Boost Your Curb Appeal With a Bungalow Look

We cruise through one of our favorite Craftsman bungalow hoods in Houston, searching for curb appeal ideas to steal.

From: HGTV Magazine

Related To:

Shop This Look

5 Reasons We Love Bungalows

1. Their all-American good looks have been going strong since the late 19th century, when the first ones popped up. History buffs: Their heyday was in the 1920s.
2. Hello, wide porches! It's like having a whole extra room. Most can fit an outdoor sofa, two chairs, a rug, even a coffee table.
3. They're small but they live large. Rooms are spacious, and the ceilings are high. It's a great starter home or family home.
4. They look cute in any color, from bright white to sage green. And there are so many details to paint — the columns, the trim work and the porch floor.
5. The charm factor is through the (gabled) roof!

Green Dream

Homeowner: David Funderburg
House built in: 1928
When he bought it: 2009

"The fact that the 83-year-old floors creak and sing a little bit when I walk on them is so cool!" — David Funderburg

Copy the Curb Appeal!
The Paint Colors: House: Colonial Revival Green Stone; Trim: Classical White; Railing and accent trim: Chestnut Bronze (All by Sherwin-Williams)

The Flowerpots: Skip the terra-cotta! Try bright white. Great source: simplyplanters.com.

The Front Door: A true Craftsman-style door has six panes of glass. Find one in mahogany (like David's) at internationaldoor.com.

The Yard: Knock Out roses and hawthorn shrubs fill the front beds. The tree is a Bradford Pear, which blooms white in the spring.

Classy Black and White

Homeowners: Carol and Gordon Yeatts
House built in: 1903
When they bought it: 2009

"This was our first house together as newlyweds. We still spend almost every morning and evening on our big porch." — Carol Yeatts

Copy the Curb Appeal!
The Paint Colors: House: White Dove; Trim: Black; Porch floor: Pilgrim Haze (All by Benjamin Moore)

The Siding: The Yeattses clad the whole house in HardiePlank siding (available at Lowe's). It has a 30-year guarantee.

The Walkway: Reclaimed bricks start at about 40 cents each and, boy, do they add character! Great source: bricksalvage.com.

The Yard: Fragrant white jasmine climbs the iron arbor. Palms and pretty grasses made us stop and do a double take!

Gorgeous Porch

Homeowners: Nick Eronko and Gilbert Joseph Perez
House built in: 1914
When they bought it: 2008

"This house was about to be torn down, but we saved it from the wrecking ball. It has a great soul and energy."
— Gilbert Joseph Perez

Copy the Curb Appeal!
The Paint Colors: House: Townsend Harbor Brown; Trim: Lancaster Whitewash; Porch floor: Mink (All by Benjamin Moore)

The Shingles: Check out cedarshinglesdirect.com for prestained cedar shingle options in more than 100 colors.

The Railings: They look like they came off a gingerbread house — very storybook! Find a skilled carpenter with a good imagination to pull off this look.

The Yard: Hardy plants like Russian sage set in moss rocks mean no mowing.

Blue Beauty

Homeowners: Yvonne and John Cosgrove
House built in: 1900
When they bought it: 1999

"We fell in love with this house after we came to an estate sale here. It had great bones." — John Cosgrove

Copy the Curb Appeal!
The Paint Colors: House: Vast Sky; Trim: Dover White; Porch floor: Mega Greige (All by Sherwin-Williams)

The Woodwork: The white stripe running across the front of the house is called dentil trim; find it at architecturaldepot.com.

The Windows: Three tall panes over one is 100 percent Craftsman. So are the transom and sidelight windows around the door.

The Yard: A pair of mature crape myrtles frames the house. Can you believe they were planted just five years ago?

How to Spot a Craftsman Bungalow

Curb Appeal: The Block's John Gidding gives a quickie design lesson. Look for:

— A low-pitched gabled roof with deep eaves (the roof overhang).
— A large porch that’s nearly or fully the width of the house.
— Tapered columns to support the large roof.
— Exposed roof rafters and brackets — sometimes these are purely decorative.
— Wood siding or shingles, with accents in stone, brick, or stucco.
— Sash windows with multiple panes. Often it's four or six panes above a single panel.
— Copper, brass, wrought-iron or bronze hardware and fixtures.

Boost Your Curb Appeal With a Bungalow Look

Related To:

Shop This Look

5 Reasons We Love Bungalows

Green Dream

Classy Black and White

Gorgeous Porch

Blue Beauty

How to Spot a Craftsman Bungalow

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