Bungalows are one of Doug’s favorite house styles. They are warm, welcoming, and efficient (another word for “small”!) The Arts & Crafts movement swept the US in the teens and twenties, and was a reaction to the excesses of Victorian architecture. Plus they were far more affordable to the working family.
Neighborhoods like Washington Park, Platte Park, Congress Park, Park Hill and others are full of bungalows. Usually two bedrooms on the north side, with living room, dining room, and kitchen spread along the sunny south side.
As families grow, expansion can occur in two primary directions: downstairs by fixing up the basement, or adding a whole new level on top, popularly known as “pop tops”. A homeowner should explore all the potential in their basement before considering adding any new square footage; basements can be made as liveable as above grade space, with window wells for natural light and egress, and plenty of new recessed lighting.
Done well, a bungalow second story should “fit” the original home, and be slightly subordinate in size to it, with matching rooflines, eave details, windows, and gable trim. On the modest scale, one can add just a new master suite, of say 500 sq. ft. Or a master and a child’s suite, for around 750 s.f. Or, one might want a full three bedrooms, two baths, and a laundry up top that might total 1100 s.f.
“Since we moved back in, I’ve had lots of conversations with people about remodeling. It turns out that what was even more impressive than the design of our remodeled home is the fact we had an architect who stayed involved from beginning to end...We knew we could always count on Doug to solve the insolvable”
