How We are Reviving our Ranch House
Fifteen years ago, we moved into a 1500 square foot ranch house. For me, it was anything but architecturally beautiful. I wanted symmetry, traditional lines and clean white cabinetry. This house was all odd angles, confused roof-lines, wood paneling and beige blah. I started plotting my ranch house revenge the very first day we moved in. Those early plans, though, waited fifteen years and watched four kids, a business and some design maturation grow before gaining traction. I’m grateful for that time because it gave me a chance to fall in love with the origins of the ranch house design and to recognize the potential it offers for more modern lifestyle leanings.
Many of the ranch homes in our area were built in the fifties and early sixties. Their simple, open floor plans and emphasis on casual living was popular with the post-war crowd. Since most homes undergo some form of remodel every thirty years (house appliances are at the end of their lifespan, maintenance moves from simple yard care to more extensive window and roof replacement) ranch homes have typically seen a design shift in the 80’s and then again in 2010’s. Ours took a little longer.
Current trends towards informal living with an indoor/outdoor focus and a use of more organic, mixed materials (rough-hewn woods, hand-made tiles and raw, exposed stone) make ranch homes an ideal choice for a new generation of homeowners looking to add their more contemporary and clean-lined preferences.
Here’s a quick glimpse on my take of reviving our ranch house over the last fifteen years:
Exterior 2009
Exterior 2022
Over the years, I learned to embrace the very things I thought I didn’t want when we moved in: lots of wood elements, imperfectly textured tiles and sloped rooflines. I finally recognized how much character they were adding to the space long before our loud and boisterous family brought in its own. We are still layering in the details and waiting for all the final touches to fall into place but I have fallen back in love with a house whose roots and original architectural intent haven’t changed even if its finishes have.
Courtney Thomas, ASID
Principal & Lead Designer
My job is to make spaces functional in their layout, comfortable in their use, inspirational in their style and luxurious in their appointment. In that order. For that one moment after installation, the pictures are perfect.
