1940s Ranch House Designs

Understanding a Basic Ranch

• Ranch homes have a basic shape and rooflines. Typically, a ranch house is a single story with a long, low roofline. Its interior floor plan usually consists of an asymmetrical layout, L-shaped floor plan or U-shaped design. Two-car garages were common for 1940's ranch homes, along with wide overhangs at the roofline. Picture windows were a standard feature, providing a larger view of the outdoors, especially from the living room.

Reviewing the Home's Origins

• Some homes of this era were built to resemble ranch homes in Western states. They included window shutters and decorative fences with a Western flair. Their rustic design sometimes included open, vaulted ceilings, tongue-and-groove paneling and knotty-pine cabinets. Floors were finished in hardwood and installed in a smooth tongue-and-groove fashion.

Looking at Cost Cutters

• Inexpensive materials were often incorporated. White metal kitchen cabinets for both upper and base were often used in 1940s ranch homes, for example. Linoleum was installed on floors in the bathrooms and kitchen instead of tile. Formica-brand countertop material was often used as well. Man-made materials, such as paneling made of wood products vs. real wood, were also used during this time.

Keeping Special Touches

• Renovating a 1940s ranch can combine new with the old for a nostalgic feeling. You can keep old wooden flooring and cabinetry, for example, and add new light fixtures and tile countertops. Windows can be replaced with energy-efficient styles and new shutters, along with contemporary siding and stone or brick veneer for great curbside appeal. Replacing older landscaping and designing a new front walkway will also modernize this type of home as well.

Decorating With Style and Nostalgia

• Furniture and accessories can transform these homes into trendy living spaces. Adding sleek sofas, wall units for media equipment, and king-size, platform beds transform the decor. A modern chrome dining table and chairs, along with chrome stools at a kitchen counter, can bring back the retro feeling of chrome used in the 1940s and 1950s. Porcelain or ceramic red tile kitchen counters and bright yellow window treatments can add a vintage feeling to a modern renovation, too.

Using Amenities for Warmth

• You can upgrade a 1940s ranch home by adding a brick or stone fireplace if the home lacks one. Bring back the family feeling of the house by adding a large patio with outdoor kitchen, so friends and neighbors can socialize in ways tyical of close-knit communities of that era.