How to pick out windows for a Ranch home

The Ranch style originally appeared in California in the 1920s and 1930s, drawing inspiration from colonial Spanish architectural elements popular in homes at the time. However, the style really gained traction in the post-World War II era as an affordable response to the growing demand for suburban living. In the 1950s, no other housing style was as common, and while its popularity has grown and dipped over time, the Ranch home has undoubtedly become a staple of American architecture. 

The Ranch home offers an open-concept layout that heavily favors indoor/outdoor living. It's typically a one-story home with wide-open floor plans, low-pitched roofs, and minimal decoration or ornamentation. To place the focus on the outdoors, it usually features large windows on all sides of a U-shaped or L-shaped layout, as well as multiple ground-floor entries. It could be built with a range of materials, depending on its location, but the most popular are brick, stucco, or wood in neutral colors.

When choosing windows for a Ranch home, casement or double-hung windows are popular choices to let abundant air flow and natural light into the home. Oversized picture windows are also a great choice. 

Often these types of windows are combined into large window units that feature prominently at the front of the home in a more public space, like a living room or dining room. A picture window at the center with casement or double-hung windows on either side is a classic example. This type of combination is sometimes called a Chicago window. An alternative to this combination is a three-sash gliding window. 

While not part of the windows themselves, shutters can be a great addition to a Ranch home. They’re a seemingly small detail, but they match the home style perfectly and add welcoming charm to the facade. 

Grilles

A popular grille choice for tall, narrow casement or double-hung windows is the semi-customizable specified equal light pattern in a 4-over-1 configuration. This creates a ladder-like design of stacked rectangles.

Color

Window frames colors are typically muted earthtones. Brown, beige, off-white, and a range of pastel hues are all common. Typically, there's not a major contrast with the other exterior elements. The overall exterior color palette is classically neutral. 

Narrow sight lines

Thin framing that’s an even width all the way around creates a more modern look that aligns with the Ranch’s mid-century roots. While the expansive glass orients the home toward the outdoors. Think of windows as receding to the landscape outside. 

TIP: For maximum value, look to our 100 Series Casement, Gliding, and Picture Windows.  

Choosing windows for an updated Ranch home, whether you're remodeling or replacing, can give you the opportunity to create a look that blends the nostalgic twentieth-century style with a more contemporary aesthetic. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Skip the grilles: For a sleek look and unobstructed views, windows without grilles can be a great choice.
• Be bold: Veer away from the neutral color palette of yesteryear with a dark frame color, like black or dark bronze.
• Go big: Replace your walls with floor-to-ceiling windows for the most amount of natural light — or achieve a similar effect with a sliding glass patio door. 

TIP: 400 Series Casement Windows with contemporary profiles offer a great blend of modern aesthetics and superior performance. Did you know casements windows are the most energy efficient type of operable window? 

Doors on Ranch houses typically have more minimalist designs aligning with the home’s simple materials and lack of intricate architectural detail. Patio doors often feature lots of glass to increase the connection to the outdoors. Front doors might be wood or finished in a striking accent color to contrast with the simplicity of the rest of the home and add curb appeal.

Entry doors for Ranch-style homes are traditionally wood, sometimes with small panes of glass. They can be embellished by sidelights or transoms as well. More modern Ranch homes might feature full glass panels or colorful materials to add a bold accent to the more neutral exterior.

When selecting a patio door for a Ranch home, you can’t go wrong with a sliding glass door that emphasizes a connection to the outdoors. Here are some selections to keep in mind: 

• Narrow sight lines: Similar to windows, doors will typically have narrower framing that’s an even width all the way around, allowing for more expansive glass. Again, it’s about taking in the backyard views the Ranch is privy to due to its typically suburban locale.
• Sleek hardware: Subtle hardware that blends in with the door’s finish and has a low profile and clean lines complements the modern leanings of Ranch style.
• Earthy finish: Brown, beige, white, and other neutral colors are a nice complement to the classic color palette often featured on a Ranch home. 

TIP: Our 200 Series Narroline® Gliding Patio Door has ultra-narrow framing around the glass. Our A-Series Gliding Patio Doors with contemporary panels also has narrow sightlines and the option to select flush-mount hardware. 

There’s more than one variation on the Ranch-style home. Here are a few of them, and their prominent identifying features:   

1. Suburban Ranch: This is the classic Ranch home that would almost immediately be associated with 1950s suburbia — right down to the picture-perfect shuttered windows and new-for-the-times sliding glass patio doors.
2. California Ranch: These sometimes-sprawling residences boast large glass doors and windows to amplify the environment and take advantage of the indoor/outdoor living integral to the warm climate.
3. Split-Level: This riff on the Ranch has multiple levels connected by short staircases. A bonus of this style is the opportunity for double-height spaces, such as surrounding stairs, where taller windows can let light into multiple levels. This style is also sometimes called a “raised Ranch.”
4. Modern Ranch: With hallmarks of the original style, like a single-story layout and low roof, along with contemporary updates, such as steel components, this variant has a more contemporary edge. You’ll often find floor-to-ceiling windows and full glass panel doors in these homes. 

Whatever variety your Ranch home is, keeping a focus on the landscape and opting for clean lines will always align with this style.