15 Photos of Modern Bungalow House Designs
From mod-Pinoy to midcentury style, there's a bungalow house design here for everyone
When it comes to small-space-living, most of us choose to live in high-rise condos. But there is a certain kind of retro charm in living in a bungalow house design.
Bungalows are the original small homes of the 20th century. According to this article, the characteristics of a bungalow home is that it only has one storey, it has a low-pitched roof with broad eaves, and an open interior floor plan. This type of house design gained popularity, which is why many of the examples shown here are of renovated houses from the 1960s to the 80s.
These types of houses offer more space and flexibility than a condo can offer, plus you could have your own yard! Ready to live in a bungalow? Here are some ideas:
Tropical Pinoy home in Antipolo
Architect Wendy Fernando-Regalado’s home in Antipolo is a tropical wonder, with windows and doors that open to the garden, high ceilings that make each room airy, and corners peppered with her handmade paper lamps. These elements all work together to make an atmosphere that is conducive to lounging about. Heavy wood furniture, such as National Artist Napoleon Abueva’s sculptural bench and table from the 1960s mingle with cushioned woven seating and native mats.
Wendy’s upkeep of the 20-year-old house is surprisingly laidback. “We just move things around…we don’t bring in new stuff anymore,” she says. In one part of the property is a bahay kubo, or the bathhouse, a wood-and-bamboo structure that serves as an area for entertaining.
The dining area is likewise spacious, airy, and is also part of the outdoors. In place of a formal dining set are bamboo chairs and a roomy dining table. Wendy’s lamps and bahay kubo hang from the ceiling and sit on the table.
READ: An Airy, Artsy Antipolo Home
Midcentury Modern renovation
When interior designer Wilmer Lopez and writer Thor Balanon moved into this midcentury-era home in 2001, Wilmer says it sported a Baguio-style look, a cabin with dark wood. “Nadidiliman kami,” he says. Thor adds that their furniture and accessories then were ethnic, which came from their African-inspired café in Diliman before. “As time passed by, we realized [the look] wasn’t so relaxing.”
They whitened up the space and made the windows larger, adding cross ventilation from the living room to the dining area. They also changed almost all their furniture to new ones, which, Wilmer says, came from different places. For instance, the narra coffee table in their living room was bought from a man pushing kariton in New Manila, Quezon City. Wilmer had it bleached to fit the house’s theme. On the other hand, the wishbone chair and the floral chair were imported from Denmark.
The dining room is probably the area with the strongest resthouse appeal. The wooden dining table and bench gives it a feel of the outdoors, made even more interesting by the mix-and-matched wooden chairs. Thor and Wilmer love to cook so they have a spacious kitchen, which Wilmer made a little lower to distinguish it from the rest of the house.
“Nagluluto talaga kami,” says Wilmer when asked about their kitchen, which opens directly to the dining area. The kitchen cabinet doors open upwards, and the translucent glass makes it easy to see what’s inside.
READ: A 1960s Home Turned Into A Stylish Rest House
Up-cycled probinsya charm
When architect Arlene Maslog encountered her father-in-law’s bungalow home in Puerto Princesa, it was disheveled; the paint left peeling, and the furniture unkempt and broken. “Nonetheless, I was warmly welcomed here and introduced to the enchantment that is Palawan, and there began my life as an adopted daughter of this beautiful island province.”
The first order of the day was to repair structural damages to the house, and paint it in an airy palette of seafoam green and bright white. Arlene saved some money by salvaging whatever furniture pieces she can (the old Ambassador set still looks great), updating them with new slipcovers or a coat of paint. “Behind all the work, my husband and I want this home to reflect the simplicity of life here in Palawan, stripped of frills and unnecessary wants.”
READ: A Colorful And Charming Family Home in Palawan
Pool House-turned-secondary home
When interior designer Joy Ejercito first built their family home, she eyed the sprawling backyard and planned for a pool and a cabana area. Back then, she shelved the idea of the cabana because of cost restraints, and opted for a pool deck instead. But years later, her original plan came into fruition, and the overall design would work pretty well as a standalone midcentury modern-style bungalow, too.
The pool house has an outdoor kitchen for grilling, but it has a well-stocked indoor kitchen-dining as well, if guests want to stay in and watch TV. “Even if it’s a small space, I wanted to make sure it was really planned and that every nook and cranny is utilized,” says Joy.
READ: Inside an Interior Designer’s Poolside Retreat
Minimalist-meets-midcentury feels
The 1970s-80s bungalow that greeted architect Pierre Briones pre-renovation was dark and dated, but since it was a bungalow, it was also the perfect home to renovated into a midcentury modern creation. The architect opened up the ceiling to expose the rafters, which help make the home more bright and airy.
To match the theme, midcentury modern classic furniture were brought in, such as a tomato red Eames rocker, a Noguchi coffee table, and a George Nelson clock. Simple Japanese paper lanterns were hung from the ceiling for that Case Study House-feel.
READ: A Renovated 1970s Home In Pasig
Brand-new but retro
Homeowner Isagani Alcantara wanted a contemporary home built on his 845sqm lot, and requested for a modern style, a flat roof, and predominantly white elements. Architect Ireneo P. Roque complied, and added much more—the end result is a house with distinctly retro-midcentury feels by way of the rounded columns with flat eaves, a front-facing porch, and windows located to the side. The clean palette of white, beige, and khaki brings the whole façade to modern times.
The interiors follow a more contemporary theme with its open layout, sleek furniture, and white-black-and-green palette. The lime green kitchen on the far left of the living area adds a welcome jolt of color in this modern bungalow house design.
