Well, sort of… I was recently interviewed for an article about homes with ”Wow Factor.” Unfortunately, while the story of the discovery of our bungalow was published, there was no mention of our little blog. I can’t really complain though. The interview was a lot of fun!
If you’re curious about the WSJ piece, it’s posted here: http://online.wsj.com/ad/article/sir-insights?WC=HPInsThumb
Sorry – I know most of you are probably looking for an update on the exterior paint, but this was too funny not to share.
Our six year old daughter Chloe has been asking for a playhouse for ages. Unfortunately, with all of the other house projects we have going on around here, the playhouse project has fallen by the wayside. Yesterday, I came up with a temporary fix involving four folding chairs and an old fitted sheet. (Please try to overlook the shoddy construction.)
the new "playhouse"
Both girls (Chloe and her one year old sister) were thrilled with with the new abode, but before long I noticed Chloe piling weeds on top of the sheet:
Perplexed, I inquired as to the point of the weeds, to which Chloe responded “It’s an eco-roof.”
Perhaps there’s too much architecture talk at our dinner table…
Last night we put up test patches of both Caponata and Wenge. The Wenge looked fine – I can’t say I had any complaints - but we both really loved the Caponata (even from across the street, which is the true test, I think!)
So, it seems we’ve settled on a non-authentic bungalow body color! Since the depth of color is similar to the dark stain on Craftsman Farms, we’re viewing this as ”a modern interpretation of the Craftsman Aesthetic” with apologies to purists everywhere.
I planned to post a photo of both test patches for your viewing pleasure, but Mr. Bungalow Insanity painted over them before I had chance. We’ve got no idea what we’re doing for trim and accent colors yet, so you’ll just have to stay tuned…
I have always loved Greene and Greene’s Gamble House. There’s something so stately about its tobacco & rust colored palette! I’d love to create a similar vibe here at the bungalow. Of course, the Gamble House is stained and we’ll be forced to paint, but I would love for our house to have that sort of “presence.” I think that’s why I’m leaning so strongly towards using a dark body color.
The colors I’m most drawn to are Caponata and Wenge – both from Benjamin Moore’s Aura line. Wenge is definitely more bungalowy (or should I say “bungalowcious?”) but there’s something about Caponata that makes me all swoony.
I toyed with using rust as a trim color, but I think it’s a bit much for a house of this size. I seem to prefer it as an accent color. I haven’t made any firm decisions yet, but I am having fun playing with Photoshop. See for yourself:
Wenge Body (not sure about the rafter tails yet)
Caponata Body (again unsure about the rafter tails)
So, what do you think? What’s more important: staying true to the period of the house or choosing colors that make us happy, regardless of accuracy? I’d love to hear some feedback…
It’s no secret that I ADORE Bradbury and Bradbury wallpaper. I often cycle through the gorgeous photography on their web site thinking â€How big of a deal is it, really, if our kids don’t go to college?â€
Little did I know that dreams of a college education for our children – and Bradbury and Bradbury wallpaper hanging in our bungalow – might not be mutually exclusive. Turns out, Bradbury and Bradbury actually sells seconds! I had NO idea.
Tremendous thanks to the folks at Bangor Bungalow for outlining the process and making my day!
Looks like I spoke (wrote?) too soon – I just found the black and white damask rug on another website.
I can’t decide how I feel about olefin though. On the one hand, I don’t want to spend a fortune on a wool rug which might get trashed, and getting trashed is a distinct possibility in a playroom. Click to continue »
Sorry we’ve been so quiet lately - we’re suffering a blog-deadly combo of work-overload and renovation fatigue, leaving us without much to report here at the bungalow.
I should, however, admit that I really blew it with the playroom. I took so long trying to make a decision on the playroom rug that the one I’d finally decided on – the black and white damask with the black border – has been discontinued. Serves me right for being so wish-washy!
The rug hunt continues…
view from outside chloe's room
Chloe turned six earlier this month, and while it may be sort of an odd fixation for a six year old to have, she is nonetheless obsessed with Paris. Santa must have heard about her francophile tendencies, because he left some brand new Parisian-themed bedding under the tree on Christmas morning. Click to continue »
Do you live in the Portland area? Curious about bungalow colors? If so, and if you have nothing else going on this Saturday morning, please feel free to pop by the Architectural Heritage Center to say hello. I’ll be giving a presentation called “Painting Your Bungalow – Inside & Out” and would love to meet some of my fellow housebloggers!
