Enhancing the wonderful features of your bungalow is one of the most enjoyable things about stewarding your home. The hardware, lighting & decorative items of the Arts & Crafts Movement are cheerful & brilliantly beautiful. Period kitchens & baths will pay homage to the past owners & are just good design sense. Leaping about the decades is visually disturbing (Jane Powell called it “cognitive dissonance.”) & can disturb the flow of the interior. But, the goods you need to create a period atmosphere, are not always easy to find.
I am still building this list. I considered whether I wanted to wait until it is complete to post it, but you may be desperately looking now, so take a look at what’s here & keep coming back, It is growing daily. (Or at least weekly.)
I have also added lists of classes on old house restoration because sometimes you might need that too. I usually suggest restoring before collecting, but I must admit that I once purchased a porch set before the porch was built & had to store the set for 3 months. I have never seen another set like it, so I’m not going to discourage anyone else from doing this. And, prior to that, I purchased bookends 5 years before I even had a house in which to put them. Not sorry! They look great now!
To make your search easier, & to provide you with more choices, I have created a list of resources for you. I’ll also mention that many of the items can be found on the resale market. Facebook Marketplace is growing daily & Craigslist seems to be hanging in there too. Of course the odd piece can still be discovered at a yard or estate sale but, you have to have more patience than I do & get up with the worms.
Additionally, there are many pages & groups on Facebook that are dedicated to antique items of the period as well as goods by modern A&C masters. As a bonus, they offer wonderful information on the period. Below is a list of these groups who allow buying & selling.Some sites do not. They exist only for giving & receiving information, & for fellowship. It’s not a bad idea to join these too, but that’s not today’s topic.
The caveat here is that I have no clue as to who any of the folks are that are selling on any of these group pages. You must perform your own due diligence regarding every aspect of the offered item- value, condition, authenticity, does the it even exist?
A public community of Arts & Crafts Revival Artisans & Revival aficionados, sharing revival work that is available, or promote various events such as fairs, sales, & websites.
This group is for the sharing and enjoyment of the Arts & Crafts era of the late 1890s to the 1920s, as well as its contemporary counterparts. Selling/trading items, sharing real estate ads for Arts & Crafts style homes are very much acceptable in this group.
This group is geared to beginners & intermediate collectors of the Arts & Crafts Movement & the items we live with. Focus is primarily furniture of the period, along with decorative objects, both period & reproductions of quality.
Some of the individual resource pages list Facebook groups specializing in those items.
A necessary element, window coverings compliment your other design elements, giving your privacy & protection from the sun & the cold.e! Meanwhile, keep reading my blog & loving your bungalow.
There is more to com!
I am forever searching for more vendors of bungalow enhancing items so-
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Restoration can be very rewarding, but, it can be soul-crushing & heavily taxing on the body. Hideous surprises & surly, incompetent tradespeople can threaten to annihilate one’s sweet nature on a daily basis. At the same time, the body is being hit by the stirring up of the 100 year old accumulation of decayed organic matter, materials that are now banned from use, materials that are currently in use but highly toxic, & then there’s the challenge of living with no kitchen.
The resulting deficiencies can cause a reduction in the much needed energy & the emotional resilience required in returning a property to an even livable condition. The common response is to head for those foods that comfort instead of nourish & to hunker down in front of the TV or electronic device of choice instead of moving the body to get rid of the toxins & work out the kinks.
Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the basics of a healthful lifestyle. Maybe you need a refresher. It could also be that you could benefit from a gentle nudge or a swift kick in the derriere. These videos will provide all of them & you can take your pick!
VIDEOS ON STAYING HEALTHY WHILE RESTORING AN OLD HOUSE
Wellness Wednesday: How to Heal Your Gut Bacteria with The Sonnenburgs (39:21)
Phoebe Lapine
The Sonnenburgs are Stanford scientists who have been in the forefront of research on gut health. Their discoveries have tied together the various factors which produce good general health. Learn why what you put on your plate can help proof your body against the physical & mental stresses of old house restoration. As a bonus, they are warm & articulate!
5 Surprising Health Benefits of Walking (And Why You Should Do It Everyday) – According To Science (9:40)
Dr. Steven Hulme
A very interesting talk, with some great images, on how walking keeps us healthy.
Stanford researchers find mental health prescription: Nature (2:08)
Standford
I’m a real fan of Stanford. They are producing some great research on natural healing.
Is a Calorie a Calorie? Processed Food, Experiment Gone Wrong (1:39:37)
Stanford Health Care
Who is making this “food,” what is it made of & how is it made? Yep, this is a long video, but the information in it could change, enhance & prolong your life.
Please let me know if these videos have given you a new viewpoint on how you can gain more control over your own health.
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I know that when you come home at the end of the day, you just want to relax but, you need to be alert to your environment. It’s no longer just a cozy bungalow, but the second the first crew walks in the door, it turns into an place in which there could be power tools, construction dust & debris & slip & trip hazards.
I have seen injuries that could have easily been prevented had somebody just bothered to assess their current surroundings, determined sources of possible danger & planned accordingly. I mean, I have seen some really goofy stuff! This applies to anyone on the premises, not just the workers. Please also take a look at my post on staying healthy when you have all kinds of construction chaos going on.
These videos were produced by folks who have a great deal of experience & wisdom & can actually teach you a few things that could come in handy.
WATCH THESE SAFETY FIRST IN OLD HOUSES FILMS & APPLY WHAT THEY SAY!
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) – 3D Animated Video (3:22)
Safety Videos by Custom Animation
Darling cartoon, great for a homeowner!
DIY Safety Tips: How to Properly Quarantine Your Work Area (5:16)
My Old House Fix
This information in this video by Chris Hewitt applies to the DIY’er, but is also very important for any homeowner who is living in a jobsite.
HEALTH HAZARDS IN RENOVATIONS OVERVIEW (21:55)
NICA SAFETY
Asbestos, lead, silica, & mold, oh my! Does your contractor foster a strong safety culture?
Safety Toolbox Talks: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (7:01)
NAHBTV
More on PPE.
Although I was in the construction industry for almost half a century, when I watched these films I learned a great deal. I really wish I had seen them before I inhaled a wall of a hundred year old, moldy, infested house as it came crashing down 2 feet in front of my unprotected face!
Another good resource is my post on how to read Material Safety Data Sheets. You should know about the products that are going to be used in your home.
You are under contract on a new old house. It’s your first venture into bungalow living & your home inspector has said that he has discovered knob & tube wiring. Because the majority of you are not electricians & many of you have never even heard this term before, I have put together these videos to help you understand what knob & tube is & how it could affect your home purchase.
Forewarned is forearmed!
SO LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT KNOB & TUBE WIRING
Knob and Tube – early electrical insulation (4:34)
EdisonTechCenter TechCenter
A great show ‘n’ tell!
Testing 100 Year Old Knob and Tube Wiring (13:34)
Electromagnetic Videos
Checking out a 100 year old system.
Issues with Old Electric Wiring | Knob and Tube (8:02)
Everyday Home Repairs
Issues of an aging electrical system.
So now that you know what knob & tube is, you can discuss it with your electrician & together, you can make some decisions.
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Most of my playlists have only 3 or 4 videos. But, I love old bungalow kitchens & this includes bungalow kitchen videos so I never pass up the opportunity to watch one & do not wish to deprive you. When I go to house museums, I always head for the kitchen & hang around there until my husband makes me leave. On the few occasions that I was required to be on a tour, I have managed to break away from the main group & find my own way to the kitchen. I have been reprimanded by security guards more than once but I don’t care! I guess I’m an unapologetic kitchen rebel. Been called worse!
My blog articles about kitchens favor authentic restorations or reproductions. My mentor, Jane Powell wrote the definitive book on the subject, BUNGALOW KITCHENS & I strongly urge you to read it & enjoy its lush photography.
SO LET’S LOOK AT SOME BUNGALOW KITCHENS VIDEOS, SHALL WE!
1920s Kitchen: A Look Back, Rice County (1:54)
Power96Radio
This kitchen is described as being a country kitchen so it has the look of an earlier period. The wallpaper is wonderful!
1920s style kitchen design (2:20)
Антон Шишко
A mixture of wonderful old, cool restored & newly created kitchens in a variety of degrees of authenticity, with some annoying music playing in the background.
Family Uses 100-Year-Old Stove: ‘It’s Like a Miracle’ (1:05)
Our little Nest
A charming couple with their old stove.
55 Indoor Antique Gas Stove Ideas (4:57)
Empowerment
Some interesting images of a number of great stoves from many decades.
Historic Kitchens from the 1920s and 30’s are not what you think. (8:21)
Brent Hull
A look at technology in early homes.
The AWESOME History of Kitchens- Historic Kitchens revealed. (11:58)
Brent Hull
The evolution of the kitchen.
Historic House Tour: 70 years of kitchen innovations all in 1 place. CRAZY! (14:22)
Brent Hull
A kitchen that has original wood cabinets, decorative parlor cabinets, 1940’s plywood cabinets, 1950’s steel cabinets, and a 1970’s electric range. Oh, my!
For me, Ernest Batchelder, tilemaker (1875-1957) stands with the Greene’s as an icon of the Southern California Arts & Crafts Movement. Like the Gamble House, Batchelder’s home overlooked the Arroyo Seco & like the brothers, he took inspiration from the beauty of this area with its often dry, sometimes gushing river, the tumbled rocks & the magnificent California oaks that lined the bed.
Robert Winter, architectural historian, lived in his house from 1971 until his death in 2019 & was an expert of all things Batchelder, writing the definitive Batchelder history, Batchelder Tilemaker. Winter contributed hugely to our understanding of the Movement in Southern California. We see his delightful self here in the first video.
I’m going to allow the videos to tell his story.
THE TILE OF ERNEST BATCHELDER
House of the Green Rabbit: The Ernest A. Batchelder Bungalow (16:31)
PasadenaHistory
Robert W. Winter Batchelder architectural historian & tile expert talks about the life & art of Batchelder. We get a nice tour of the home, in which Winter lived after his death & we hear from Alan Batchelder, the grandson of Batchelder.
History At Home: Ernest A. Batchelder
Pasadena Media (2:22)
More about Batchelder & his work & some views of more of his wonderful tiles.
Batchelder Fireplaces – The Cat’s Meow (5:20)
KGEM-TV
See some beautiful surrounds adorned with Batchelder’s tiles.
Handmade tiles with Pasadena Craftsman Tile
(5:33)
Pasadena Craftsman Tile
Tile artist Cha-Rie Tang creates custom handmade relief tiles in the Arts & Crafts style & Batchelder revival tiles. She’s who I want to be when I grow up.
Wondering if the tiles in your house might have been made by Batchelder? The Pasadena Museum of History is compiling a database of tiles & is offering to identify yours. Click here for more information on how to access this great service.
To see more examples of his art, visit my Pinterest page here.
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Enhancing the wonderful features of your bungalow is one of the most enjoyable things about stewarding your home. The hardware, lighting & decorative items of the Arts & Crafts Movement are cheerful & brilliantly beautiful. Period kitchens & baths will pay homage to the past owners & are just good design sense. Leaping about the decades is visually disturbing (Jane Powell called it “cognitive dissonance.”) & can disturb the flow of the interior. But, the goods you need to create a period atmosphere, are not always easy to find.
To make your search easier, & to provide you with more choices, I have created a list of resources for you. I’ll also mention that many of the items can be found on the resale market. Facebook Marketplace is growing daily & Craigslist seems to be hanging in there too. Of course the odd piece can still be discovered at a yard or estate sale but, you have to have more patience than I do & get up with the worms.
Restoration can be very rewarding, but, it can be soul-crushing &
I know that when you come home at the end of the day, you just want to relax but, you need to be alert to your environment. It’s no longer just a cozy bungalow, but the second the first crew walks in the door, it turns into an place in which there could be power tools, construction dust & debris & slip & trip hazards.
“What is knob & tube wiring anyway?”
Most of my playlists have only 3 or 4 videos. But, I love old bungalow kitchens & this includes bungalow kitchen videos so I never pass up the opportunity to watch one & do not wish to deprive you. When I go to house museums, I always head for the kitchen & hang around there until my husband makes me leave. On the few occasions that I was required to be on a tour, I have managed to break away from the main group & find my own way to the kitchen. I have been reprimanded by security guards more than once but I don’t care! I guess I’m an unapologetic kitchen rebel. Been called worse!
For me, Ernest Batchelder, tilemaker (1875-1957) stands with the Greene’s as an icon of the Southern California Arts & Crafts Movement. Like the Gamble House, Batchelder’s home overlooked the Arroyo Seco & like the brothers, he took inspiration from the beauty of this area with its often dry, sometimes gushing river, the tumbled rocks & the magnificent California oaks that lined the bed.