Look Inside A Historic Chicago Bungalow Childhood Center

In the neighborhood of Rogers Park, adjacent to the bustle of Ridge Blvd, sits a classic Chicago bungalow. This bungalow does not house the traditional family that the homes were created for– rather, it is a nurturing oasis for children from the neighborhood and communities surrounding. Rise Up Early Childhood Center in Rogers Park, founded by Joy Williams, is a daycare program servicing mostly families from Rogers Park and West Ridge.

Originally, Rise Up occupied a small storefront near Loyola University, and wasn’t looking to expand or move. However, Williams saw the listing for a bungalow property, and saw that it had potential. Having previously been a daycare, the location had elements already established that would not need to be changed for childproofing or city licensing purposes.

Rise Up bought the bungalow in October of 2023, and they have been renovating it since. Completed renovations include the addition of a fire alarm system and, because the home came furnished, the clearing out of clutter and junk from the previous owners. Significant changes were made to the backyard – transformed from a plot of grass and weeds into a tiered garden of flowers and vegetables, with space for children to play. Renovations throughout the center continue (for example, they just finished refurbishing the flooring in the lower level), but the progress made has created a beautiful interior and exterior for the children to learn, sing, and play.

Now, Rise Up boasts a welcoming interior decorated with a focused aesthetic that creates a warm and pleasant atmosphere for the children. They currently have two classrooms, one with seven kids and one with 20. 

I had the privilege to interview Joy Williams about the elements of the Chicago bungalow and the atmosphere she created. Here are some highlights: 

Katerina Krysan: What elements of the bungalow contribute to creating a good growth and comfort environment for the kids?

Joy Williams: Well, we wanted something that was very homey and very cozy. You know, for a lot of children, this is their first experience in a setting away from their parents. So we want it to feel welcoming and warm, and, like I said, cozy. We don't necessarily like the typical look of a daycare center with the primary colors and the fluorescent lights and, you know, just that's a little bit sensory overload. So we try to just think of the families who are coming to us, and the culture and the reverence that we want to establish with the children. We try to just make it warm and inviting, and we love to use our kitchen. We didn't have a kitchen in our last center. So we make bread every week, and knead the bread with the children. We make soup, for birthdays we bake cakes with the kids. So yeah, we want it to look beautiful and smell great. All the senses!

K: Given that you’re in a vintage home, what kinds of bungalow-specific features do you use or take advantage of to create this environment?

J: Yeah, like I said, we don't like the primary colors. We are Waldorf inspired. So a lot of the early childhood classrooms have softer colors to them, a softer palette. So we use a lot of warm, peachy pink tones. And you know, the lighting is a little bit more gentle. I like the bungalow, because we have lots of natural sunlight. There's windows all around.

K: What is your favorite feature of this house?

J: I love the original woodwork, the wooden floors and the amount of windows. I think that’s my favorite. We still have some of the original windows.

Right next door to the center is Matanky (Eugene) Park, a city park with an open grass field and tall trees. Rise Up takes advantage of this park, incorporating the natural beauty and elements of the outdoors into the curriculum and activities of the children. Williams told me about how important this is for the children, and how much fun they have playing outside, in the backyard garden and in the park.

Rise Up Early Childhood Center is a beautiful Chicago bungalow with gorgeous renovations and interpretations. The center has done an incredible job of using the original Chicago bungalow layout and elements while making the space child-friendly and a welcoming option for families of the neighborhood.

Photo credits: Justin Olechiw