A Look at Home Designs: Ranch House Plans

When you're looking to build your future home, do you want to reminisce about saloons and cowboy ranches, or would you prefer to jet into a space-age future without leaving your living room? Perhaps you, like many other homeowners, would prefer a little of both.

Ranch house plans, also called ramblers, effectively meld the present with the past: Modernist styles meet the ideals of the American West. Although ranch home plans lost some popularity in the late 20th century, they’re regaining steam. Here's why:

Ranch house plans are humble. Single-story dwellings are simple and open, well-appointed without being pretentious. Ranch home plans are usually topped with long, low, flat rooflines.

Ranch house plans like to spread out. The layouts are rather unusual – asymmetrical, rectangular, L-shaped and U-shaped designs are common because ranch home plans are often built on larger plots of land.

Ranch house plans are old-fashioned. The vaulted ceilings and the separation between the living room and bedrooms recall eras past. On the outside, stucco, brick or wood exteriors add a rustic touch to ranch home plans.

Ranch house plans are modern. In a ranch home, you'll find large windows; a small, working kitchen; and an attached garage. The interior walls are few in number, allowing the home to appear more spacious. Decorative accents are minimal. Sliding glass doors opening onto a patio give a modern-day, rising middle-class feel.

Ranch house plans are energy-conscious. In a one-story home, you won't lose heat or air conditioning between levels, and with the relative lack of interior walls, you won't need much separate zone control, either. The roof protects the structure from the elements.

In short, ranch house plans have it all. They fondly recall the past while looking confidently toward the future. Ranch home plans reflect the people who first lived in them: relaxed, informal and hardworking.

Note: The home shown above is The Blake House Plan 1133C.