Guest post and photos from Melinda Schnare. Photo above is prior to the renovation of the outside of the bungalow.

Walking through my neighborhood in North Woodside, or when I’m out and about driving, it is often the bungalow’s charm that gives me pause, imagining what the inside looks like, admiring how nice the outside is. I asked my good neighbors what it is like to live in their 1920s Craftsman-style bungalow.

They told me that when they found their bungalow that it was not very welcoming. The years had not been kind. Painted a dark rustic brown, weeds and bushes over grown, they almost didn’t open the door to go in. But once they entered the home, their impression changed completely.

Like many bungalows, the previous owners had expanded the back of the house, adding a large kitchen, open concept living room and a pair of bedrooms on the second floor with a walk-in closet and 13-foot high ceilings. By weaving the addition onto the back of the house, they managed to add tons of living space and modern amenities without diminishing the older home’s charm.

Like many bungalows, there is a porch that stretches across the front of the house. It’s their favorite part, so much so that they outfitted the porch with a large dining room table and chairs, ceiling fans and comfortable couch. They use the porch three seasons of the year for happy hour, sharing meals or just hanging out. Neighbors walking by will often come up and chat and relax a while.

Last year, they decided that the outside of the home needed to be updated so it would look as good as the inside. They removed the old cedar shingles and replaced them with a combination of HardiePlank lap siding on the first floor and new cedar shingles on the second. All the rustic dark brown paint was replaced with natural green colors that provided contrast between the two floors. Trim is a creamy white that makes the bungalow’s signature exposed rafters and knee braces pop.

They didn’t set out to find a bungalow when they began their search seven years ago. Dad was interested in an older home that did not require a lot of work, mom was looking for evidence of neighborhood kids‑bikes, basketball hoops and chalk drawings on the sidewalk. She was even known to have asked those close to the homes where they looked, “What is it like on Halloween?”

Today my neighbors could not be happier in their perfect bungalow.

Schnare is a real estate agent with RLAH Real Estate

After the renovation of the outside. Photos courtesy Melinda Schnare.