Image courtesy of Unsplash.
Ranch style homes are an important part of American architecture, as they are a staple seen across the United States. But, learning how to properly decorate them to your needs is an entirely different story.
There are a variety of avenues you can take when styling your ranch home, because this house style is so versatile. You can choose to create a space where you feel most comfortable, and where it reflects your family and your lifestyle.
The first step in any good interior design refresh is to declutter your home. This is of particular importance in a ranch style home because they are generally single story, meaning they can often give the illusion of having less room. Due to this, you want to make sure that you clear as much space as possible for your furniture and items that you really want to see.
You want to focus especially on the floor in this aspect. Do not let items clutter your floor, around your tables, or your couch. This can create the illusion of messiness, even if your home is not actually messy, because of the small space.
Choosing an aesthetic and sticking to it is an important part of redesigning the interior of your ranch style home. Because you may not have much space to work with, you do not want to make your home look uncoordinated by accident. Remember, it is likely that standing at one point in your home, a new guest will be able to see into multiple rooms.
This is where you must make the decision of whether you want each room of your home to be cohesive, or if you want to choose a different theme for each room. Whichever you decide, you have to commit to it to make sure that everything flows when you are selecting your furniture and decor items.
Usually, with ranch style homes, there is an open floor-plan in which the dining room and kitchen are connected. This is great because it makes the space feel more communal, but you have to be selective when making design choices with these two areas because they are directly connected to one another. Finding ways to play on the communal features of the space can be to your advantage. Finding a larger dining room table that stretches into the kitchen, or selecting decor for the dining room table that matches that of the kitchen counters can be a great way to incorporate that flow from one room to another.
Ranch style homes typically have smaller windows, (and less of them) throughout the house. This can result in lack of natural light, and lack of depth. It can create the illusion that the ceilings are lower, because the windows are smaller. This can be quickly fixed by choosing floor length curtains rather than just curtains that go to the bottom of your windowsill. This will create a longer silhouette for the window when the curtains are closed so that it will elongate your walls.
As for the natural light, try to keep your curtains and blinds open as much as possible throughout the day to let the natural light in. Not only does this bring character into your home, but the sunlight increases endorphins as well, making you instantly happier inside of your home– which is exactly what we want!
Removing the carpet throughout your home can be a great way to add depth to the house and make it look larger. Image courtesy of Unsplash.
Getting rid of the carpeting in your home and putting down a hardwood floor can completely redefine your space and will open up a room. This can be helpful in smaller homes, where a carpet, in a room such as a living room, makes the space look more compact and tighter. Hardwood flooring, or a floor that resembles wood, will elongate the room, making it look larger and more spacious. The same goes for hallways, as well, because the direction of the wood stain will make it look longer.
The paint color has a similar effect as the carpeting, in that darker colors in the home will make the rooms look smaller and more closed in than they actually are. Opting for a lighter color for your walls will make it easier to open up the space, and actually give it more depth. It will also help to play on the natural light from the windows so you can do less work in terms of lighting during the day.
Painting your walls a lighter color of your choice can also add personality to your home, and make it feel brighter, rather than dark (unless that is what you are going for, in which case, go for it).
When in doubt, keep your decor and furniture modern. Keeping things simple is a great way to make sure that your home remains timeless and that your furniture does not seem like it is aging. It will also clear up space and look less cluttered if your furniture and decor are not loud and take up a lot of room. This is beneficial if you are trying to ensure that your spaces are cleanly and organized– even if they aren’t, this style of decor can make it seem that way.
Selecting nuanced details throughout your home will be the best way for you to make your house personalized and most comfortable for you to live in. No matter what type of house you are living in, this can be a great way to incorporate your own personal style into it and make it unique.
Although carpeting can make a space look smaller, rugs and runners can actually elongate the space and help to add depth, especially when used with hardwood flooring. Adding a rug can also make it easy to customize your home and add personality, and can make it much easier to change the style of the room in the future, if you choose to do so, as opposed to actual carpet.
Utilizing natural materials for your decor and furniture will make your home look more elevated and help you personalize it. Whether this is in regards to your furniture– like selecting a wool couch, or a real wood coffee table, or in your decor, such as cashmere pillows, or a lamp made of copper, there are so many different directions that you can take your home when it comes to switching to natural materials.
Personalizing your ranch style home is what will make it stand out among other houses with similar interiors. Image courtesy of Unsplash.
Now that you have a list of ideas on how to start decorating your ranch style home, you can take them and run with them. Let your personality shine and use this as your inspiration to be creative. Just because this style of home is common does not mean your decor and style have to be boring. Spice things up and create the home of your dreams!
