Books and publications we love

One of our goals here at The Whiskey Porch is to provide well curated, high-quality resources to help you on your journey to creating a smaller & simpler life in your Nordic bungalow.

This is my first collection in which I'm going to share some of my all-time favorites, and my focus will be books and publications here. 
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• None of these resources represent exactly my take on a small bungalow lifestyle or design, but they reflect the basics and core inspiration to get us there.

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• In fact, some of these listings feature some particularly spectacular, huge, over-the-top homes.  Not what I would call a smaller & simpler lifestyle, but never-the-less it's a wonderful idea generator.

Let's get started:

publications for inspiration
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American Bungalow Magazine
www.americanbungalow.com

This is an extremely high quality periodical with a subscription offering (4 publications/year) and the opportunity to purchase back issues individually. 

It's a great source for learning about the ins and outs of this architectural style and it's history.  The articles are all very well written, and  in-depth.  The photography is spectacular ​

and the featured properties are truly inspiring.

It is definitely oriented around the purest concept of the original bungalows, but sometimes features newer builds or remodels with a more modern aesthetic twist.

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​bungalow books 
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Bungalow Basics
by Paul Duschscherer & Douglas Keister

This is a great little (6" x 6") quick read which, in this case, drills down on the bungalow porch as an element of design.  There is a whole Bungalow Basics series of books, each focusing on a different aspect of bungalow design.  I love these because they are so topic oriented and easy to flip through.  

Bungalow Style
by Treena Crochet

This is a wonderful book that thoroughly walks you through the hallmarks of all the various bungalow style, focusing on the interior, and does it with an eye towards more modern lifestyles.  

I found it an enjoyable read and also a great resource book.

Bungalow Kitchens
by Jane Powell and Linda Svendsen

Kitchens are almost always at the very top of any remodel project.  And unfortunately I've seen a lot people head straight for all the latest and most trendy materials when doing so, even in older homes.  

This book is an excellent way to get a true sense of what the original

Bungalow Nation
by Diane Maddex and Alexander Vertikoff

This book is another great option to learn about bungalow hallmarks, and also about a few local and regional flavors around the country.

They present chapters which analyze several elements which are compulsory for almost any true bungalow, including:

• Outside elements
• Porches
• Inside elements
• Fireplaces
• Built-ins
• Furnishings

Tons and tons of great images and examples accompany the discussion.  

bungalow kitchen designs would have been.  It's not that I'm a purist, advocating that your bungalow must look exactly like they did back in the day.  Not at all.  I just feel it's worthwhile getting a solid feel for the look and materials so that when you begin to create your modern masterpiece, you are able to find a fair balance between new and old styles.

You can still achieve the look and feel of the older kitchen without forgoing all the modern conveniences and freshness.  But you do have to be willing to forgo some of the current trends (that will only look extremely out-dated in just a few years anyhow.)
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small house design

The Not So Big House

by Sarah Susanka
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This is actually a broad series of books now, many in soft cover, which began in the late 90's.  I love the concepts and attention to detail in providing ideas and solutions. 

​On the other hand, even when I first read these  ​books about 10 years ago, they already felt (a) fairly dated and (b) very east-coasty to me (is that a word?)

Still, they are very focused on architectural design concepts rather than interior design, in general.  And that is VERY refreshing and really helpful if you are starting to think about the idea of downsizing or renovating.  The books are also very well written and nicely organized with high quality images, graphics, and floor plans to help it all make sense.

I still have all the books and occasionally will pull them out to help inspire me with a specific challenge I need to solve.

She has a website that isn't very modern looking, but has a ton of great content:  www.notsobighouse.com -- it's worth checking out for sure.  All of these books are available on Amazon and other bookseller sites currently.
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living with the seasons
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The Tra Vigne Cookbook - Seasons in the CA Wine Country
by Michael Chiarello

One of the benefits of living a smaller & simpler lifestyle, is that you end up with more time to allow yourself the pleasure of following the rhythms of the earth and the seasons.

​I have had this book for so many years, and even while many others have come and gone, this one remains one of my absolute favorites.

The book is actually organized around the four seasons and then a select group of in-season produce items which the recipes and menus are then based on.  This is a truly fabulous way to orient your thinking when you grocery shop or plan your meals - allowing you to take advantage of the best of what each season has to offer.

I can safely say that I have never made a recipe from this book that wasn't anything less than wonderfully fabulous.  And often I find myself just pulling it out for inspiration and ideas to help me celebrate the turn of a new season - to help me shift gears and embrace what's new and fresh.
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​I hope you found this collection of resources useful - thanks for reading.  Please let us know what you think.

We will continue to share high quality content that we come across  - some of it classics to be cherished, and some of it new and hot off the presses.  You'll find these posts under the "New  & Noteworthy" category on the blog page.

Cheers and contentment,
~Miriam