MURRAY BUNGALOW : UPPER LEVEL -- PROPOSED FLOOR PLAN

In the last post, we covered the existing layout and tour of the upper level (here, if you missed it!). In today's update, we'll walk through the modifications that we have in store. Though our plans upstairs are modest in comparison to the main level, we feel confident that the changes will add up to a big impact.

For reference, here is the existing floor plan:

And, our proposed floor plan:

The floorplan changes are concentrated at the west end of the house, affecting bedroom #2 and the master bedroom:

UNDER-THE-RAFTERS EXPANSION | After taking ownership of the house, we discovered extra square footage hiding in the attic space behind bedroom #2 and the master. Why not take advantage of these easy opportunities to add functional space to the rooms? In bedroom #2, we'll expand the nook beneath the transom window on the west wall. This enlarged spot now becomes much more useful and versatile, perfect for holding a crib or toddler bed, a desk workspace, or large bureau. In the master, we similarly bump out the wall on the west end, capitalizing on the empty attic space, to host a built-in chest of drawers.

MASTER CLOSET RE-CONFIGURATION | The other notable change in layout involves the master bedroom closet area. The existing configuration suffers from odd, mis-matched closet sizes and strange points of access. To solve this, we remove the closet on the east end, returning the extra space to the main part of the room. Then, across from the remaining sliding door closet on the west end, we'll build a mirror-image replication. This change brings a needed dose of symmetry & balance to the space, and helps to more clearly delineate the two zones in the master bedroom: the main part of the room for resting, and a dressing area outfitted with "his & hers" closets and built-in storage.

In addition to these floor plan modifications, we'll freshen up the entire level with new flooring, new paint, and new light fixtures. In the bathroom, specifically, we'll aim to elevate the aesthetics with all new plumbing, tile, and finishes. In contrast to the open and casual layout of the main level, our vision for the upstairs is to create a calm & peaceful sanctuary for rest & retreat, complete with cozy sleepy quarters, a fresh, clean bathroom space, and lots and lots of functional storage.


Next, we'll share our design direction for the interior, which will guide the overall finished look & feel of the home, followed by room-by-room deep dives. We can't wait for this project to come together. Thanks for reading!

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MURRAY BUNGALOW : UPPER LEVEL -- "BEFORE" PHOTOS & FLOOR PLAN

Continuing on our tour of the Murray Bungalow, today we are sharing the upper level "before" photos and floor layout. (If you need to catch up, read our introduction to the project here, the main level "before" tour and floor layout here, our proposed plans for the main level here.)

On the upper level, beneath the bungalow's gently sloping rooflines, three bedrooms and one full bath are tucked in comfortably, with well-placed dormers adding extra headroom in key spots. Storage is plentiful with roomy closets in each bedroom and a generously-sized linen closet off the hallway.

The photos below capture the state of the interior upon purchase. Reference points for each photo are shown on the floorplan below.

STAIRWAY | Despite its worn treads and floorboards evincing years of heavy use, the stairway connecting the upper & lower levels of the house feels open and airy, with natural light pouring in from a well-placed window, and the ceiling reaching two-stories in height.

BEDROOM #1 | The first bedroom, located directly off the stairs, overlooks the backyard. A half-wall of wood paneling provides the perfect backdrop for a headboard. The single east-facing window is there to welcome early morning light.

BEDROOM #2 | The second bedroom, residing in the northeast corner of the house, includes a pair of casement windows and a small, paned-glass transom, recessed into a dormer, lending character and interest.

MASTER BEDROOM | At the end of the upstairs hall we find the master bedroom. The largest of the three rooms, the master bedroom takes the shape of a wide "L": one end of the "L" dedicated to sleeping, and the other end for dressing & storage. The mis-matched closets, however, with their odd access and organization, definitely warrant further attention.

BATH | Last, we have the upper level full bath. This upstairs bath boasts a slightly larger footprint than the lower level bath, allowing for a larger vanity and a window, great for natural light and ventilation.

This concludes the tour of the upper level -- short & sweet :). In the next post, we'll review the upgrades that we have planned for this floor. While the basic room configuation won't change, we'll make a few key modifications, as well as update the finishes throughout -- all in an effort to create a calm & clean sanctuary for sleeping and rejuvenation. Stay tuned!

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MURRAY BUNGALOW : MAIN LEVEL -- PROPOSED FLOOR PLAN

Now that we've shared the "before" tour and floor plan for the main level of the Murray Bungalow (check it out here), it's time to reveal our plans for the renovation!

For reference, the existing floor plan:

And here is our proposed:

Let's walk through the big changes, one at a time:

CENTRAL KITCHEN HUB & OPEN FAMILY SPACE | The most significant change that we make to the house is relocating the kitchen from the back southeast corner to the north wall, in what was formerly the family room. This new location allows the kitchen to be star of the home, the central hub around which day-to-day life unfolds. We gain a natural connection to the living room to the west, and the capacity to build a large custom island, perfect for entertaining and inviting friends & family to congregate. On the east side, we'll open up the sunroom wall to let in tons of natural light and tap into under-utilized square footage. No longer a "once in a while" room, the sunroom now becomes a versatile, everyday family space.

LAUNDRY / MUDROOM | In the current home layout, laundry resides in the basement, and one closet serves the entire first floor. We change all of this in our proposed floor plan by transforming the old kitchen space into a combined laundry / mudroom. Better suited in size for these purposes, and located conveniently off of the stairs and back entry, it's the perfect spot for a washer/dryer laundry station and "drop zone" for shoes & gear. This configuration also allows us to build out an bonus closet, tucked in off of the main hallway, for increased storage.

UPDATED BATH | The original house was blessed with a full bath on the main level, a feature that isn't super common in homes of this age, but certainly valued. We'll retain the functionality of the full bathroom on this level, but make a few key adjustments: swap the location of the sink and toilet for better flow, remove the drop ceiling to provide a more spacious feel, and modernize fixtures & finishes for a fresh, clean look.

OPEN AIR PORCH | We'll transform the existing screened-in porch into a relaxed & inviting open air front porch. This will involve refinishing the floor boards, adding new ceiling paneling, and building out a custom railing to match the original style of the home. The end result will be a welcoming point of entry to the property -- one that links the house to the neighborhood, and substantially boosts the home's curb appeal.

In addition to all of this design work, the vital systems of the house will receive a complete overhaul: new electric, new plumbing, new HVAC, and improved insulation throughout.

We've certainly got out work cut out for us, but the potential is real! As we go through the project, we'll dive deeper into design plans for each room, sharing our progress as we go.

Up next, we'll cover the upper level photo tour and plans for improvement. Thank you for reading!

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MURRAY BUNGALOW : MAIN LEVEL -- "BEFORE" PHOTOS & FLOOR PLAN

Today we are sharing a "before" photo tour of the Murray Bungalow project, along with the current floor plan. (In case you missed it, you can read the introduction to the project here). Since there is a lot to cover, we'll tackle the main floor of the house in this post, and follow up with a similar post for the upper level at a later time. Let's dive in!

First, the existing floor plan:

Like so many homes built in this period (1920's), the original layout of the Murray Bungalow de-prioritizes the kitchen and informal living spaces. While the flow at the front of the house is quite nice -- just off the entry vestibule, a large living room to the left, and cozy dining area to the right -- the hardest-working spaces (the kitchen & family den) are relegated to the back of the house, with limited room for congregating. A huge focus of our renovation efforts will be on modernizing the balance of formal and functional space within the floor plan.

On to the photo tour! The photos that follow were taken on the day the keys were handed to us in January. While so much will change (work is already well underway!), you'll catch glimpses of the home's salient features, including original millwork (beautiful window & door casing) and the bountiful natural light that floods the home from the east and west. To help with orientation, please refer to the floor plan below, which marks the vantage point of each image.

SCREEN PORCH | Upon entering the home, you arrive first at a screen porch, and from there proceed inside through the main door. In rainy or buggy environments, a nicely finished screen porch can offer a relaxing chance to experience fresh air while staying semi-protected from the elements. But too often, rather than function as the best of both worlds, the screen porch sits vacant, lost somewhere between fully indoors & fully outdoors, acting as a catch-all for miscellaneous outdoor items. A wasted opportunity, in our view, to connect to the outdoors and the neighborhood streetscape.

LIVING ROOM | The living room is generously sized, receiving good light from a pair of transoms and a band of casement windows on the west end of the room. Cedar beams puncuate the ceiling, highlighting the room's lofty 8'-6" height, and lending unique visual interest. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, the wood beams were covered in chocolate brown paint. We'd like to keep the beams, but either refinish to a natural wood tone or paint a crisp white.

FAMILY ROOM | Refering to this room as the family room might be a stretch. It's a dark & gloomy space located smack in the middle of the house, with walls closing it off from other rooms & concealing natural light. A half-wall opening in the corner attempts to connect the room to the kitchen, but the awkward placement misses the mark. Addressing this space will be key in our new plans.

SUNROOM | We're quite sure that the sun room at the east end of the house was added on after the original build, since the basement doesn't extend below it, and remnant exterior siding covers the main wall. That said, we're so glad that it's here -- the light coming into this room is unreal, with windows along three sides, opening up the house to trees and greenery outside. The space is severely under-utilized in its current form, which we plan to remedy in our updated layout.

KITCHEN | The existing kitchen suffers most from its poor location in the house. Cramped into a small corner off of the back stairway, it lacks countertop space as well as seating of any kind. The cabinets, countertops, and appliances have all seen better days. We'll address these kitchen shortcomings, along with the family room and sunroom, in our re-worked layout of the main level.

BATH | The bathroom on the main level is small in size, but big in function. We'll keep it as a full bath (extra baths/showers are always welcome!), swapping the placement of the toilet and sink, and updating all of the finishes throughout.

DINING ROOM | Lucky for us, the dining room comes packed with natural charm -- it features beautiful original windows on two sides, and a built-in hutch along the west wall. We'll freshen up this room with new finishes (goodbye, peeling orchid wallpaper and painted brown trim), but otherwise plan to let the original details shine.


This wraps up the tour of the main level in its current state. Flaws & all, the potential is there for this house to become something truly special. Our plans for how we'll transform the main level will be coming up in the next post. And then, we'll move on to share the upper level, with lots more to come after that. Thanks for following along :).

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INTRODUCING ..... THE MURRAY BUNGALOW

We are thrilled to announce that work is underway at our very first DAILY HOME CO. property. Introducing….. the Murray Bungalow !

We plan to overhaul this little gem top to bottom, inside and out, telling the story of its transformation as we go. To follow along, subscribe to our e-mail newsletter, blog, Instagram feed (@dailyhomeco), or all three :).

First off, some background on the house and why we chose it.

LOCATION | Nestled in the heart of Shorewood, this property couldn’t be better located. Some highlights:

> surrounding blocks loaded with charming architecture & mature trees
> steps away from Oakland Ave. coffee shops, pubs, shopping, & restaurants
> accessible to amazing natural assets, including Atwater Beach & Estabrook Park
> connected to large network of trails for endless biking, running, strolling …
> part of a wonderful public school district rated among the top in the state
> a short 10 min. drive to downtown !

SITE | With the Murray Bungalow site, we happily find that the property’s great location doesn’t come at the expense of outdoor space. The home rests on a deep lot that extends 150’ from the sidewalk to backyard property line. Though under-developed in its current state, the backyard brims with possibility: improved landscaping, maybe a veggie garden, play space for kids, dog run, fire pit, outdoor dining, or any combination thereof.

The location & site alone might have sold us on this project. BUT! Beyond these factors, what makes the project so special is the house itself. The innate charm of this 1922 bungalow is hard to deny. While upkeep in recent years may have been lacking, the fundamentals of the house remain very sound, making it a prime candidate for revitalization.

DESIGN | The original features of the Murray Bungalow reveal a heavy Prairie influence. Stemming from the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, Prairie-style architecture rose in popularity in the early 1900’s, setting itself apart from European-inspired residential design at the time with its strong emphasis on simplicity, informality, craftsmanship, and integration with the natural landscape. On the home's exterior, a number of Prairie-style attributes are on clear display:

> low-pitched, hipped roof
> broad, overhanging eaves
> asymmetrical entrance
> massive, “boxy” porch columns
> decorative trim highlighting horizontal planes
> bands of windows

On the inside, the Prairie style influence continues. The rooms, though modest in size, achieve an easy, casual flow. Gorgeous solid-wood built-ins, including dining room console and window bench, flaunt the home’s hand-crafted character and uniqueness. Low-slung roof-lines upstairs lend a cozy, sheltering feeling to the bedrooms tucked beneath. And those beautiful bands of windows infuse the interior with a wonderful abundance of natural light.

Can you see why we’re excited?? We hope you’ll join us and follow along as we share the story of this home’s transformation in coming months. Next up, a full photo tour plus layout plans (existing and proposed). And so much more to come after that. Stay tuned :).

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