The cottage. A Bungalow, a Cape Cod, just any modest cosy dwelling in a traditional design.
After house shopping for a long time you finally find the house of your dreams.
It’s the cutest cottage you have ever seen. Just like something out of a story book.
At one time there were many cottages like this.
But what happened to them? Where have they gone? Why are these cottages so rare?
Sadly the people who fell in love with their cottages eventually murdered them.
It’s usually a slow gradual death, sometimes unnoticeable, not much different from arsenic poisoning.
Death of a Cottage
The following is taken from How Buildings Learn and What happens after they’re built by Stewart Brand.
“We found this lovely little thatched cottage
-just what we were looking for.”
“Of course, there was no bathroom so we had to build one, and we added a utility room at the same time.”
“The council made us put large windows in the new part.”
“We found the cottage was really too small, so we built on a new kitchen and extra bedroom at the back.”
“With the children growing up we needed more bedrooms, so we put another story on the back addition.”
“Then, when the children married and left home, the house was too big for us and we sold it.”
New owners:
“When we bought the house the old part was very dark, so we put in bigger windows and a glass door.”
“We also added a garage.”
“Just as we had got the house as we wanted it, we had to move, and sold it.”
Next new owners:
“When we bought this house the thatch was in a very bad state, so instead of repairing it we decided to have it tiled.”
“We needed more rooms, so we built up the front at both ends.”
“We put in a new Georgian-style door and windows in the front, to be more in keeping with an old house.”
Outgrowing Your House
This is a sad story but people change and circumstances change. Life happens. Instead of changing the house to fit our needs it should be the other way around. We should adapt to our house and when our situation and needs change we should understand that moving into a home better suited to us is the best choice.
While a house may live on for hundreds of years, our time is brief. We have no moral right to obliterate that which was built by our fathers before us. Let us not be selfish but remember that we are stewards of a house that will live on after us. Read Why Old Buildings Should be Respected.
Adding an Addition to Your House
Additions must be sensitive to the existing house. The additions in the story above disfigured the house into something it was never meant to be.
Many architects and builders will add onto a house in the way above with no regard for the design or personality of the home.
Additions should be no larger than half the size of the original house. There are many homes out there that may better fit your needs if more space is needed.
This garage comes with a house.
The above photo is taken from Hooked on Houses . Here we have a very charming Cape Cod home with a giant garage. Separating the garage from the house is what we call a “hyphen”. A hyphen is a smaller structure used to separate the house from the addition making each section distinct and allowing them to retain their own identity. This is what lacked in the story above. Not that this is an answer to every addition.
The garage however is enormous – too big for the house even though it is connected with a hyphen. One would say the garage has a house attached to it, not a house with a garage. This garage should be detached and placed farther back.
Sure it’s nice not having to go out in the cold to your car but look at the price that is paid for that convenience. This selfishness destroys the over appearance of a lovely house. The garage is what is first noticed, not the house.
Bottom line: Beware of what architects and builders will suggest and don’t be selfish.
What Can I do to Protect the Character of my House?
Here is a sad story about a historic house that was purchased and destroyed by well meaning homeowners. Read this article and see how a Preservation Easement can preserve your legacy.
Please share this article. Doing so may prevent the loss of a beautiful home.
Isn’t it curious how there were so many cottages, bungalows and modest Capes where folks managed to raise their (larger) families, but today folks need a McMansion for their 2.1 children? And the adults each need a walk in closet as big as the cottage’s bedroom. Oh, I feel a rant coming on. Time to get off the soapbox. 🙂
You make a valid point!
Indeed true! New families tend to get a house within their budget then family grows until 18 where young adults leave homes and try to be independent. Some close family ties, tend to have their family with them. As family members rose in numbers, they just extend their house on the lot where can still look at their old parents and soon they just inherit the old house and so on.
Having recently moved my family of five (6) out of a lovely two bedroom, Cape Cod, I understand the charm and attraction of a cottage and I understand when you grow out of them! As for why in the olden days families could live in smaller spaces, I think they just must have had a lot less “stuff”. Storage is an issue for modern familes in old houses. Even clothing storage is a problem nevermind the books, toys and general junk that kids seem to collect. I used to not let my mother buy my kids any other pairs of shoes than the minimum necessary (everyday pair, sneakers and Sunday shoes) because there is just no place to keep all these things in a cottage.
I lived in a small story and a half as a teenager and then later as a mom with 2 boys. We had lots of stuff. What we really had to do was learn to compromise and get along because it was hard to get away from everyone else. I think that was a good thing. But I agree. If the house is historic and too small, move.
On remodeling, the worst I’ve seen is a couple in my neighborhood who bought a 1890s Italianate Villa and tried to turn it in to a brownstone. The only thing left of the original home is the brick. The inside was completely gutted, new windows were installed and the porch was completely redone. I do not understand why they simply didn’t build new. It is so wasteful, selfish and disrespectful of history.
Oh – so sad!
Well, this only works IF every single person is adhering to the same philosophy. For example, we moved out of our 1950s rancher (in immaculate original condition) because it only had two bedrooms. The person that bought it from us popped the top and it has now lost any connection to its original charm. So, there you go. We did the right thing and left a home and neighborhood we loved. But it didn’t matter in the end.
I know it’s a sad world! At least you know you did right if other people did wrong.
Indeed true! New families tend to get a house within their budget then family grows until 18 where young adults leave homes and try to be independent. Some close family ties, tend to have their family with them. As family members rose in numbers, they just extend their house on the lot where can still look at their old parents and soon they just inherit the old house and so on.
Always a shame when a home is renovated and updated so much that it just… isn’t what it used to be. And it sounded like such a lovely little cabin, too.
After reading this entry, and re-reading some related ones as well, I am in a quandary.
Are we contemplating the murder of a nondescript 1940 Cape by changing details to a humble Craftsman Bungalow? Am I fooling myself thinking as long as the Bungalow has accurate care and attention put into the details, what I want to do is fine?
Background:
We are mid-forties, have no children, and are looking to buy our forever home: a single/+half story Craftsman Bungalow.
However, the closest thing we have found to what we want in size and house to land ratio is a simple 974 sq. ft. of living space overall 1940 Cape on a .3 acre mature landscape lot. There are few SFH within the range we seek, less so without “could pass sugar to your neighbor through both your kitchen windows” distance for the lot.
We simply have no love for the Cape or Colonial style insofar as a place to call home. Yet the Craftsman style homes here are McMansion-fied, and it would be exorbitantly costly to dismantle them down to what they were.
We have no intention of building out or up other than to add a Craftsman style long porch across the front that would extend out to a carport. (Spouse wants the driveway closer to the mudroom door, and we can use the existing 1952 added detached garage for a garden shed.)
Would we be doing a disservice to this home and community by adding Craftsman details? Although the city has been making efforts of late to restore what they can of some older commercial buildings in the “Main Street” type areas, most of homes are “new shiny” upgrades or typical new builds.
Would it be less murderous for us to find similarly sized land, and build a new Craftsman Bungalow of the same size? It won’t be easy by far, but it might not be impossible.
The home in question can be found here: http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/Gardner_MA_01440_M46807-58639#photo0
Let me first say it will not be evil to alter this house as you see it like it would be for many others. You may also be able to accomplish getting the look you want.
Thank you for the response. It has relieved me greatly.
I’ve actually managed to find pictures of some similar homes in town from already sold real estate ads that still had interior pictures in them. I was especially excited to find one home where the front living area is still as it was back then. The interesting thing is that one still has the divider that possibly once was also in the home I linked, judging from the exposed beam showing if you look up from the far corner of the front door. The divider is of a style many would say “Oh! That’s a craftsman detail.” It even had glass doors on the one side, and that glass is definitely not new from the image I saw, so I don’t believe it was a recreation.
In other ads, I’ve found a few that point to what the kitchen should look like once restored in full, as well as various sorts of built-ins that apparently were common to various degrees (and perhaps budgets) around that time period. I’m still trying to find a good bathroom representation, but that room is the most common revamp–out of two dozen or so homes, only one at least still had the original tub. I’m stashing copies of the images in case things work out, and we do manage to buy the home.
Thank you again for your thoughts on this matter. I have learned a lot from your site during my many visits. Perhaps someday things will work out, and we’ll get the home. If so, you’ll be hearing from me again.
I meant to do a follow up post to this ages ago, but our new-old house hunt ran much longer than expected, and a lot happened in that time.
The short story is we stopped trying to pursue the Cape I wrote about. We ended up looking seriously at a handful of older homes, and our search lasted a lot longer than we ever had thought it would. There are a lot of older homes here, it turns out, but we waited until we found the right one for us.
We ultimately ended up buying a 1935 bungalow in the same city this year. My spouse thinks it was for the best that things worked out this way, since he knows they are my favorite style. She’s a gem, with many original bits and details–including all her windows! We’ve already made a few interesting discoveries in regards to her history–some of which have been the good kind.
Great article. Thanks for sharing!
Reality hurts and people are never contented.
I know – every time I read this I get bummed out.
This is sad. All they wanted was peace away from the ever industrializing world.
Unfortunate that a beautiful cottage was changed forever
I inspect a lot of home built in the 40s-50s that remain in a relative state of “original”. What I find is that in deeper metropolitan areas, its more difficult to get away with extensive additions, especially where fences are chain-link instead of block or tall picket. That being said, just because the outside looks “original” doesn’t mean that the inside is anything like the “original”. I commonly find that old houses with their own mystic get turned into these grey-white-black painted walls with stainless steel appliances and fixtures, completely killing any antique look they had.
What can you do though? These houses get adapted to what the market wants, and the market wants “post-modern” designs.
So true. The media keeps pushing new styles and trends and people want to keep up with their neighbors.
The answer to this is quite simple: People don’t want to move. Some areas of the country have limited inventory wtihin a price range. Buying a smaller house and adding on is the only reasonable option. We live within 10 miles of Washington, DC. Our 1,400 square foot Cape Cod which required extensive renovations just to keep the heat working, etc., cost $465k in 2006. Now we are a family of 6, and my father-in-law comes over every day for dinner (he lives next door). We worked long and hard to figure out a way to add an addition over the garage that fit in/didn’t dwarf the existing house. To purchase a 2,000 square foot house in our block is $800k. We don’t want to commute an hour each way to work. . . so we did an addition.
I understand you point completely. It is just sad however. If living in an old house, it is preferable to think of yourself as a steward taking care of the house for the next person. It may be best to adjust our lives to where we live, instead of where we live to our lives. That is not easy for some people for it would mean limiting the amount of children and the type of work you do. It can be argued both ways and really there is no winner. The is just what happens and it is very sad. Human beings can adapt to different situations. People over the years have learned to adapt due to the virus, recessions, etc. We also need to plan our families. It’s the same for the environment. We may prefer to live one way but need to alter our ways to protect the environment before there is a crisis. Times are getting more difficult and I feel that people cannot rule and stomp on things that come in their way as they have for hundreds of years but need to adjust and back down a bit.
Reading these articles has me stuck. I just bought an 800 sq foot house. A bit less than ½ of the house is from 1910, addition in the back in the 50’s was done well. It’s so tiny, but I wish it had more charm. How can I add that to a house that never had decorative elements? I had plans, but after reading your articles I feel stuck.
Always remember that less is more. Adding trim is difficult for what you see in the catalogs are never the correct size so custom work is usually needed. Email me a photo and I can take a look.
I am also dealing with needing a bit more space but not wanting to change the house. My daughter is an adult who is disabled. We want to build a separate garage with an apartment for her. We want to build it separate and away from the main house because we don’t want to change to the look of the house. I’m not sure what style you would call the house. Bungalow? Cottage, maybe? It’s small and 1278 square feet built in 1900. Anyway, the city is probably not going to let us build it separate from the house because we have to be at least 20 feet on each side from the neighbors. We will probably have to build on to the house. How to you add to an old house without destroying the original charm though?
You may be able to add onto the rear.
When I read this blog post, I get sad.
People have emotional attachments to their home. And adding additions and renovating helps them stay where the memories are and it’s not always financially feasible to move. Regardless of how you feel about renovating cottages, the reason people do this is to fit their needs. I think you’re being naive as well as rude to tell people they can’t because you love cottages and don’t think people should add additions or renovate. Get over yourself already.
No you need to get over yourself Ida. I can only imagine how your house looks.
I’m with you, Ida. When my house was built, the owners had it built to what they wanted: their personal taste, the styles of the time, the materials available, their budget, and the lifestyles of the time. I guarantee they weren’t thinking of who would live there a hundred years later. Could you see them, “oh dear, I’d love to convert out gas lights to the new electric lights, but we mustn’t change a thing from the original, after all, we are only temporary stewards of this place!”
Yeah, no.
I mean, it’s great these guys have a hobby they are passionate about and they provide a wealth of great information for others who want to do things a certain way. And historical preservation is great, to a degree. But not every house ever built needs to be kept forever as a living history museum. Lifestyles change, and we’re allowed to modify our living spaces to suit.
Keep to the same architectural style and use materials that match if possible. Find an architect who can design the addition that can make the addition look like it was an original design. Search old houses of similar build. There are a lot of Sears and Robuck kit houses still around and if you search you can find the actual photographs and blueprints of these houses. Sears and Robuck sold kit houses from 1908 to 1940. You might find one similar to yours with that extra room you need.
Oh. If you want a big house, why not buy a big house, don’t ruin the cottage!
Very true, valid points.
Thank you for sharing
I was curious if you ever thought of changing the structure
of your site? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.
Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or two images.
Maybe you could space it out better?
I try to be aware of that when putting an article together. I know that is important. In this article however the text is probably the least of all my articles. There are 8 images. Not always easy to find pics and then I don’t want to post too many similar images. Will try to do better spacing.
Pretty great post. I simply stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I’ve truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts.
In any case I will be subscribing on your rss feed and I’m hoping you write again soon!
You should be a part of a contest for one of the best sites online.
I am going to recommend this blog!
You could certainly see your skills in the work you write.
The arena hopes for more passionate writers such as you who are not afraid to mention how they believe.
Always follow your heart.
Preserving the character of a house is crucial, especially if it has historic or architectural significance. It highlights the importance of protecting the legacy of a home through a preservation easement. Homeowners can play a vital role in safeguarding their property for future generations by taking proactive measures to preserve its character and history. This serves as a reminder of the responsibility that comes with owning a historic home and the steps homeowners can take to protect its legacy.
I am curious to find out what blog system you are utilizing?
I’m having some small security problems with my latest website and I’d like to
find something more safe. Do you have any recommendations?
Hi – using wordpress.
People have bad taste and no eye for scale, color, or charm.
My pet peeve of the day is the beautiful architecture gem down the street which was wonderfully restored ***with two missing parts: the side door is aluminum or vinyl and could have been painted lavender to match the other doors but no that white sticks out like a sore thumb. And next they added large white landscaping rocks that look like they were on sale or in the free pile somewhere where sone tasteful azaleas would compliment the beautiful Italianate splendor.
This article hit me right in the feels! I love the charm of old cottages, and it’s sad to see them lose their character through insensitive additions. As an SEO Specialist and content writer specializing in UK Loft Boarding, I often see people looking for ways to add more space to their homes. Loft boarding can be a great solution, but it’s important to do it in a way that respects the original style of the house. Have you considered a loft conversion for your cottage? It could be a great way to add space without sacrificing its charm.
I murdered my cape. In essence I saved it from being knocked over. We live on a large lot that a developer is interested in. I ultimately murdered it to accommodate my daughter in a wheelchair. It was a difficult decision, but I am maintaining the front of the home whilst adding Avery large addition on the back. I feel torn, but ultimately I think it was the right decision. I think it will stand for at least my lifetime.
Sometimes you have to do these things. Just try to make any new alterations reversable and store anything removed in the basement for future owners.