Keeping it Simple

A Classic Bungalow with Modern Moves

Words by Christopher Ferguson, AIA Photos by Andrea Calo

In Rosewood, architect Elizabeth Baird offers a modern spin on the classic bungalow, creating a modest, light-filled home and taut garage apartment that blend elegantly with the neighborhood fabric.

When homeowner Royce Flournoy approached Elizabeth Baird to design a home on his family’s land in Rosewood, he came prepared with a list of parameters. The home should be single-story, respectful of its neighbors, accommodate a detached rental unit that maintained privacy from the main residence, and would ideally be built in the style of the classic bungalow – with a modern twist. Oh, and there had to be plenty of storage, naturally.

As the owner of Texas Construction Company, Royce is the kind of client who knows a thing or two about building for quality. So Elizabeth set to work, taking into consideration the constraints of the 8,000 square foot lot, which features a six-foot slope from east to west but was otherwise a blank slate.

The end result is a home with notable curb appeal, expertly embracing the bungalow archetype. The front façade’s clean lines are complemented by the restrained xeriscape landscaping delivered by Shademaker Studio.

Once inside, it’s clear that this is no ordinary bungalow. Light spills into the immediate living and dining spaces from two sources: a cozy, inset glazed porch and thick framed, floor-to-ceiling windows that funnel light into the center of the home.

Narrow planks of tongue and groove pine flow throughout the rooms, finished in bluish-green paint that pops against the eggshell interiors.

The daylighting approach wouldn’t be nearly as successful without Elizabeth’s careful adjustments to maximize open space. Instead of a cluster of centralized rooms and narrow hallways typical to the bungalow style, partitions were subtly pulled apart, allowing light to bounce into the interior of the residence.

A comfortable, shared patio is bookended by the 1,700 square foot main residence and smaller, yet equally airy, 550 square foot garage apartment. Intended to facilitate passive rental income, Royce and Elizabeth designed the space with privacy in mind. Royce, having lived in a garage apartment during the home’s construction, knew he had the flexibility to live in either the main home or apartment.

While Austin is home to an abundance of bungalows, comparatively few of them reside in burgeoning east neighborhoods. Elizabeth’s contribution to the neighborhood’s ever-changing vernacular is both lofty in its ambitions while staying grounded in its friendly context.