Ranches: Modern Design Ideas for Renovating, Remodeling & Building New Homes | Classic American Style Updates for Living Rooms, Kitchens & Outdoor Spaces

After having lived for years in a boring, utilitarian ranch home, I had no idea that a ranch house could be as elegant as the homes in this book. Even though the authors present some very high-end renovations, with some imagination many of the basic ideas can be translated into more economical ways of updating your home.The first thing you notice when flipping through the book is the sheer number and beauty of the color photographs. There is a color photo on just about every page. When there's not, then there is a diagram, such as "Fireplace Options," which shows you several ways to design an updated fireplace. Other diagrams show "before and after" floor plans, and a plan showing the early roots of the original ranch homes. Thus, it's not just pretty pictures presented here--there's a lot of nuts and bolts information.The authors start off with a history of the ranch style, since it helps when updating to keep within the original concepts that the style evolved with. I learned that the current ranch design was originally popularized by designer Cliff May in California. But May drew inspiration from the traditional ranchos of the southwest. These ranchos in turn had evolved over the millenia from the atrium houses of the Romans. These ancient houses were "closed off" from the streets, whilst providing a private outdoor space for family living, the same as many ranches today.The authors discuss how in ranch houses form follows function. For instance, typical ranch houses have been built with large windows to allow for passive solar heating--thus these were the some of the first energy efficient houses. Also, there were often more large windows and glass doors in the back of the house than the front. This is because ranches were built for privacy on the street side, with openness to the back yard in order to integrate indoor and outdoor living. Thus in ranches, windows are designed with energy use, privacy, and enjoyment of nature in mind. When remodeling an older ranch this information can be valuable in improving the look and functioning of the house.The ranch home doesn't have to be boring and ugly. As the authors state, many ranch neighborhoods are becoming attractive to buyers again. That's because they have shady trees, and attractive back yards with an abundance of natural beauty which can be enjoyed from the house. The ranch design was built with adding on and remodeling in mind, so removing walls or tinkering with floor plans is often easier than with other styles of houses. This lovely book shows you how, and will inspire you to dream of ways to do it in a more modest fashion if your budget requires economizing.