Archive for July, 2009

11
Jul

Bungalow Architecture

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Bungalows are a form of residential architecture that was widely popular across America and, to some extent, the world between 1890 and 1940. Bungalows became so popular that companies like Sears, Roebuck & Co. and Montgomery Ward offered mail-order houses that were pre-cut in factories then shipped out for fabrication on site by local carpenters. One could buy a mail-order bungalow for as little as $900.
The bungalow actually traces its origins to the Indian province of Bengal. The native thatched roof huts were adapted by the British, who built bungalows as houses for administrators and as summer retreats. Refined and popularized in California, the first California house dubbed a bungalow was designed by the San Francisco architect A. Page Brown in the early 1890s.

Characteristics of a Bungalow


Influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, bungalow architecture emphasizes a horizontal link between the house and the land around it. The use of natural, local materials and colors also reinforce this home-earth relationship. California Bungalows are commonly seen with Craftsman lines or in a Spanish Colonial motif.
Bungalow features:

• Low, sloping roof either gabled (front or side) or hipped, often with wide overhangs
• Exposed roof structure (beams, rafters)
• Exterior proportions balanced rather than symmetrical in arrangement
• Modest front porch
• Front stoop
• Focus on a garden, even if small
• Open, informal floor plan
• Prominent hearth
• Interior wood details

Bungalow Styles

California bungalows are commonly seen with Craftsman lines or in a Spanish Colonial motif, but many surprising variations of bungalows exist, such as:

• California
• Craftsman
• Mission
• Tudor
• Prairie
• Foursquare
• Spanish Colonial
• Pueblo
• Log Cabin
• Colonial
• Chicago
• Cape Cod
• Swiss Chalet
• Modern

To see more photos of bungalows Click Here

Article by Jay F. Lux

New England Bungalows

978-548-8860

18
Jul

My favorite Bungalows

   Posted by: admin   in bungalows

Ooty is a hill station in Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India. Ooty is an old colonial town in the Nilgiris mountain range, also famous for its tea.
This 100 year old bungalow is now open to guests wanting to spend a few days in Queen of Hills, as Ooty is called.
More details of this Colonial Heritage Bungalow can be found on www.namastay.in

Duration : 2 min

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11
Jul

Build Your Dream Home

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Each person has their own vision of a comfortable home that they would call their dream home. Magazine and television shows show us all someone’s vision of a dream home, but the rich and famous have a very different image of their dream home. That vision usually revolves around luxury, prestige, and a remote location.

The average person or the typical homeowner however usually has other ideas dancing in the minds when they think of the phrase dream home. Everyone’s tastes and needs and ambition are unique. A dream home doesn’t have to have a million dollar price tag nor designed by a world-renowned architect. It can be one you design yourself, or might be a cottage in the woods or a new condo in the city. The important thing is that it fits the image of comfort, utility, size, appearance, style and location that suits you.

What kind of home would be your dream home? Would it be a new monster home in the suburbs, or a refurbished Victorian style historic home in the old area in your city. Most young people would choose a new home in the suburbs, but somehow, these homes lack many of the attributes we associate with a dream home.

Does your dream home have landscaping, trees, paving stones, and beautiful exterior trim. For men, a dream home would have plenty of rooms. Rooms for this and rooms for that. There would probably be a double garage and a workshop along with a luxurious living room for watching television and entertaining friends. For women, the kitchen would be well-designed with luxurious cabinetry, cedar interior trim, ceramic flooring, and lots of space for food preparation, and there’d be picture windows to let the sunlight in. For kids, there’d be game rooms, a swimming pool, a well manicured backyard lawn and big bedrooms with lots of space.

For older people, a dream home would definitely have more character. It might be anything from a new Victorian style bungalow in the city to cottage style bungalow in the country. Wood trim and beautiful landscaping with flowers and trees would certainly be part of their dream home image.

There are plenty of dream home builders too. From San Diego to Boston, there are numerous builders waiting for the grand opportunity to build a dream home for a customer. There are plenty of dream homes being built today too. Although housing prices have been high, there is still a strong demand for luxury homes.

From Landscaping to Decks to Interior Trim
If you are going to choose the features of your dream home, here are some of the features you might have to choose between:

·Professional landscaping design with waterfalls

·Cedar siding

·Cedar exterior trim

·Large second floor balconies with modern railing system

·Hardwood floors

·Ceramic roofing or cedar shingles

·Ceramic tile floors

·Stone countertops

·Stone fireplace

·Hardwood kitchen cabinetry

·Hot tub

·Swimming pool

·Double or triple car garage

·Large composite decking area

·Large living room with big screen TV and comfy sofas

·Chandelier lighting in dining area and front foyer

·Brick paved crescent driveway

For many retiring baby boomers (and even those that won’t retire) a dream home has a character that reflects their lives and values. If that’s you, you may not have to sell your home and buy a new one to get your dream home. You may be living in it now. You can find some home plans or have an architect redesign your home to suit your needs. Knocking out a few walls to open your home up isn’t so hard. Installing new hardwood floors or putting in a new deck isn’t so difficult either. You can spruce up an old home exterior by adding some new siding and exterior trim. There are plenty of new home exterior finishing products made of wood, composite and PVC materials that can make your house look immaculate.

The limits to your dream home design are really the limits of your imagination and of course your budget. Remember when you’re designing and building your dream home that some of these additions can be expensive, so it’s important to look at the long term cost. That cost includes maintenance. Exterior elements of your dream home such as your siding, exterior trim, deck, patio, porches, and balcony railings are areas where maintenance costs have to be considered.

Few dream homes have cheap siding or trim. They almost always involve a cedar siding and wood trim because the wood grain looks expensive and has a unique, grainy appearance that few other homes will have. Dream homes are always distinctive whether they’re a Victorian style mansion, a harbor side luxury villa, or a brand new home in the suburbs having the latest home development style. The distinction may be for the purpose of impressing friends and family, yet the real underlying value is comfort and happy home living.

If you want to feel better and get more living out of your home for you and your family and friends, perhaps you can remodel your current home for less that the price of a new luxury home. And you can style it in the fashion that suits your tastes.

Scott White
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/build-your-dream-home-65357.html