Rocky Trupp uses a hand grinder to smooth joints on a new handrail outside the Bungalow Market and Deli on Monday. Trupp works for South Coast Construction, which has helped renovate the market on the corner of Sherman and Maryland avenues in North Bend. The ramp and railing were installed so the neighborhood market would comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. World Photo by Lou Sennick

By the time it’s finished, the old Bungalow Market in North Bend could very well end up being the brightest gem on the street. Recent renovations have earned the owners of the 84-year-old Craftsman-style building the North Bend Beautification Award.

The outside has a new paint job of peach and aqua, and new siding, too, but that is just a hint of what’s been done, and what is yet to come, said owners Frank and Tory Boersma. The North Bend couple has already spent about $105,000 for improvements, with the finishing touches expected to be completed in the next couple of weeks.

“The Bungalow is a new building,” said North Bend Mayor Rick Wetherell, who has handed out 42 Beautification Awards in the last four years. “They’ve just turned that store around.”

Frank, 30, and Tory, 28, are working hard to update the store. But at the same time, they are trying to maintain the character of this throwback to the old neighborhood stores.

“It’s a dying breed,” Frank said.

The couple relocated from San Luis Obispo, Calif., to their house on Maryland Avenue three and a half years ago, where they have a view of the store out their living room window. About a year later, they purchased the market after seeing an advertisement posted at the store.

In the last two months, they have renovated the building from top to bottom. First they put in a foundation, since the store never had one. This required lifting up the 1,300-square-foot building on jacks. The electrical and plumbing systems have been replaced and new hardwood flooring, cabinets and countertops have been installed. An old bathroom was torn out and a new one added in the back of the store. A new patio in front will soon offer picnic tables. They added walkways along the sides of the building, and an Americans with Disabilities Act complying ramp with a rail. They also will pour the asphalt for a new parking lot.

All construction is being done by local contractors, including South Coast Construction, Coastal Countertops and Silva Construction. Hilary Baker, a design associate with Crow-Clay & Associates Inc., in Coos Bay, created the design and chose the colors for the facade of the building.

On Monday, workers were on the Bungalow’s roof, laying shingles. These were not ordinary rectangular-shaped wood shakes. The laminated shingles have a decorative notched-edge to give the store a cottage or “doll house” look, Frank said.

“I think that roof’s going to really set it off,” he said.

The siding has been replaced with 51⁄4-inch planks, in keeping with the narrow Craftsman-style siding. Most modern houses have 71⁄4- to 8-inch boards for siding, according to Frank.

“This is as narrow as you can get without being custom made,” he said.

One of the biggest changes is that the store is adding a deli, due to open sometime in August. A new sign, that had not been ordered yet, will display the store’s new name — Bungalow Market and Deli.

For the sandwiches, Frank plans to use bread baked by his mother, Edna Ryzebol, the owner of Empire Café. He also is going to feature award-winning handmade cheeses from Bravo Farms, in Traver, Calif., a cheese factory owned by his father and stepmother, Bill and Pat Boersma.

“Between the good breads and good cheeses, I want to create something that is such a good sandwich that people drive across town to get one,” Frank said.

“We’re going to do panini sandwiches and special order sandwiches,” Tory said.

The store soon will feature lottery tickets. Otherwise, it will offer the same types of merchandise people living nearby have been accustomed to buying — grocery staples, snack food and candy, cigarettes, over-the-counter medicines and beverages, including a selection of beer and wine.

They hope to complete store renovations soon so they can make room for the next big step in their lives.

“We’re trying to get it all done before the baby comes,” Frank said, proudly.

 The couple’s baby boy is due in October.

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(Staff Writer Jo Rafferty covers business news for The World. She can be reached by calling 269-1222, ext. 236; or by e-mail to jrafferty@theworldlink.com.)

What is Craftsman-style architecture?

It was a revolution in American architectural design. Craftsman-style homes were built during the Arts and Crafts movement, 1905-30.

In the late part of the 20th century, the Craftsman home became popular again. Architects began restoring older Craftsman houses and building replicas. The Craftsman has its roots in the low-slung, comfortable bungalow that originated in India.

The one-story home is characterized by a low, gentle sloping roof. There is a wide eave above a deep porch, which has distinctive square pillars. The roof rafters are traditionally exposed, while the inside of the home has built-in cabinets, nooks, seating and shelving. The interior beams are usually exposed. Natural materials play a big role, with local stone lining fireplaces or local woods used for decorative accents.