french door

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  The French doors lead to the screen porch.
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  The original concrete porch flooring was replaced with pine wood by Ron Berthelot.
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  One or one-and-a-half-story Craftsman houses are called bungalows. The Berthelot bungalow exemplifies the style with its wide, deep front porch, supported by thick, simple columns which sit on brick pedestals.
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  The Craftsman (or Arts and Crafts) movement in America developed as a reaction against the machine-made ornamental excess of the Victorian era. This was a back-to-nature movement, reflecting a desire to return to simpler times when craftsmen worked with their hands and took pride in detail. Structural detail and the use of good materials were prized over applied ornamentation. The bungalow has its roots in California, where this style was well suited to the warm climate. It then spread across the country to become one of the most common middle-class designs from 1910 to the 1930's.
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  The bungalow interior, both in plan and detail, was direct and functional. The front door opens directly into the living room which in turn connects to the dining area. The walls and ceilings are the original stucco. The Berthelot's removed the 1950's celetex tile which raised the ceiling nearly two inches and accentuated the picture molding. Standing sentinel is a heavy timber folk art carving believed to an old St. Nicholas. Dolly spotted this treasure in 1999 under a table at an annual Lion's Club flea market in Jay, N. Y., in the Adirondacks and she continues to unravel its mysterious heritage.
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  After 13 years of wrestling with a problem kitchen, a late night Eureka led to an entire transformation. The old pine glass-front cupboards had originally flanked the dining entry to the kitchen. The cabinets blocked views and forced foot traffic right through the work area. The couple wanted to keep these antique built-ins (which Ron had refinished), but needed more counter space. Suddenly Dolly realized those two cabinets could shift over to the only solid dining area wall, be pushed together, and solve several problems. The rest was easy.
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  The French door in the dining room leads to the screened porch and gives a clear dining view of Bayou Texar. The extended new white and black tiled counters multiplied the kitchen work space, provided a serving area, and permitted a handy little cookbook nook, all in a very small space.
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  Visible outside the sunny dining area are deep rafters, which are typical of bungalows, craftsman architecture, and southern seaside cottages, all suggested by this renovated and restored 1928 home. To maximize views, shutters are the only dressing on any windows. These were salvaged from a garage sale. The 1950's turquoise and black dinette was grabbed at a flea market in Pace, Florida, just north of Pensacola.
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  By lowering the pine porch floor and adding a step down, Ron enhanced spaciousness. The original beveled ceiling is echoed in new kitchen cabinets. Open space atop the cabinets is ideal to display serving pieces or fun collectibles, such as an antique Donald Duck, a tin top, and a handmade wooden bus.
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  Wire-mesh screen was used on windows and doors in the Victorian era, but it was the Craftsman bungalow style that introduced the screen porch to the American home. Screen porches served to blur the distinction between outside and interior space and allowed the benefits of fresh air to be enjoyed without the annoyance of insects.
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  The screen porch provides a large exterior living area on the south and west side of the Berthelot bungalow.
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  This dining room is on the south side of the central hall.
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  The dining room is furnished like a hunting lodge.
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  A double glass door leads from the backyard into the Florida Room.
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  The dining room is situated on the northwest corner of the first floor.
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  The door in the breakfast nook opens onto the back garden.
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  The family room opens onto the screened porch.
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  The design of the major rooms is forthright and functional. The living room is directly connected to the dining room.
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  The building complex consists of four dwelling units. The two front units are designed for combination office and residential use.