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Many people find that the attached garage that is part of most ranch-style homes can easily be converted into living space without compromising the architectural lines of a ranch-style home. Where room additions are needed, never expand upward by adding a second story—not if you want to maintain the aesthetic of a true ranch-style home. Instead, extend to the side of the house or with a T-shaped room addition off the back of the house. With most new home construction in the last few years avoiding the classic ranch-style home in favor of more neo-eclectic styles, the ranch-style home has now become an object of historical interest.
One of the things that make ranch houses really great is the way that they seamlessly connect indoor to outdoor living. Take a page out of that book by bringing some space for entertainment and taking visitors into the front of the house. You did a lovely job but this home is way bigger than mine and my budget is way smaller than yours. I live in a 1967 ranch style home with lower celling’s, 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath and extra den type room at the end of the house. Amazing what some vision and hard work can do for an old home. Once the plans are drawn up, we’ll review them with you.
Improve the Ceiling
Ranch-style homes are known for their use of natural materials and most carpeting is anything but natural. In the 1970s and 1980s it was common practice to cover hardwood or ceramic tile floors with carpeting—sometimes even in bathrooms. Removing interior walls to open up the floorplan is an excellent way to get back to period authenticity with these homes. You can take the classic stance of joining the dining room and living room into one space.
One way to play up its exterior look is to have varying levels or heights in your landscape. Gables are charming and they also bring in the added benefit of increasing the lifespan of your front door as it now isn’t as exposed to the elements as it used to be. Incorporate your gable with a front entryway patio area and with the front door and you’re bound to have an interesting definition right from your home’s very entrance.
Ranch Style House Types (Design Styles & Pictures)
In the hands of mass developers, ranch-style homes had become commonplace, bland, and poorly built. The ranch-style home has its roots in Spanish colonial architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries, in which Spanish new world settlers focused on single-story homes that were easy to build using native materials. In the mass-produced era of the 1960s, it was common to use wood veneer hollow-core doors in ranch-style homes. Hollow core doors are a thing of the past and they can come off looking a bit too plain and simple. Replace your old fashioned hollow core doors with solid wood panels and frames for the doors and see the space come to life.
Of course, you also need to consider if it works accordingly with the space that you’re trying to remodel and more importantly, if the design is cohesive with the rest of the house. Ranch homes became popular in the post-war era because of how affordable they were to buy and build. They made for easy and comfortable living and they made great use of the outdoor areas surrounding the home as well. I have to keep going back and forth to really appreciate every detail!
Tips for Renovating Rambler-Style Homes
Here are some of the easiest and cost effective remodeling tips if you happen to have a ranch home in your hands that’s just begging for a new look. I love the look of the butcher block with the vessel sink and painted cabinets. You can see by looking at the exterior, that the home was suffering from some neglect. Flower gardens, rock gardens, stepping stone paths, and new trees and shrubs can draw attention away from the structure of the house. An extraordinary landscape pulls focus away from an ordinary house. If you are looking to do a major home remodel or a small home remodel, here are some aspects of your ranch home that you can consider.
Your Ranch may be in a neighborhood addition that is all ranch style homes. You can compare your house to those around you by driving by it - - from both directions. Take a walk and view it as compared to houses around you and across the street. Window seats are cozy and comfortable and if you’re a little more ingenious, you can even double them up as extra storage space which is a common problem for ranch style homes.
All team members needed to complete your project are under one roof to provide time and monetary efficiencies, quality control, and seamless communication throughout. Maple cabinets with a white satin finish and white subway tile backsplashes contrast with honey wood floors and stainless steel appliances. Day light and task lighting are perfectly balanced to make the kitchen bright and welcoming all hours of the day. Rising real estate prices also played a role, with smaller lot sizes making one-story homes less practical than building upward, as with two-story structures.
Some folks have ideas that they need to see before pulling the trigger. While a huge handful want brick&batten designers to take over and surprise them! Instead of selling that beautiful ranch, update and love your house again.
The ideas that you have in mind, the existing layout and condition of your home, and your budget will all be taken into consideration while we’re developing the plans for your ranch-style home remodel. Sometimes you have ideas but just need to see a visual before taking the plunge. This client wasn’t sure if she wanted to paint but was looking for simple changes.
“I started with ideas in my head, pencil and paper in hand, and went straight to my most valuable resource, MY DAD! Together, we have amassed countless hours of blood (yes, true blood from my dad and myself—we can never seem to make it through a remodel without some bumped knuckles), sweat and tears along the way. My mom being the painter, cleaner and forever organizer in the family and my dad, the genius behind the scenes helping me make all of my dreams a reality. If your budget permits, adding a second story, raising the roofline, gabled dormers, covered entryways - - all set your Ranch apart from the rest. New siding offers the option of giving a lift to the Ranch style. A new paint job or cedar shingles will also enliven the Ranch.
Change a few things here and there and you’re bound to have something that could completely upgrade the look and feel of the home. It’s visually helpful if you break up the shallow roofline and horizontal line of vision with taller elements such as trees, tall shrubs or plants, garden structures such as gazebos and pergolas, and so much more. Ranch homes are one-storied and minimalist in nature and they have the tendency to look bland on the exteriors.
