrapping around the house providing additional family gathering areas. Today bungalows are still considered to be single stories but may include partial second floors or loft areas.The popularity of bungalow floor plans is often the result of the desired convenience of having all the main living areas on one floor. In some cases it may be a requirement of necessity as the absence of stairs makes the floor plans well suited to those who are aging, have limited mobility or are confined to a wheelchair.Bungalow floor plans come in a wide range of sizes from small, compact plans suitable for inner city lots to large, sprawling plans that take advantage of country locations. Therefore bungalows can be considered suitable floor plans for any type of homeowner – young or old, single or married, large families or small.The smaller bungalow plans will be designed with strict, efficient use of all space as was typical in the original traditional bungalow designs. Simplicity of design is essential in creating a functional small bungalow plan. These plans can provide comfortable living spaces with all the current household conveniences that families are looking for while allowing for an ease of maintenance and smaller lot considerations. Smaller bungalow plans are suitable for individual homeowners or small families. They are often considered as ‘starter’ homes for families but are often found to be so efficiently designed accommodating grown families is possible.Larger bungalow floor plans have become very popular in recent years. These floor plans provide families with designs that include more elaborate spaces in which to entertain, relax or engage in family activities. Often these larger plans may include separate ‘wings’ to allow for privacy between bedroom areas and active living spaces. Active living spaces may now include mini gyms, game rooms, home theaters and hobby spaces. In areas where construction practices include full basements bungalows with fully developed basement areas are extremely common. This helps to offset the more expensive aspect of bungalow construction. Since bungalows require more foundation and roof area on a per unit basis (per sq.ft, per sq.M) than the same living space in a two storey, bungalows are more expensive to construct. By retaining the convenience of all the daily living spaces on one floor and adding the amenities and/or extra bedrooms in the basement level the footprint can be kept smaller and maintain cost.Bungalows can be designed in any style of exterior architectural design. Traditional exterior styles will customarily be Craftsman, Prairie, Shingle or Colonial designs. Typically clad in natural materials and finished in earthy color schemes these styles all offer wonderful attributes for a comfortable family home and blend suitably in most surroundings.Bungalows are also well defined by Modern, Post Modern and International styles of architecture. These styles will consist of strong yet simple forms enhanced with edgy detailing. Finishing materials will be clean and smooth with possible textured or boldly colored accents. These styles offer the discriminating homeowner opportunity to make a contemporary lifestyle statement.

We know them as craftsman bungalows, California, Chicago, or Michigan bungalows, Arts and Crafts bungalows, or just plain bungalows. But what differentiates a bungalow from a Craftsmans home? About 1911, the Craftsman Bungalow Co, Inc in Seattle, Washington, along with Gustav Stickley, published a book of house plans called “Craftsman Bungalows” whose floor plans were based on the Art and Crafts movement of the time. The American Arts and Crafts Movement, an American architectural, design, and decorative arts style, was popular from the late 19th century through the early part of the 20th century. It remained strong until the 1930s. Craftsman homes features included:

Low-pitched roof lines, gabled or hipped roof
Deeply overhanging eaves,
Exposed rafters or decorative brackets under eaves
Front porch beneath extension of main roof
Tapered, square columns supporting roof
4-over-1 or 6-over-1 double-hung windows
Frank Lloyd Wright design motifs
Hand-crafted stone or woodwork
Mixed materials throughout structure
A huge front porch equipped with thick, square pedestal-like tapered
columns supporting the roof of the porch

While some purists insist that only homes built using these Stickley plans can truly be called “Craftsman,” many homes were designed in a style similar to Stickley’s, hence the bungalow. Bungalows originated in India and were normally small one-story homes with wide verandas (or porches). They were later used for homes for British officials of the British Raj, and whose design was later brought to the U.S. where they initially gained high status. In the later part of 19th century they were used as large cottages. A bungalow today is usually a detached residential home which is either single story, or has a second story built into a sloping roof. Here are main characteristics:

It usually has dormer windows if it has one and a half stories
House are rather small, however, you may find larger examples that were built in earlier years.
Low-pitched roofs with very deep porches
Heavy stone porch column supports that taper as they ascend
Wide projecting eaves and exposed eave brackets.
Exterior materials include natural siding, brick, and/or stucco.
Street-facing gables with composition or shingled roofs
Dark wood paneling
A large fireplace
An arched opening that separated the living room and dining room
Built-in cabinetry in the dining room and kitchen

As you can see Craftsman homes and bungalows share very similar, if not all, of the same characteristics. No matter how you refer to them, bungalows are one of our favorite home designs. We love the wide expansive porches that make them look cozy and comfortable.Bungalows were simple and inexpensive to build. Prior to World War I, a bungalow cost under $900. After the war, prices rose to approximately $3,500. Because of their affordability the middle class were able to more rapidly move from apartments to homes in greater numbers. Bungalow designs were spread by the practice of building from mail-order plans available from illustrated catalogs, sometimes with alterations based on local practice or conditions.Bungalows are found in older neighborhoods in many American cities. Many cities created what are called “Bungalow Belts” of the homes built in the 1920s because they clustered around streetcar lines. Today, you will find neighborhoods of bungalows in almost any city. Bungalows are prized possessions because of their unique and simple designs, built-ins, and their wonderful porches, bungalows are a favorite of many.