Since the late 1800s and early 1900s, the California Bungalow has been a popular style for new homes. The architectural style hit its peak in the 1920s when major companies like Sears and Roebuck and Montgomery Ward offered pre-cut versions of the home and sold them in their catalogues for fabrication on site.Starting on the East coast, California quickly got a hold of the style and Midwestern versions soon followed. One of the few truly American architectural styles, the California Bungalow capitalizes on economy, convenience and efficiency. Today, a renewed interest in the style is bringing the California Bungalow a resurgence in popularity.

California Bungalow Characteristics

The California style emphasized minimalism and simplicity as well as the idea that everyone could own their own home. Simple and sparing in cost but functional for the family, the California Bungalow provides a large open space for multiple functions and built in furniture to make the most of materials. Characteristics include:

Informality and efficiency are the key traits of the California Bungalow, and columns are a great example of both. Strong, simple columns provide both a decorative element and a structural support, as well as a feel of permanence to the informal style of the bungalow.

California Bungalow Columns
The one-story floor plan of the California Bungalow resonates with the horizontal nature of the acres it sits upon, and therefore the columns provide a much needed balance to the architectural landscape of the home as a whole. Not known for symmetry, the California Bungalow is a style of architecture that utilizes contrast in measure and the column provides an eye-catching vertical to an otherwise overpowering horizontal design.

California Bungalow Column Styles
Columns come in a variety of styles; however, the California Bungalow is only compatible with a few of them. The California Bungalow features either thick square non-tapered columns or thick square tapered columns. True to the functionality of the architecture, the columns are left smooth with no flutes (vertical grooves), further adding to its utilitarian appeal.

California Bungalow Column Materials
Natural materials found locally that echo the colors and textures of the surrounding landscape are another identifying characteristic of the California Bungalow. Wooden columns are a resounding popular choice for California Bungalow porches.

California Bungalow Column Colors
Color choice for California Bungalow columns can really take the decorative aspect of the home to the next level. Columns in a soft brown, off white, or even deep dusky auburn can highlight the earthy tones of the landscape. Brighter colors are an eye-catching way to allow for a bit of playfulness in the California Bungalow homey appeal and lighten up the landscape.