Since 2005, Pleasant Home Foundation has, as its annual fundraiser, held a tour featuring remarkable bungalows in Oak Park and River Forest. After a one year hiatus, they are resuming the tour again this year and hopes to tour six homes in the area just west of Columbus Park.
Oak Park has no shortage of home tours as homes by prominent architects are graciously opened by their owners for touring of a wide range of folks from architecture buffs to curious onlookers. The Beautiful Bungalows tour is distinct in that it typically features modest homes with sometimes surprising interior décor and remarkable Arts & Crafts collections.
The tour was inspired by the popularity of this housing type as the house for the average person. Pleasant Home’s architect, George Maher, also had a modest bungalow where his family vacationed in Southwest Michigan. The low profile of these homes, their dark woods, and fine craftsmanship are all aspects found in much of Maher’s work and can be seen on a grander scale at historic Pleasant Home.
The hunt is on for homes that fit the bill for this year’s tour as volunteers are scouring the neighborhood roughly bound by Austin Avenue to the east, Oak Park Avenue to the west, the Expressway to the south, and South Boulevard to the north. Do you want to help in the search? If you have a home that is a bungalow, has good craftsmanship and character, is in good condition, has excellent Arts & Crafts collections, or any combination of these, drop an e-mail to: beautifulbungalows @ gmail.com. If you don’t know of a home but would still like to help out as a volunteer at Pleasant Home or as a docent on the day of the Beautiful Bungalows tour, please call (708) 383 2654.
1 comment:
Hello. I am wondering if you would like to include my blog in your "Other People's Bungalow's" section. The address is www.eastsidebungalow.wordpress.com. Beside following your blog, it is so easy for to follow the other blogs because I can get to them from your blog. Thanks. - Daniela
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