Housework: The Bungalow Style in Kamloops

Housework: The Bungalow Style in Kamloops is a comprehensive educational journey that aims to explain the distinctive look of many downtown homes. This exhibition meticulously traced the rise of bungalow-style homes, popular between 1900 and 1930, and delved into the global trends that influenced their appeal, providing a wealth of knowledge for our visitors.

The exhibition highlighted the unique characteristics of bungalows, typically one- or one-and-a-half-storey homes with low-sloped roofs, overhanging eaves, and prominent front porches. Unlike other homes from the same period, bungalows feature simple decor, relying on structural elements rather than factory-made wood mouldings and trim. The materials used to build the house often served as its ornamentation, embodying a design that is simple yet elegant.

The bungalow style, a testament to our local history, emerged during a time when artists in Britain, North America, and Europe were embracing old-fashioned craftsmanship and rejecting mass-produced materials as part of a larger backlash against the Industrial Revolution. This style particularly caught on along the west coast, with California being an early hotspot, and it likely spread to the interior of British Columbia from there. Given the province’s abundant forests and readily available wood, the style made practical sense and became a part of our unique architectural heritage.

To illustrate the bungalow’s popularity in Kamloops, the museum featured photographs of houses from downtown and other neighbourhoods, all taken at the same angle for easy comparison. The display also included construction tools and floor plans from the era. It was suggested that many Kamloops homes share similarities because they were built on the same floor plan, and some may have been trucked in as modern kit homes.

Housework: The Bungalow Style in Kamloops provided visitors with a comprehensive look at the historical and architectural significance of the bungalow in the city’s development.