Ranch-Style Design Ideas for Renovating a Home

Basic Architecture

• Low profiles with simple, clean, contemporary and asymmetrical lines define the ranch-style home, which often consists of a living room, eat-in kitchen, bathroom, two to four bedrooms and a basement arranged in a L- or U-shaped floor plan. Keep any architectural renovations horizontal and spreading in form and rectangular in appearance. These houses typically consist of a single floor or split-level, so consider eliminating your second story if you're performing major renovations. Ranch houses often feature a garage rather than a carport. Stick with natural materials in all of your renovations.

Windows, Doors and Roof

• The picture window -- a large window, sometimes up to 8 feet tall, that faces the street -- serves as a defining element of the ranch house. Create a new picture window or expand an existing window frame in your home's living room or kitchen to give it a ranch-style feel. Ranch homes generally feature low-profile hipped or gabled roofs, some with overhanging eaves. Steer away from steep roofs, dormer windows and porches, features not found in most ranch homes. In ranch-style homes, sliding glass doors commonly open into the backyard space.

Interior Spaces

• Ranch homes feature open, casual interior spaces. Blend spaces, such as the living room and kitchen, into one larger space as you renovate. Use room dividers rather than walls to break up large living spaces. As ranch-style homes came into popularity around the same time as television, they often featured recreation or entertainment rooms. Mimic this style by designating a rec room and keeping your living room television-free. Wood floors, laminated plastic countertops and wood paneling often define the look of this type of home.

Decorating

• In general, ranch homes feature minimal ornamentation. To complete the retro look of a ranch home, use modern, art deco or Eames-era furniture styles. Avoid gaudy, busy textures and ornamental wallpapers. Decorate the picture window with holiday themes throughout the year. This window invites the viewer's eye into the home, so be conscious of what's visible from outside as you decorate -- think of the picture window as a picture frame and create a snapshot inside of it.