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Architectural and design topics focusing on historic restoration and landmark homes of the early 20th century, from the perspective of an Arts & Crafts, Craftsman and Bungalow Home Enthusiast.
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Untold LA: A Project of Passion By Photographer & Producer Jett Loe

Untold LA: A Project of Passion By Photographer & Producer Jett Loe

Not long ago I got a message on the TCB Facebook page from accomplished photographer and producer Jett Loe about an interesting project that he was undertaking.  The project he described, called Untold LA, is a photo-documentary about the history-rich...
Another Greene & Greene Masterwork The Duncan-Irwin House, Part II: The Interior

Another Greene & Greene Masterwork The Duncan-Irwin House, Part II: The Interior

In my previous post, I gave you a tour of the exterior of the Greene & Greene’s Duncan-Irwin House in Pasadena.  Now we go through the doors below for a personal tour of the amazing interior of this quintessential Greene...
My Collection of Arts & Crafts Furnishings Found on Craigslist

My Collection of Arts & Crafts Furnishings Found on Craigslist

In light of the two recent great deals I’ve found on Craigslist (the oak desk and the Stickley nightstand), I thought I’d take the opportunity to show you some of the other Arts & Crafts items I’ve acquired through the...
A Legacy of Craftsmanship: The South Falls Lodge at Silver Falls State Park

A Legacy of Craftsmanship: The South Falls Lodge at Silver Falls State Park

Last weekend my brother was in town visiting from the East Coast and we braved the rain and headed down to Silver Falls State Park located about an hour and a half south of Portland near the town of Sublimity,...
Origins of the Arts & Crafts Movement in America: The Roycroft Campus

Origins of the Arts & Crafts Movement in America: The Roycroft Campus

This week I traveled to Western New York State for business and while there I was able to spend some time in the Arts & Crafts artisan community of “Roycroft” in East Aurora, just outside of Buffalo.  The Roycroft Campus...
San Diego's Marston House: An Arts & Crafts Gem Hidden in Plain Sight

San Diego’s Marston House: An Arts & Crafts Gem Hidden in Plain Sight

Known as “San Diego’s First Citizen,” George W. Marston (1850-1946) was a successful self-made businessman, civic leader and philanthropist, who, among other things, played a pivotal role in the early development of the city’s wildly popular park system and public...
Frank Lloyd Wright's Oak Park, Illinois Designs: The Prairie Period 1900-1913

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Oak Park, Illinois Designs: The Prairie Period 1900-1913

This article is Part Two of a two part series highlighting the homes that Frank Lloyd Wright designed in Oak Park, Illinois during the years 1900 to 1913.  Part One focused on his transition to the Prairie Style and the Oak...
Reader Submission: Thoughtful Restoration Makes A Home "Smile" Again

Reader Submission: Thoughtful Restoration Makes A Home “Smile” Again

When Sandy Evans and her husband Richard Herbold purchased this handsome 1915 bungalow in Delmar, New York, it was about to turn 100 years old.  But on the inside, its previous owners had tried to re-imagine its interior as a...
Recent Articles From The Craftsman Bungalow
Photo Essay: The Many Faces and Styles of Cleveland’s Grand Old Arts & Crafts Homes

Photo Essay: The Many Faces and Styles of Cleveland’s Grand Old Arts & Crafts Homes

On a recent business trip to Cleveland, I had some free time one afternoon to check out the city’s rich history of Arts & Crafts homes.  I recalled a great article in the Spring 2012 issue of American Bungalow that featured the Cleveland Heights neighborhood situated just a few miles east of downtown.  Armed with...
Defining The Craftsman Bungalow

Defining The Craftsman Bungalow

This is a great article by Patricia Poore that defines the traditional hallmarks and characteristics of craftsman bungalow homes.  It goes into specifics about interior and exterior design influences and the materials and construction details that distinguish the bungalow aesthetic from other architectural styles.  I have re-posted the opening of the article – to read...
The Architectural Heritage Center's 14th Annual Portland Kitchen Revival Tour

The Architectural Heritage Center’s 14th Annual Portland Kitchen Revival Tour

This past weekend was the Architectural Heritage Center’s Annual Kitchen Revival Tour.  Now in its 14th year, the tour showcases the efforts of Portland homeowners who have restored their home’s kitchens to its original glory.  Most of the homes featured were professional restored by local contractors who concentrate on period homes, however one home’s kitchen...
The Craftsman Spotlight: American Bungalow

The Craftsman Spotlight: American Bungalow

The Craftsman Spotlight is an ongoing series where artists, businesses, and craftspeople are featured.  We’re thrilled to spotlight American Bungalow, in this first installment of the series! If you’re reading this article right now – and are a fan of bungalows – there’s a pretty good chance that you’re familiar with American Bungalow magazine.  Founded by...
My Collection of Arts & Crafts Furnishings Found on Craigslist

My Collection of Arts & Crafts Furnishings Found on Craigslist

In light of the two recent great deals I’ve found on Craigslist (the oak desk and the Stickley nightstand), I thought I’d take the opportunity to show you some of the other Arts & Crafts items I’ve acquired through the site. It’s no secret that it can be very expensive to furnish your bungalow home...
An Architectural Epiphany in Portland, Oregon: The Story Behind The Craftsman Bungalow Blog

An Architectural Epiphany in Portland, Oregon: The Story Behind The Craftsman Bungalow Blog

When I packed up my car and headed West to Portland, Oregon in November of 2000, I had no idea how that decision would impact the rest of my life.  Like our pioneering forefathers who took a similar leap of faith – I didn’t know what I’d encounter, who I’d meet, or if I’d ever...
Craftsmanship Is In The Blood: American Bungalow Feature Article and Profile

Craftsmanship Is In The Blood: American Bungalow Feature Article and Profile

The Winter 2014 edition of American Bungalow magazine is out now, and I’m excited to have contributed three articles to the issue.  The first is a feature article titled “A Family Bond: Craftsmanship Is In The Blood” (found on pages 78-89) about the home of Austin and Laura Whipple, owners of Scout Books, a custom-printed...
The Ugly Hutch and The Beautiful Stairway That Hid Behind It:  Part I

The Ugly Hutch and The Beautiful Stairway That Hid Behind It: Part I

With all of the traveling I’ve been doing for work recently, I haven’t had much time to write about some of the other things we’ve done to the house since we’ve moved in.  If you remember my earlier post entitled Peeling Back The Layers, you’ll recall that the whole first floor had wall-to-wall carpeting and...
The Craftsman Spotlight: Asheville Tileworks

The Craftsman Spotlight: Asheville Tileworks

Diana Gillispie’s eye for design and acute attention to detail has made her a fixture in the Asheville, North Carolina art scene for more than three decades.  Having first moved to the area in 1978, she became one of the pioneering artists of Asheville’s River District when she started a small pottery studio with a...
Photo Essay: Tropical Bungalows of the Aloha State

Photo Essay: Tropical Bungalows of the Aloha State

As you may recall, on a recent business trip to Hawaii I stayed at a lovely family-run bed & breakfast rather than one of the impersonal mega hotels in Waikiki.  While staying there, I got into a routine of taking a walk around the neighborhood every day and was blown away by the concentration of...
A Portal to the Past on the Oregon Coast: American Bungalow Cover Article

A Portal to the Past on the Oregon Coast: American Bungalow Cover Article

I’m very excited that an article I wrote for American Bungalow magazine made the cover of the Winter 2013 Issue #80!  The article is about an amazing home on the Oregon Coast that sits on a secluded cove with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, the rugged Oregon coastline and a 1920s-era bridge that was...
Berkeley's Historic Claremont Hotel Will Soon Celebrate Its 100th Year

Berkeley’s Historic Claremont Hotel Will Soon Celebrate Its 100th Year

On a recent business trip to the San Francisco Bay Area, I opted to stay at a hotel that’s steeped in history and in a little less than two years will celebrate its 100th year in operation.  The Claremont Hotel, located on the border of Berkeley and Oakland, is one of the most picturesque hotels...
American Bungalow's Seasonal Lithogrpah Art Prints for 2012

American Bungalow’s Seasonal Lithogrpah Art Prints for 2012

I just got the latest issue of American Bungalow this week. Each issue this year includes an 8×10 full-color lithograph art print of the four seasons called “The Wisdom of the Trees” by Yoshiko Yamamoto. In 2010, American Bungalow featured four beautiful prints by Roycroft Renaissance artisan, Laura Wilder. Here’s what I did with those...
Peek Inside: A Classic 1909 Craftsman Fixer For Sale in Portland

Peek Inside: A Classic 1909 Craftsman Fixer For Sale in Portland

This post is part of our “Peek Inside” series where we showcase Arts & Crafts homes from across the country that are currently for sale, or were recently sold.  Some of them may be fixers that are just begging to be restored (like this one), others may be fully restored and move-in ready, and still...
Peek Inside: A Grand 1910 Swiss Chalet Craftsman Home Fully Restored

Peek Inside: A Grand 1910 Swiss Chalet Craftsman Home Fully Restored

Whenever I’m out-and-about and see a sign saying there’s an estate sale going on nearby, I almost always do a drive-by to check out the house and take a peek inside.  A few weeks ago, that same scenario played out, and when I pulled up to the house where the sale was (below), my jaw...
Timberline Lodge: The Quintessential American Alpine Lodge, Part One

Timberline Lodge: The Quintessential American Alpine Lodge, Part One

Somewhere near the intersection of rustic charm and stately elegance is a place where natural beauty and cooperative humanity walk hand-in-hand.  Nestled a few thousand feet beneath the rugged 11,249 foot peak of Oregon’s Mount Hood, the iconic Timberline Lodge has been welcoming weary hikers, giddy newly-weds – and everything in between – for over...
Hearst Castle: The Enchanted 1920's Spanish Revival Estate of Publishing Magnate William Randolph Hearst

Hearst Castle: The Enchanted 1920’s Spanish Revival Estate of Publishing Magnate William Randolph Hearst

William Randolph Hearst was a wealthy businessman who inherited a family fortune as a young man and expanded it into a vast newspaper and magazine publishing empire during his adult life.  In 1919, he inherited his family’s 250,000 acre retreat property in San Simeon on the Central California Coast and aspired to build a vast...
Frank Lloyd Wright's Frederick C. Robie House: A Prairie Masterpiece

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Frederick C. Robie House: A Prairie Masterpiece

When Frederick Robie commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design a home for him and his growing family in 1908, neither man knew that the home’s iconic design would become the celebrated jewel that it is today.  Considered by many architectural scholars to be one of the most influential and important residential designs of the 20th...
Wharton Esherick: Integrating Life, Art & Craft: American Bungalow Cover Article

Wharton Esherick: Integrating Life, Art & Craft: American Bungalow Cover Article

The Spring 2014 issue of American Bungalow is out now, and I’m very excited that my article entitled, “Wharton Esherick: Integrating Life, Art and Craft” made the cover!  If you’re not a subscriber or haven’t received your copy yet, you can read the article here. Wharton Esherick (1887-1966) was a classically trained Impressionist painter in...
A Pilgrimage to The Gamble House: "The Ultimate Bungalow", Part II: The Interior

A Pilgrimage to The Gamble House: “The Ultimate Bungalow”, Part II: The Interior

In my previous post, A Pilgrimage to The Gamble House: Part I, I walked you through the many breathtaking vantage points that abound on the exterior of The Gamble House.  While the exterior of the house is spectacular – with its incongruity often highlighted and celebrated – it is gracefully contrasted by the interior’s rigorous...
The Brick House Beautiful: A Unique and Timeless Portland Landmark

The Brick House Beautiful: A Unique and Timeless Portland Landmark

Brick.  It’s been around – in one form or another – since the dawn of human civilization, and the virtues of its appeal and versatility are still very much appreciated today.  It was no different in the early part of the 20th Century.  In cities across the country, brick had been widely used in the...
A Few Words About The Craftsman Bungalow

A Few Words About The Craftsman Bungalow

Welcome to The Craftsman Bungalow!  My goal for this site is for it to become a resource for people who love old homes – and more specifically – Arts & Crafts, Craftsman, and Bungalow home enthusiasts.  Hopefully along the way, I’ll learn some things, you’ll learn some things, and knowledge, experience, and inspiration about living...
Where It All Began...

Where It All Began…

To understand what we were dealing with when we initially bought the house, let’s go back to late 2009… This is what the exterior looked like when we first moved in (we have since painted it).  I came to find out later that the house had been for sale earlier in 2009 through a realtor,...
The Sagamore Hotel, Part I: The History Of The Iconic Resort On New York’s Lake George

The Sagamore Hotel, Part I: The History Of The Iconic Resort On New York’s Lake George

Situated on its own island on the shores of pristine Lake George in the Adirondack Mountains of Eastern New York, The Sagamore Hotel has been welcoming guests from near and far for over 130 years.  But what many of those guests may not know, is that the luxurious historic hotel that sits on the property...
San Diego's Marston House: An Arts & Crafts Gem Hidden in Plain Sight

San Diego’s Marston House: An Arts & Crafts Gem Hidden in Plain Sight

Known as “San Diego’s First Citizen,” George W. Marston (1850-1946) was a successful self-made businessman, civic leader and philanthropist, who, among other things, played a pivotal role in the early development of the city’s wildly popular park system and public library, often spending considerable amounts of his own personal wealth to do so. In 1904,...
A Tale of Two Owners: American Bungalow Feature Article and Profile

A Tale of Two Owners: American Bungalow Feature Article and Profile

My latest two articles for American Bungalow magazine are in the current Summer 2014 issue!  The first article, entitled A Tale of Two Owners, chronicles the decade-long restoration by Steve and Deb Moskowitz of a grand 1909 craftsman home (below) in Portland’s historic Irvington neighborhood, and the subsequent passing of the torch to the home’s...
The Craftsman Spotlight:  Untold LA: A First Hand Look at The Rebirth of West Adams

The Craftsman Spotlight: Untold LA: A First Hand Look at The Rebirth of West Adams

When photographer Jett Loe came to Los Angeles in 2012 in search of a home for he and his wife, he was amazed at what he found – hiding in plain sight.  Almost by accident, Loe stumbled upon West Adams, a once forgotten central Los Angeles enclave located halfway between Downtown LA and Santa Monica,...
The H.R. Albee House: A 1912 Portland Estate

The H.R. Albee House: A 1912 Portland Estate

Portland, Oregon is full of old homes of all shapes, sizes and styles, and the Eastside neighborhood of Laurelhurst has been considered a microcosm of such homes since its inception in the early 1900’s.  One of the gems of the neighborhood – if not the entire city – is The H. Russell Albee House which...
The Architectural Heritage Center’s 17th Annual Portland Old House Revival Tour

The Architectural Heritage Center’s 17th Annual Portland Old House Revival Tour

This year the Architectural Heritage Center expanded their Annual Kitchen Revival Tour beyond just kitchens to showcase entire homes, and re-named the tour the Portland Old House Revival Tour.  I’ve covered this tour for the past three years, and now in its 16th year overall, the tour never disappoints.  In case you missed it, here...
The Craftsman Spotlight: Michael Stinnett And The Antique Piano Shop

The Craftsman Spotlight: Michael Stinnett And The Antique Piano Shop

Most people don’t typically associate pianos with the Arts & Crafts Movement, and for good reason.  Established piano makers of the late 1800s didn’t really see the Movement coming, and by the time they did, it wasn’t economical for them to go through the rigors and cost of designing and marketing this “new” style of...