25 Years of Bungalow: Buy What You Love

From the archives: 25 years of layered rooms, bold ads, founder stories, and buying what you love.

Some anniversaries make you want to look ahead. This one made us open the archives.

And once we did, we found exactly what you might expect from 25 years of Bungalow: layered rooms, founder features, bold print ads, coastal moments, zebra print, handpicked treasures, free design services, and a few headlines that made us laugh out loud.

One ad invited customers to “get bungalow-ed.” Another promised “tons and tons of amazing stuff in-stock.” One simply said “all bungalow…” And yes, there was a very memorable campaign that told Scottsdale to “get in bed with bungalow.”

But tucked inside the old ads and magazine clippings was something even better than nostalgia. There was a thread that has followed Bungalow from the very beginning to now:

It was printed in an old feature. It has been said on the showroom floor countless times. And after 25 years of styling rooms, dressing beds, setting tables, finding the right lamp, choosing the unexpected pillow, and helping customers trust their own eye, we still think it might be the best design advice there is.

Because the things you love have a way of finding their place.

the beginning of bungalow

Bungalow opened in Scottsdale in 2001, founded by Linda Criswell and Alicia Flatin with a shared creative vision and a belief that shopping for the home should feel personal, inspiring, and fun.

Before Bungalow became a North Scottsdale staple, it was an idea between two women who had worked in the home furnishings world and started to wonder what it might look like to create something of their own.

Linda brought a fine arts background. Alicia brought a marketing background. Together, they brought instinct, taste, humor, and a point of view that would become unmistakably Bungalow.

Linda Criswell and Alicia Flatin, the founders behind Bungalow’s layered, collected, and unmistakably personal point of view.

The first store opened at Zocallo Plaza, and from the beginning, the goal was never to build a showroom that felt untouchable. Bungalow was meant to feel warm. Relaxed. Homey. A place to wander, discover, and be surprised.

A place where you could fall in love with a sofa, a lamp, a book, a candle, a piece of art, a dress, a pair of earrings, or an entire room — and take it home.

That part has always mattered.

get bungalow-ed

Looking back through the old ads, one phrase jumped out immediately:

A phrase from the archives. A feeling we still believe in.

It was playful. A little unexpected. Very much of its moment. And honestly, we might need to bring it back.

Because getting bungalow-ed was never really about buying one thing. It was about the transformation. The layered room. The collected table. The finishing touch. The moment when a house starts to feel less like a project and more like home.

It meant finding handpicked pieces you could not find everywhere else. It meant walking through a showroom that was styled to inspire, but still shoppable. It meant discovering something you did not know you needed until you saw it in the mix.

The phrase may have come from the archives, but the feeling is still here.

in-stock was always the point

Then and now, the showroom has always been designed around discovery — and the ability to take home what you love.

That has always been part of the magic.

The showroom has never been just a place to browse. It is part inspiration, part instant gratification. Sofas, chairs, lighting, rugs, bedding, accessories, books, art, gifts, clothing, jewelry — the pieces are not simply staged for the idea of a room. They are there to become part of your room.

If you love it, it can be yours.

The old ads said it with a little more swagger. The idea is still the same.

all bungalow

The early Bungalow look had its own unmistakable language.

Dark wood. Oversized lamps. Coastal texture. Antique case goods. Zebra print. Coral. Raffia. Patterned pillows. Collected accessories. Big beds. Layered shelves. A little drama. A little humor. A lot of personality.

Some of it feels wonderfully nostalgic now. Some of it feels surprisingly current. And some of it reminds us that Bungalow has never been about one perfect formula.

The store has always been about the mix.

One old ad used the phrase “all bungalow…” and that might be the best way to describe it. Not one style. Not one trend. Not one era. Just the feeling that happens when pieces with personality are brought together in a way that feels warm, collected, and alive.

The look has evolved, of course. It had a more coastal influence in the early days. Over time, the mix became warmer, more layered, more reflective of Scottsdale, and more expansive as Bungalow grew into a full lifestyle destination.

But the instinct has not changed.

• Classic with a twist.
• Collected, not perfect.
• Personal, not predictable.
• Always evolving.
• Always Bungalow.

more than a furniture store

In 2008, Bungalow added clothing, opening the door to a new kind of styling.

What began as a home furnishings store became something broader: a lifestyle destination. A place where customers could style their homes and themselves. The boutique side of the business has continued to grow, but the philosophy remains the same.

Whether it is a jacket, a chair, a necklace, or a lamp, the question is still:

From home to lifestyle — always rooted in personal style.

That question has shaped the store for 25 years. It is why the showroom feels layered instead of staged. It is why the boutique feels personal instead of expected. It is why Bungalow has always made room for the unusual piece, the bold pattern, the vintage find, the perfect gift, the book you did not come in for, and the pillow that somehow changes everything.

the people behind the feeling

Of course, Bungalow has never just been about the pieces.

It has always been about the people.

The faces behind the feeling — and the point of view that made Bungalow, Bungalow.

Linda and Alicia brought the store to life with a clear point of view and a love for interiors that feel personal, comfortable, and never too precious. Over the years, that vision grew from two founders into a full creative team of stylists, buyers, merchandisers, and behind-the-scenes people who make the Bungalow experience what it is.

• The floor changes because someone sees a better way to style it.
• The beds are made because the details matter.
• The pillows are chosen because the mix matters.
• The customer is remembered because relationships matter.

Design services have also been part of the Bungalow story from the beginning. Sometimes that means helping a customer choose the right accessory. Sometimes it means styling a bookshelf, finishing a bedroom, setting a table, or furnishing an entire home.

The scale may change, but the heart of the service does not.

Bungalow has always believed that good design should feel approachable, personal, and lived in. The best rooms do not feel like showrooms. They feel like the people who live there.

a place to pop into

Another old ad invited customers to “pop into bungalow.”

Still worth the stop. An archival ad that captures the joy of popping in for inspiration and leaving with something you love.

It is such a simple phrase, but it captures something that still feels true. Bungalow has always been worth the stop.

Maybe you come in for a gift and leave with a lamp. Maybe you stop by to browse and end up rethinking a room. Maybe you need a dress for dinner, a hostess gift, a new candle, a table setting, a sofa, or just a little inspiration.

That has always been part of the fun.

Over the years, Bungalow has become more than a place to shop. It has become a place to gather — for charity events, design conversations, book signings, trunk shows, pop-ups, seasonal celebrations, and community moments that have made the showroom feel even more alive.

A store built around home naturally becomes a home for stories.

the same conversation, 25 years later

Looking back through the archives, the old ads do not feel like a different Bungalow.

They feel like the beginning of the same conversation we are still having today.

• The fonts have changed.
• The website arrived.
• The boutique grew.
• The showroom evolved.
• The style shifted from coastal to collected Scottsdale warmth.
• And, thankfully, some headlines remain safely in the archive.

Yes, this was real. A bold little moment from the archives — and proof that Bungalow has never been afraid of personality.

But the heart is still recognizable.

The love of the mix. The belief in immediate gratification. The humor. The service. The layers. The personal touch. The instinct to choose what speaks to you.

Twenty-five years is a milestone, but it is also a collection of small moments.

• A sofa loaded into a truck.
• A bed made just right.
• A lamp moved from one vignette to another until it suddenly works.
• A customer saying, “That’s the one.”
• A stylist remembering someone’s favorite color, scent, brand, or corner of the store.
• A new shipment opened in the back.
• A book placed on a table.
• A pillow chopped.
• A room brought to life.

These are the details that built Bungalow.

25 years of buying what we love

As we celebrate 25 years, we are grateful for the people who made this story possible: our customers, our team, our vendors, our designers, our friends, and the Scottsdale community that has supported Bungalow since 2001.

We are grateful to everyone who has walked through the doors and trusted us with their homes, their closets, their gifts, their gatherings, and their everyday lives.

Bungalow has always been about more than beautiful things.

It is about the feeling those things create.

The warmth of a room that feels finished. The joy of finding something unexpected. The confidence to mix old with new, polished with playful, traditional with personal. The belief that a home should not just look good — it should feel like you.

The pieces that found their place — and the rooms that came alive around them.

So here’s to 25 years of style, service, stories, and Scottsdale homes.

Here’s to getting bungalow-ed.

Here’s to popping in.

Here’s to all the amazing stuff in stock.

Here’s to the pieces that found their place.

And here’s to the advice that still says it best: