When Maribeth Brewer bought her bungalow in West Ridge, she was feeling blue about how pink it was.

"My husband and I spent our first year in the house pulling up pink wall-to-wall carpet, painting over pink woodwork and removing yards of flower-power vinyl wallpaper on the walls and ceilings," she said.

Brewer will discuss how to redo interiors in a bungalow-appropriate fashion, which both beautifies and represents the history of the classic home at upcoming "Bungalow Interiors" seminars.

What's the most common bungalow decorating mistake?

"I often see bungalow owners who feel compelled to do full-on Arts & Crafts decorating, which isn't period-appropriate for the Chicago bungalow," Brewer said.

"Although there were elements of the earlier Arts & Crafts period in the original design of these homes, in the 1920s our bungalows would have been decorated in a blend of styles including Art Deco," she said. "If you like Arts and Crafts, that's great, but bungalow dwellers shouldn't feel that's the only style they should aspire to.

"One of my neighbors in West Ridge did a great job of restoring the 'bones' of their bungalow, but has furnished it all with modern pieces. It looks great and reflects the personality of the owners, which is really what it's all about."

What are some of the worst decorating jobs Brewer has seen?

"Pretty much anything that was done to 'modernize' a bungalow," she said. "I have a collection of articles from the 1960s that talk about ways to update your outdated, dingy bungalow that include ripping out the living room fireplace.

"Our own bungalow was the victim of a bad 1960s update and was rather hideous when we bought it," she said. "Our fireplace is gone as well as all of the original stained glass windows. Many of the original interior doors were replaced by louvered doors.

How about some of the best jobs?

"'Best' falls into two categories for me -- either you have money to do exactly what you want, or you're creative on a small budget," Brewer said.

"One of the best big-budget remodels I've seen is a place in Andersonville that was a [bed-and-breakfast] known as the Gregory House. The guys that used to own it did a wonderful, period-appropriate restoration job.

"I've seen homeowners with small budgets who take their time, do work themselves, and are very thoughtful in sourcing economical elements for their homes," she said. "Sometimes this means painting existing kitchen cabinets, salvaging 1920s door and hardware from apartment buildings that are being gutted or saving up to get the perfect light fixture. These are true labors of love that also look great."

Any advice for something simple for bungalow owners on a budget?

"I'm a big fan of paint. It's one of the least expensive purchases you can make that creates a big impact," she said.

What's the first step?

"Start with a fresh canvas. If you're doing it yourself, remove the old carpet, sand the floors and do some painting," Brewer said. "Break the project down into pieces. Don't overwhelm yourself or your budget by trying to everything at once.

"Sometimes you need to live in the house for awhile to get to know it before you begin decorating," she said. "Restoring an old house yourself is a marathon, not a sprint.

"I always encourage bungalow owners to take advantage of the grants offered by the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association," she said. "This is 'free money' and I'm surprised at how few people are aware of it."

The seminars will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday July 9 at the Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N. Lincoln; and at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 10 at the Avalon Public Library, 8148 S. Stony Island. Admission is free. For more information or to reserve a space at the seminars, call the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association at (312) 642-9900, or e-mail reservation@chicagobungalow.org.