Ranch Homes
Ranch homes began appearing in the 1930s and were made popular during the pre-depression period in the United States. The ranch style home resulted from southwestern and Spanish colonial homes, thus the name ranch. Ranch house plans were popular with the Baby Boom generation, their simple design and use of space became trendy in suburbs outside the city. Ranch houses gave people an affordable living option and space to raise a family as well as have a little piece of land.
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Ranch style homes are traditionally single story houses with low-pitched overhanging roofs and deep set eaves. They have a horizontal design and typically a long, narrow layout in a rectangular, L-shaped, or U-shaped design with simple floor plans that accentuate an open airy feel. Ranch homes usually have large windows as well as French doors or sliding glass doors that highlight the backyard and lead out to a patio. They have an attached garage. The ranch house has sometimes been criticized for lack of decorative detailing on the exterior as well as interior of the home.
Though a ranch home is traditionally a one-story low to the ground building, there are a couple of variations to the traditional ranch home. Raised ranch and split-level ranch homes offer more levels of living space. A raised ranch is a home that you enter the front door and have to climb a full flight of stairs to reach the main area of living. The foyer, or entry area is on the ground floor while the living area containing the kitchen and family room is a flight up. A split level ranch is a home that is divided into sections. In some split level ranch homes when you enter the front door you are on a landing with a short staircase going up and another short staircase going down. In other split levels you enter in the main living area and somewhere in the room there is a short staircase going up and another short staircase going down. The floor-plan always consists of at least three levels with the main entry typically located on the center level, though not always.
There are a number of ranch floor plans in a variety of sizes, designs, and styles. No matter which ranch style you choose you can build a home of style and comfort in which to build family memories.