The Californian Bungalow is a popular style of residential architecture that originated in southern California during the early 20th century and quickly became popular all over the world, especially in Australia. It took Melbourne suburbs by storm between World War I and II. The house style was seen as ideal in the suburbs for homeowners who still wanted to enjoy outdoor living and a relaxed lifestyle, especially considering that California and Australia share similar climates in summer.
A simple style of architecture, it was often considered a more affordable alternative to the larger and more elaborate Victorian and Edwardian homes. Certain characteristics give the Californian Bungalow a relaxed and inviting atmosphere that encourages indoor-outdoor living, and have made this building style a timeless classic that remains a popular style of home throughout Melbourne.
Interior Characteristics of the Californian Bungalow
- California bungalows typically have wood floors, wood ceilings, and wood trim throughout.
- The living areas usually have large windows that allow plenty of natural light in.
- Fireplaces are often found in the living room and dining room and an enclosed porch or sunroom is sometimes added to the front of the house.
- The kitchen is usually quite small and may feature an open pantry and built-in cabinetry.
- Furnishings are typically comfortable and informal.
- Colours tend to be muted tones and warm earthy tones, often with a lot of white or light pastels.
- Craftsman-style accents like built-ins, wainscoting, and hand-crafted accents are common.
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Exterior Characteristics of the Californian Bungalow
A Californian bungalow is characterised by its low-slung, single story construction and classic Craftsman styling.
Typical exterior features of a bungalow include wide eaves with triangular brackets, a low-pitched gable roof, large windows, exposed rafters, and a porch supported by tapered columns.
The exterior walls can be made of clapboard, shingle or stucco siding. Craftsman elements such as decorative exposed beams, slanted sill plates, exposed rafter tails and battered porch posts are common features of California bungalows.
New Realm Homes is your experienced Californian Bungalow builder in Melbourne, contact us today to see how we can help create your dream home.
Hugh Maastricht is the director of New Realm Homes. With over a decade of experience in the construction industry, Hugh has a demonstrated history of working in Construction, Carpentry, New Home Construction, Extensions, and Employee Training. Hugh graduated from Box Hill Institute where he studied Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection.
Hugh loves building houses that are creative and innovative and different from everyone else. Most of all, he wants happy clients that get exactly what they want and have had fun getting there.