Ranch Home Plans: One Story

Ranch home plans originated in the United States. This domestic architectural style is noted for its one-story design and minimalistic features indoors and out.

The ranch-style home was first built in the 1920s. Efforts to combine Spanish Colonialwith modern architectural features created the original long and low-to-the-ground style. The flexibility of floor plans and overall uncomplicated design of this style led to a boom in the building of ranch houses from the 1940s to the 1970s. Because so many homes in this style were built quickly during that time, the ranch style later became known as too ordinary. During the 1960s, developers in California reinvented the style, giving it a modernist flair that was imitated across the United States.

Being a child of the 1960s and 70s, I grew up in ranch-style houses. First, it was a one-story traditional California ranch (also known as a “rambler”). This style was often associated with tract housing, so all of my neighborhood friends lived in the same cookie-cutter type of house. In later years, my family moved to a newer variation of the ranch style called a split-level ranch.

As history has dictated with other housing styles, the demand for ranch home plans diminished as it was replaced by newer designs through the years. But with preservation movements in some ranch house neighborhoods, interest again has been renewed. Many young families and retirees are again seeing the benefit of one-story ranch home plans.

How to Identify Ranch Home Plans

There are many distinguishing features of a typical ranch home. Here are some of the most common:

Open plan on a single level

Low pitched roof, commonly hipped

Large picture windows

Sliding glass patio doors

Attached garage or carport

The floor plan of ranch home plans is well suited for daily living with large, free flowing rooms. The classic ranch floor plan features a combined living and dining area, perfect for entertaining. The bedrooms are generally separated to one side of the house. Ranch designs can be rectangular, L-shaped, or U-shaped.

One modern interpretation of a ranch home plan is the Sater Design Collection’s “Modena”.

Modena-Front Elevation-Plan #6517

The outdoors is made part of this home by sliding glass walls off the dining room and great room. This family-friendly house plan features 2006 square feet of living space with four bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Modena-Main Level Floor Plan-#6517

Today, the word “ranch” is used to describe many one-story house styles. What is YOUR favorite style of one-story homes? Leave us your comments below!

See the variety of one-story home plansin the Sater Design Collection, which feature many sizes, shapes and styles. Also, be sure to check out our Pinterest boards for our featured one-story home plans and great ideas for your home.

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