Do you own/rent a craftsman bungalow? If so, what do you like/dislike about it?

Mydaughter has an absolutely charming one on the east side of Providence.There is a miniscule backyard but the only real flaw is the small kitchen, which is divided into a tiny room with the sink, refrig, and cabinets and a second room with stove, counter tops and small table and four chairs.

Not a Craftsman, specifically, but something similar. I own a 1929 (or is it ‘31?) Arts and Crafts style bungalow. Think Craftsman, without the lovely built-in cabinets and shelves.

What I love:

The charm
All brick exterior
Cozy sized rooms
The beautiful old hardwood floors
The large yet simple moldings (8 inch baseboards, 4 inch window and door trim)
My completely remodeled kitchen
The large front porch
Brick sidewalk and steps in the front
Wavy glass in the original true divided-light windows
The standing-seam tin roof
The look of the claw foot cast iron tub

What I hate:

It’s old, and different parts are always falling apart around us
Plaster walls (not so charming in real life)
Very little closet space
1 small bathroom in a 3 bedroom house (you literally have to sit diagonally on the toilet!)
Old wiring and plumbing that gets updated as we go along
Single pane glass in all the original windows (not exactly energy efficient)
Some of those ‘cozy’ rooms are downright small
No heat in the bedrooms (we use electric space heaters there)
No central A/C at all
The fact that the tin roof routinely leaks
The practicality of the claw foot tub (again, not so charming in real life when it’s your only option)

In short (I know – it’s tool late for that!), I love my house. But I wish I had the money to fix/update all the things that need it, all at once.

Interesting note about the Craftsman bungalows…They were sold through the Sears catalog in kit form. (Craftsman has been the Sears brand of tools for a long time) I grew up in a neighborhood where there were blocks and blocks of them within walking distance of an old roofing factory. I heard that they were made available to the workers on a convenient payment plan.