California Bungalow

One of the most significant house designs to emerge from the American Craftsman style is the Bungalow and its west coast cousin, the California Bungalow. These small but open and airy houses were initially designed by the British for the dry hot climate of colonial India and adapted beautifully to the California sun.

Typically one or one-and-a-half story structures with sloping roofs and unenclosed rafters, these California bungalows borrow elements from the Prairie House, Arts and Crafts house and the Brown Shingle, but on a much smaller scale. Initially popular among the lower middle classes, California Bungalows first appeared on the scene just prior to WWI and sold for as little as $900 apiece.

The design typically features a cozy living room with central fireplace and brick chimney. The exterior is usually stucco or wood shingle and a single gabled window or vent in the attic is often centered over the porch at the front of the house. The porch itself is notable for the two portly posts that support its roof, distinguished by their broad base and tapered top.