Bungalow style homes are extremely common in the are of Saint Louis that I grew up in. It just so happens that the first home my husband and I purchased was a typical brick bungalow. There’s a certain charm that comes along with a cozy little house built so well. When decorating my house, I didn’t want to lose any of that charm or any of the character that was originally built in to the house. It turned out to be a bit of a challenge but one that I enjoyed every minute of.
The main challenge in decorating a bungalow house is making good use of space. Most bungalows have limited space and very limited closet space as well. My house was set up as most are in that particular neighborhood. You’d walk into a living room and through the dining room to get to a hallway that connected the kitchen, two bedrooms, and a bath. There was also a door leading to my basement from that hallway along with a clothes hamper door that I learned to love after only a few uses.
Decorating the house was going to be a completely enjoyable experience. It was obvious to me that using warm and inviting colors through the house would help to keep it’s cozy feel. I also knew that I’d never want to cover any of the wood trim in the house with paint, so I chose to put in a little elbow grease time and work the wood back to life and give it a good shine. With the initial painting and cleaning finished , it was time to dive into the real decorating details. Here are some tips that should be helpful to anyone decorating a bungalow house.
Consider Alternate Room Use :
Most bungalow homes are built with a dining room. If your family is anything like mine, the only time we ever used that dining room to eat in was once a year during the holidays. Unless you really use a dining room to sit down and eat daily, you might want to consider making it an extended part of your living room. You could easily keep your living room clutter free and more open by keeping all your seating in that room and using your dining room for television sets, computers, and stereo systems. Being flexible in your decorating may open up possibilities for you bungalow that you never even dreamed of.
Use Sectional Seating :
Bungalow homes tend to have very limited space in each room. Using sectional seating in your decorating will allow you to switch up your living room occasionally and give it a new look without investing anything more than moving time. Creating an L with sectional seating can make an otherwise small living room appear open and clutter free. Keep your coffee table and end tables slim and low sitting to create an even more open feel to the room.
Purchase Light Window Treatments :
It’s very stylish now to choose to use only sheers and a valance for window treatments. Full long drapes are no longer something that’s required to make a room look formal. When decorating a bungalow you’ll want to use your windows as an optical illusion to make all your rooms look larger than they really are. The easiest way to do this is to use sheers and a valance and skip any long or dark draperies. I found all of my window treatments on the Internet at JC Penney. If you’re trying to keep a room looking extra formal, consider a valance that hangs unevenly down along the sides of the window. It’s all about optical illusion when decorating windows in bungalow homes.
Size your kitchen seating Appropriately :
It’s very easy to want to get carried away with seating in kitchen areas. Kitchens are a comfort zone for most families and the easiest of rooms to get carried away with on many levels. Bungalow style homes require thinking in each room about space. For this reason, I’d recommend considering installing an island seating in the kitchen. Bar stool seating around an island will allow you to use more of your space for cooking and moving about. If an island just doesn’t suit your style, consider small seating such as an ice cream parlor set. Obviously, the size of your family will be a part of determining your kitchen seating. The key is to go with the smallest set you can to suit your needs.
Tall Chests and Armoires for Bedrooms :
This is another optical illusion decorating tip that works fabulously in a bungalow home. The trick is in keeping all of your furniture tall and vertical, It makes use of space that might otherwise go to waste. It also keeps the bedrooms from looking too crowded. Bungalows usually have very limited closet space so, consider purchasing a tall armoire for each bedroom. I found some beautiful yet affordable armoires that would look lovely in bungalow homes here.
