In Celebration of the Classic Denver Bungalow
In January of this year, I moved into my 1927 Bungalow. I’ve owned the house for 3 years, but it’s always been a rental. I never dreamed I could actually fit into a 950 sqft home – after all, I’m an adult with lots of stuff. My last 5 houses (I move a lot) have been much larger – specifically, 2,500 sqft, 2,700 sqft, 3,300 sqft, 1,700 sqft and 2,300
sqft.
Well, life throws you curve balls sometimes and I found myself moving from my 2,500 sqft home-in-the-country to my Classic Bungalow-in-the-City.
I love it. I absolutely love it.
It’s a traditional Bungalow – living room in the front with fireplace, dining room in the middle, small kitchen in the back. Two bedrooms and a bath on the side. Stairs off the kitchen leading to the full basement. If you work in older neighborhoods, you’ve seen dozens just like it. The tract homes of the 1920’s.
I love it. I absolutely love it.
Why do I love it so much? Ah, let me count the ways. First, it’s bright and sunny and oh, so charming. Wood floors throughout, vintage fireplace, high ceilings, nice woodwork (albeit painted, bummer). It has a built-in linen closet and unbelievable storage in the basement. I redid the kitchen & 
bath and believe it or not, I actually have room to spare!
I compare my little Bungalow to a Toyota MR2 I owned in the early 90’s. It was a tiny car, but built so efficiently that there seemed to be a place for everything. That’s how I feel about my Bungalow – it’s small, but mighty. There’s a spot for everything, although I have to be a little flexible about exactly where the “spot” might be. For example, since the closets in the upstairs bedrooms are ridiculously small, I converted a bedroom basement into a walk-in closet. Works for me.
I’ve also discovered the joys of CLEANING a smaller house. Wow! I’m a bit of a princess and have always, always, always had a weekly (at least) cleaning service. Well, who’da thunk that Princess Jennifer could clean her entire house from top to bottom, herself, in less than an hour?
The downsides of living in a Classic Bungalow? Oh, the obvious suspects. Tiny bedrooms (10’x9’) and closets, abysmal shortage of outlets, random cracks in the plaster walls, drafty old windows, seriously reduced water pressure, low ceilings in the basement. But in Charming Old Denver, homeowners happily put up with these defects to enjoy the lifestyle, charm and ambience of living in one of our most popular architectural styles.
Stay tuned for more on the Classic Denver Bungalow…
