Bungalows can be seen throughout the world.
Whether you're buying or selling a home, understanding the terminology for various styles and types of homes is an important part of the process. Bungalows and Craftsman style houses are both types of small to mid-sized homes, with certain overlapping characteristics and distinguishing features. Using the right term will help you attract interested buyers or spend your time shopping only for homes that match what you're looking for. Does this Spark an idea?
Bungalow Definition
A bungalow is a type of small, free-standing home. It is not a specific style, and there are no standard definitions for differentiating between bungalows and other related types of houses. The term "bungalow" comes from the Bengal region of India, where small, seasonal homes for British citizens were common in the 19th century. In the United States, bungalows became popular as permanent dwellings in the first half of the 20th century, particularly in California. Besides being only one story tall, bungalows typically have open interior layouts, low-pitched roofs with deep eaves, ample porches and functional fireplaces.
Craftsman Style Definition
The Craftsman style of home design is unique to the United States in the early 20th century. "Craftsman" refers to the Arts and Crafts movement in design, which originated in England. Like the term bungalow, the term Craftsman is not precisely defined. Many smaller homes from the 1900s, 1910s and 1920s include some elements of the Craftsman style. These elements include one- or two-story heights, low-pitched roofs, load-bearing pedestals, decorative rafters and exposed stone chimneys.
Overlap
Some homes are both Craftsman-style and bungalows. These structures must include characteristics from both styles and come from the right historic period. Craftsman bungalows most commonly date from the 1910s and 1920s. They combine the bungalow's large porch with the overhanging beams from the Craftsman style. Craftsman bungalows also include open interiors that maximize usable space over a limited number of square feet. Craftsman-style bungalows were mass-produced as prefabricated homes during the height of their popularity, which means that examples can be found throughout the United States.
Departures
The Craftsman style of home design extends to other types of homes, including cottages and somewhat larger two-story buildings that lack the small scale of bungalows. Likewise, bungalows can be almost entirely free of major Craftsman elements. This includes most bungalows built after the 1920s, when the Craftsman style largely disappeared. Craftsman cottages lack the open interior layout of a bungalow, while garden bungalows use plants and landscaping for decoration rather than relying on stone, pillars and rafters from the Craftsman style.
Tags: Craftsman style, United States, 1910s 1920s, 20th century, Bungalows Craftsman, Craftsman bungalows