A bungalow is, in a westernized sense, a small detached house with usually either one or one and a half stories. The original idea for what we now know as a bungalow came from the Bengali housing used by British soldiers during their colonial occupation of India. The small homes became a popular escape for the middle class from the dirty industrial cities and a welcome alternative to the formal Victorian architecture of the time.

The floor plan of a bungalow is one of its defining features. The living room is central to the home, with all of the other rooms adjoined to it around the perimeter. In a one and a half story bungalow the extra half story is to provide more sleeping space. This top floor often has the addition of dormers to add extra head space and light. The home may also have a basement to give it some extra space.

There are a number of different styles of bungalow, each being a variation on the original bungalow design but altered for the particular area they were designed for or other trends that were happening in home design at the time. A few of the variations of bungalows are ranch, raised, chalet, and American craftsman.

The ranch bungalow is a bungalow reflection of the rancher, obviously enough. It is a single story bungalow with a division of public living areas and private living areas, each relegated to one side of the home. If a garage is attached to the home, the access to it is on the public side of the house.

The raised bungalow is one with a basement, though bungalows with basements aren't always raised bungalows. This style of bungalow has a raised foundation that makes it a little higher than a regular version, thereby allowing small horizontal windows to be installed in the basement to let in more light and creating a more usable space.

A chalet bungalow has one and a half stories with a loft or bedrooms on the upper floor. This style of bungalow may have a steeper pitched roof and gables to add room in the upstairs. Purists would argue that this style isn't really a bungalow at all because all the living space isn't on one floor.

American craftsman bungalows came about near the end of the British arts and crafts movement at the end of the 19th century. They are distinguished by their emphasis on craftsmanship and originality. You can pick them out by their use of stone and woodwork, deep overhanging eaves, low pitched roof lines, and square pillars holding up the roof outside the front entrance.

You might wonder what the benefits of buying into the bungalow tradition might be now. Consider the trends we're seeing to quality smaller homes and buyers moving away from the McMansion era. This movement mirrors the trend that started the bungalow movement over a hundred years ago as a move away from the opulent Victorian houses of the time. With the emphasis we're seeing in quality crafted homes, a quality bungalow is a good choice. Whether it is an authentic craftsman bungalow or a modern adaptation, bungalows are a timeless style.  Tina Fountain