Personal Spaces: 10 Cool Updated Ranch Houses

Ranch-style homes enjoyed immense popularity from the 1950s to the 1970s. Today many of those same homes are still around — faux-wood paneling, avocado-green tile and all. If you are looking to update a ranch-style home, gather inspiration from these 10 homeowners who have brought their homes into the 21st century with style.

Revamped Ranch in Costa Mesa

Who lives here: Ryan and Catherine Gale, daughter Gianna and son Rowen
Location: Costa Mesa, California

Concrete walkways, low-maintenance plantings and a new wood fence brought Ryan and Catherine Gale’s 1960s ranch-style home up to date while maintaining the home’s original footprint. The revamped central courtyard provides ample outdoor living space — which the family can use year-round, thanks to the mild Southern California climate.

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Indoor-Outdoor Flow in Vancouver

Who lives here: Patti Houston, Rick Williams and their youngest daughter, Jordan (age 21)
Location: North Vancouver

When Patti Houston and Rick Williams set out to completely renovate their 1954 ranch-style house in North Vancouver, they started with the kitchen. “We removed all the walls between the kitchen, dining and living areas to create a totally open space,” says Houston. “I love to cook, and that’s where we all hang out.” A bank of folding windows by NanaWall behind the sink connects to an exterior counter with stools, making it the perfect spot for entertaining and relaxing.

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Cheerful Color in Austin

Who lives here: James Spindler, Mina Kumar and their children, Rosemary and Louis
Location: Austin, Texas

Mina Kumar and James Spindler gave their ranch home in Austin a fresh, updated look with beautiful hickory wood floors, a custom turquoise kitchen island and a striking wall of encaustic cement tiles.

Tiles: Architerra

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Bright and Ecofriendly in Vermont

Who lives here: Tom Marrinson and Allison Beach
Location: Hinesburg, Vermont

When Tom Marrinson and Allison Beach bought their 1973 split-level ranch home in Vermont, it was more for the stunning property surrounding it than for the home itself, which was drafty and dark.

After living with things as they were for more than 10 years, the couple embarked on a major renovation to create a lighter, brighter and more energy-efficient home. The new kitchen features an open plan, custom cabinetry and energy-efficient windows and appliances.

Exterior galvanized steel: MBCI; fiber-cement siding: Certainteed

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Southern Style in Texas

Who lives here: Christy and Adam Blumenfeld and their children, Alexandra and Ben
Location: Dallas

Homeowner Christy Blumenfeld loves to garden, so one of the first things she did after her family moved into their 1948 ranch-style house in Dallas was to plant 25 dogwood trees — which serve as a reminder of her Alabama roots — around the property. Now the tree-shaded drive creates a welcoming entrance to the home, which the couple also updated with larger windows, shutters and carriage-style garage doors.

In the kitchen two separate sinks and two faucets are flanked by appliances. The countertops are Calacatta gold marble, and the island is concrete. “Concrete is so easy to keep,” she says.

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DIY Determination in Dallas

Who lives here: Ilya and Arina Gurfinkel and their son, Milan
Location: Dallas

Ilia and Arina Gurfinkel gave the master bath of their 1975 ranch-style home a major upgrade by replacing the outdated tile and a too-big tub with an elegant new bathtub, a floor-length mirror and a custom vanity. By doing most of the labor themselves, the couple was able to splurge on the new fixtures they really wanted.

Tub, sinks: Victoria + Albert Baths; vanity: (similar) Classic Double Sink Console, Pottery Barn

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Casual Coastal Style in Orange County

Who lives here: Michelle and Brad Perozzi with their 9-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter
Location: Santa Ana, California

One of the first things the Perozzis did when remodeling their 1960 ranch home was to remove an awkward pony wall dividing the entry area from the rest of the living room, opening up the space. Elsewhere in the home, the couple used sturdy materials, like jute rugs, to create coastal-feeling interiors that can stand up to active family life.

Previously floor-to-ceiling glass and skylights made the dining room too hot during the day, and blinds were dust collectors. The designers replaced all that glass with transoms and French doors to match the original style of the home.

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Kid-Friendly Home in Dallas

Who lives here: Ryan and Erin McLaughlin; their children, Kate (10) and Owen (5); and their pets, Lemon, a parakeet, and Scout, a terrier mix
Location: Lake Highlands neighborhood of Dallas

A farmhouse sink and lighting from Schoolhouse Electric set a charming tone in the McLaughlins’ newly opened-up kitchen. The kitchen in the family’s 1950s-era ranch home used to be much smaller, until the couple took down a wall separating it from the family room, creating one open-concept space. The new breakfast bar provides the perfect spot for the children to draw, do homework and snack.

The furniture in daughter Kate’s bedroom is hand-me-downs and vintage finds from local garage sales. A friend gave her the pouf covered in a geometric print. A cascading gallery wall of art, mirrors, frames and ephemera hangs above her headboard.

Paint: Reflecting Pool, Sherwin-Williams

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Diamond in the Rough in Portland

Who lives here: Heather Tucker
Location: Piedmont neighborhood of Portland, Oregon

When first-time home buyer Heather Tucker purchased her 1938 home, it had sat unoccupied for four years and was in terrible shape. “When I bought it, there were lots of issues,” she says, “like how the previous homeowner had plastered over live wires in the ceiling.” After hiring pros to take care of the safety issues, Tucker did much of the landscaping and painting herself — today, after four years of hard work, her home is bright, cheerful and charming, inside and out.

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A Twister’s Silver Lining in Dallas

Who lives here: John Gilliland and Lenore LoCascio; their children, Jack (age 16), Finn (14) and Haymanot (10); their dog, Lulu; and cats Ziggy and Marley
Location: Forest Hills neighborhood of Dallas

When a tornado damaged their ranch-style home, John Gilliland and Lenore LoCascio took it as an opportunity to remodel. Working with Melissa Williams of W2 Studio, the family added a fourth bedroom, guest bath and second family room, and reconfigured the kitchen — all while staying within the original footprint of the house.

Outside, concrete squares create a modular, low-maintenance walkway to the new facade. Geometric planters, a built-in teak bench and a bright green ground cover respect the modern feel of the remodeled house.

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All original photos from My Houzz, a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.

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