Table Of Content

Andréana Lefton is a writer and educator, focusing on human rights and creating spaces of refuge—in our homes and communities. As a documentary researcher, she has freelanced with The Guardian as well as NPR- and BBC-affiliates. She’s written for On Being, the United Nations, and many non-profit clients in the US, UK, Europe, and Middle East. All that she knows of garden care and interior design she learned from her artistic mother, Jacqueline. She now applies these skills to her life in Chattanooga, TN, where home is an urban art studio with books piled everywhere. Post-WWII ranch homes reflected a newfound sense of national optimism and middle-class prosperity.
Key elements that define a house as Ranch-style
However, modern ramblers don’t have any Spanish architectural influence, meaning you’ll find more clean lines and updated interiors. Unlike the typical ranch style home, split-level ranch homes are generally three stories with living space on each floor. Popularized in the 1960s and 1970s, split-level ranches often enter into the kitchen, living, and dining areas with stairs leading to the additional living space below and above the entry-level. While they have an asymmetrical exterior, their design is more minimalist, like suburban rambler homes. With the rise of suburbia in the post-World War II era, suburban ranch style homes became increasingly popular as many Americans left city life behind.
California Ranch Homes to Give You Mid-Century Envy
In shorrt, Cliff May shaped California housing in a way few architects or designers have, before or since. This ranch packs some Craftsman styling into its design using a stone base on the front columns and shake shingle siding filling the raised roof gables. The black roof color and black shutters complement the light gray siding and white trim.
A Texas Ranch House We'd Never Want to Leave - StyleBlueprint
A Texas Ranch House We'd Never Want to Leave.
Posted: Wed, 18 May 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The California Ranch
Big windows and sliding glass doors work especially well if you have a magnificent view, like this oceanside retreat. This earthiness is amplified by surrounding gardens, front and back, full of native plants like aloe and bougainvillea. A generous living room forms the home’s heart, with semicircular seating facing a fireplace for added warmth and conviviality. How it happened was May’s future father-law-law Roy C. Lichty generously gifted May a small but sizable lot in a new subdivision. Lichty, who was the general manager of the subdivision, saw May’s talent and genuine interest and unique perspective in architecture and also agreed to finance this first speculative house. Once completed, the house sold to Colonel Arthur O’Leary, who also purchased the Mission-style furniture that May had built and placed in the house to help sell it.
Naturally, we also love the seating nook that helps blend indoors and outdoors — as a true ranch should. At ground level, the layout by Jim Caumeron Design responds to community regulations by establishing clear outdoor boundaries. The entrance aligned with the concrete fence opens up to an accent plant, exposing the rear setback space and wall. Living areas extend seamlessly outdoors, with the front lawn and formal dining space framing either side. A double-height dining hall allows ventilation through operable second-floor windows that draw air out.
This Water Ski-Obsessed Couple Built a Stunning Modern House Just for Their Favorite Sport - Sunset
This Water Ski-Obsessed Couple Built a Stunning Modern House Just for Their Favorite Sport.
Posted: Wed, 09 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The Olympic gold medalist bought the circa-1955 modernist gem in 2018 and fully refreshed its dated interiors.
Also, it can be enhanced by lush gardens, marked pathways, and manicured lawns to create a lavishing atmosphere. A ranch retreat with oversized windows offers a distinctive and alluring way to live with a combination of outdoor beauty within ranch style. This ranch home complements beautiful views, making the most of natural light that seamlessly connects both indoors and outdoors. This architectural plan includes thoughtful landscaping, functional spaces, and modern elements to bring timeless charm. You can also incorporate smart home technologies, eco-friendly materials, and energy-efficient features to maintain a contemporary style.
Mid-century modern ranch homes were laid out either as a single rectangle or in a U- or L-shaped design, with an open floor plan in the main living areas and a short hallway connecting to the bedrooms. Today, ranch homes are popular again for people who don't want to deal with stairs and those who love the mid-century design vibe. Its exterior resembles the Suburban Ranch, yet it boasts a distinctive three-story design with staggered living spaces. This unique layout begins with a front door that opens into the main living, dining, and kitchen areas.
Frame the natural beauty with strategic viewpoints from large windows and sliding doors that lead to a serene backyard. Landscaping choices that require low water usage and minimal maintenance ensure your outdoor space is both environmentally considerate and elegantly easy to care for. Large windows are the heart of a modern ranch home’s design, inviting abundant natural light to brighten your space. When transforming your ranch-style home into a modern abode, focus on using contemporary design elements. You’ll blend the classic structure with a fresh aesthetic that caters to both interior charisma and exterior charm. Whether renovating an existing structure or building from scratch, modern ranch style homes offer a versatile foundation to infuse your taste.
California Ranch
We love a good midcentury modern ranch style home with its large windows and simple, open design. We chose Dragon’s Breath by Benjamin Moore for the roof bump out on this home and garage to contrast with the brick painted in Revere Pewter. Certainly, the wood columns, porch roof, and door also make the space cozy and inviting. With massive curb appeal, modern updates, and trending color palettes, you will love the modern ranch style homes on this list. We will walk you through what is a ranch style house, and also break down design options, features, and suggestions when upgrading your ranch style house. In the mid-20th century, siding became common on ranch homes, with this being made out of wooden planks until the advent of vinyl siding in the late 1950s.

While ranch houses received criticism by the 1950s for their lack of character, homes like this one prove that suburban living can have plenty of charisma. Each house is set well back from the street, with fencing enclosing the front courtyard to maximize outdoor space and privacy. The large amount of outdoor space was a major selling point for buyers, with newspaper ads announcing the Rancho Estates homes had “4 Times Visual Living Space.” Not sure what that means, but it sounds good!
The emphasis on indoor-outdoor flow and the incorporation of details inspired by the California lifestyle give these homes a sense of casual elegance. Raised ranch homes include a fusion of classic and modern features on the exterior. To improve its aesthetic appeal, some may include features like dormer windows and decorative accents too. Moreover, brick ranch homes’architecture is free to customize, so you don’t need to compromise your designs in exterior landscaping.
A raised ranch style, similar to a split-level ranch style, is a popular architectural style that offers a distinctive exterior. The home has a split entry between two stories and provides an intriguing architectural element to the facade. It exudes sophistication and luxury with opulent proportions, open floor plans, and luxurious amenities. The landscape was also designed thoughtfully to enhance the whole retreat experience with a garden, walkways, and a lounging area. Whether you are looking for a calm retreat or a permanent residence, this ranch-style home can embrace the harmony of nature to create an existing living space.
We also love the metal roof accents and vaulted wood beam porch on this home, both of which contrast with the siding rendered in Shoji White by Sherwin Williams. This smaller bungalow style features large windows, which are customary on ranch style homes, as well as an exterior painted in Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams. Additionally, the wood columns and stone walkway help the home blend into its natural surroundings. Single-level ranch style living has many benefits, including the practicality of your home aging with you—no stairs for older knees! Open-plan living is also perfect for family gatherings, as people can flow easily between the kitchen, living room, and sunroom.
Traditionally, many of the first West Coast ranch homes were made of stone or brick covered with stucco. Also referred to as a rambling ranch, it is renowned for its low-profile, L- or U-shaped structure. This style embraces a seamless integration with nature, featuring a single-story layout that sprawls across the landscape. Key elements of the California Ranch include a prominent patio area and a spacious front lawn, enhancing the connection between indoor and outdoor living spaces. Notable architectural features of modern ranch homes include cathedral ceilings and exposed beams—often of steel or finished wood. This embrace of structure as a design feature harmonizes with the open floor plan layouts in these homes.
While the front of the house has a sequence of large windows, the shrubs and trees here are planted close to the home to add extra shade in what is clearly a hot, sunny climate. Here's another look at a newer, U-shaped ranch house which has a hip-roofed, center entrance with extended eaves that create the covered porch. On either side of the entrance are two, front-facing gables with perpendicular paneling and gable brackets to add decorative details. This U-shaped ranch has a recessed entry in the front with a two-car garage on one side and the living room on the other.