It is difficult to spend a lot of time around Chicago and not fall in love with beautiful architecture. So when our work took us to the western suburbs of Chicago, my husband and I left downtown to move
to the historic suburb of Riverside, Illinois, one of three communities designed by landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. While we do not live in a classic Chicago bungalow, we live in an Arts and Crafts style Craftsman home from the early 1920s.

Remodeling and living in our home only deepened our love for the Arts and Crafts aesthetic. My husband, Roman, and I have finished most of the interior living spaces—the actual work being done by our trusted contractor, Tony LaMantia—by trying to be mindful of the period of the house (and our budget). We still need to landscape and to replace an ugly garage to better suit the exterior spaces.

The inspiration for Home Sweet Bungalow came from searching for furnishings for our home.
I could not find a shower curtain that was beautiful enough and appropriate in an Arts & Crafts home.
I thought I could paint a historic design on a retail canvas shower curtain, but all of the curtains I sampled shrunk too much. This would not do—the curtain would skim the top of the tub; and I would have all my artistic efforts wasted.

I now had an idea to execute. Rather than sew my own curtains, I found a source that would make curtains to my specifications out of “green” cotton canvas or cotton that has not been processed with chemicals. I could then focus on the artistic side of the operations.  Linen guest towels complement the look.  These linens are washable, stunning and functional.

As more products are added, each will have to meet the William Morris test:

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”  —William Morris  ‘The Beauty of Life’  1880