skip to main content

Remodeling Design Dilemma

1960's Ranch - Need more space!

last year

Hello Houzz,

I've come to the experts for advice on how to renovate our 1960's ranch to accommodate another room since we our family is looking to grow! My husband and I both work from home in the current office, but when family comes to stay we post up in the dining room to give guests (usually my 70+ yr old parents) a private room with, sadly, a blow-up mattress. Husband also needs a sound-proof office for his voice work. We have about 100k for the remodel, and have a few ideas, but wanted to post here for additional fodder.

Our limitations:

City building code will only allow us to build 8 ft off the house from the back - not sure about the sides.

If we build over the garage we will need to reinforce the foundation (no big deal, but notable cost).

We can build detached backyard offices with permits.

We need the garage so closing it in is not an option.

Because the house is from 1960, I don't have a floorplan, but I've done my best with this rendering. Be gentle - I'm not an architect. I have also included some pics and our survey plat for you to get an idea of the property.

Gimmie your great ideas please! No idea is a bad idea. Anything goes.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

PRO
PPF.
last year
You don't say how much office space you each need.

For $100.00 you can buy software to model your existing home to scale and then to experiment with ideas.

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/
PRO
User
last year
Buy a different home that is larger. 100K will not begin to cover what you want done. But it will cover a lot of nights in hotel rooms for guests.
Related Discussions
Need help adding curb appeal on a 1960's ranch
Q
Comments (14)
I think that some of the suggestions wouldn't be an improvement and suggest that you think about whether those changes will enhance the home's appearance and period details. The dark stripes of the shutters add interest to the facade from a distance and I don't think I would change them unless you are going to add similar wide dark trim. The glass brick are appropriate to the architecture and were common in that time period, so unless you want that to be a window that you can look out, don't change them. Similarly, the wrought iron porch supports are typical to the time period, so unless they really bother you keep them. On the other hand, I don't like the jalousie windows and consider them to be more common on beach houses and back porches, not on windows to the main house, so I would switch them out. The low wall doesn't bother me since it is so low, but if you don't like it, I don't think removing it would be an issue as long as doing so won't damage the porch or house. I think replacing the door with one more in keeping with the house's architecture would be nice, and painting it something that contrasts with the masonry while still coordinated with the house would look good, so rich deep brown or black, or a shade like the brightest brown in the masonry, or even some shade of orange. The main issue to get an appealing entry is the plantings and walkway, both of which are currently narrow and cramped feeling. So I would move the walkway to a minimum of 5' from the garage so that you have room for a row of small shrubs underplanted with groundcover and a few bright flowers near the drive and where the walk turns toward the house. The walk should be at least 5' wide so visitors don't have to approach single file, and 6' would be better. You have a lot of different masonry surfaces going on already, so I would choose concrete to match the porch surface. I like the simple squared off shape of the walk and how it relates to the building, so I wouldn't change the shape or add curves. The current plantings seem rather random with regard to the architecture, so placement when you add plants will be important. Don't put plants that want to grow tall in front of windows, and center plantings with regard to architectural details instead of the current placement of being half in front of windows and masonry details. You don't say where you are in zone 6, and soil pH, texture, and moisture are different in Cleveland vs. New England vs. Oklahoma, so at this point it is difficult to make specific plant suggestions. You will want some evergreens for the backbone of the garden to provide year round interest. If your soil is acid and has reasonable drainage, look st some of the smaller and more densely growing members of the Heath family such as smaller Pieris or mountain laurel/Kalmia, heath/Erica, Heather/Calluna, or some of the smaller Rhododendrons. The Rhododendrons and Kalmia will tolerate a good amount of shade but the heaths and heathers like full sun. Other evergreens to consider with varying tolerance for shade include: Yew/Taxis which is your current plant, but has other shapes and sizes available and has the advantage of being very shade tolerant Junipers range from groundcovers to large trees and different cultivars have varying foliage colors, but like a good amount of sun Chamaecyparis has quite a range of foliage color and texture as well as plant size, depending on species and cultivar. Doesn't like all day shade, but tolerates a range of pH.
...See More
1960's Ranch Update Suggestions
Q
Comments (5)
Thank you for the comments! We are planning on pulling out all the landscaping along the front of the house. I completely agree that it is way too large. I think seeing all the brick on the right hand side of the house and not being able to see it on the left is part of what is making it hard for me to visualize. My husband's work schedule should allow us in the next week or so to start pulling out the bushes and I can't wait! As much as I would like to take out the trees in the front yard (they are HUGE pine trees) we are going to have to wait and save up to have them professionally removed because of their size. The windows that my husband wants to enlarge are on the end of the house where it is all siding and then on the driveway in the below image where it is all brick. The windows on the front he wants to widen more then lengthen because of the brick placement. I hadn't really thought about removing the shutters completely, so now I am curious to get them down and see what it looks like. I'm not opposed to painting the brick. Which is why I was wondering if I should paint the siding and the brick the same color. Is it better to leave the brick as is and adjust the siding and front door color?
...See More
1960s Half-brick Ranch, Curb Appeal Needed!
Q
Comments (6)
Roof: I would stick with the GRAY roof rather than changing to brown. Gray is much more versatile. Brick: I like your brick as is. Don't paint it. Front Door: Don't replace with a 'Craftsman' door. Your house isn't Craftsman. You can get an appropriate wood door that isn't Craftsman. Garage door: Paint to blend with the brick color or one shade darker than the brick. Best to not accent the garage door. You can remove the plastic inserts in the top garage panel so that the windows are square rather than that sunburst pattern and that will be a very nice update for your home. Shutters: Remove them. Your beautiful windows aren't designed for shutters and they clash with your exterior. Porch posts: Don't accent your posts - they aren't a feature. Have the color blend into the house so use the brick color. You have a great home! It just has a mashup of a couple of different styles now. When you finish your improvements, I would love to see how it turns out. Have fun!
...See More
Will bathroom redo look out-of-place in 1960s ranch house?
Q
Comments (29)
Marble never really stopped being used in bathrooms, it just wasn't particularly common or seen in the great quantities that it is showing up in, in some otherwise modest houses now. But the tract house my parents bought in 1958 had a marble threshold and window sill in an otherwise plain bathroom and my 1950s college dorm had marble shower stalls and toilet partitions, but that was for durability, they certainly weren't worried about matching veining and such. I am not sure why this has to be about having either a bathroom you like or one you don't like, really that sort of either/or is sort of predicated on the idea that the only bathroom someone is going to like is the one that is currently fashionable and if you do something that is not currently fashionable, then you aren't going to like it. Or that the "appropriate" sort of bathroom for an older rather than brand new trend-laden house is always going to be something disappointing. The alternative to the Pinterest bathroom du jour is not automatically terrible or ugly or dated bathroom, I don't buy it. Back when I actually did design kitchens and bathrooms for people, there were a few people who thought this way, if it wasn't completely the most current thing to be seen, they weren't going to be happy when it was done. And I spent a lot of time talking them out of picking every shiny object that caught their eye because I knew that infatuation would not last. In the six months between when they picked something out and when it was installed they already liked something else better, and that's when it's still new, not after it's been in the house for years like a bathroom is. Don't believe it? I have been around these forums long enough that I have seen plenty of people who seven years ago said "Oh do this, it's timeless it's classic, it's perfect" and now they are saying how ugly and tired and overdone that same thing is. If it's a pair of shoes, fine whatever you can throw them away after wearing them a couple times. But very few people are going to redo an entire tile job every few years when it is now longer the best thing on Pinterest. Of the two bathrooms the OP posted, the first one is very handsome, and it's all white which is never really a problem, my question is "Is that much marble really a good fit in an older house which probably has otherwise pretty modest finishes that may not be changing". The second one, I think is the sort of thing that is not great design now, it's probably the harvest gold bathroom of the future. It pushes a lot of Pinterest buttons for being photogenic and making lots of good vignettes and such, but I don't think it's well designed, it's eye-catching in media.
...See More
schnoodlemom
last year
I take it there is no basement? Don't build over the garage, that always looks weird on a ranch. If you want to stay in this house, build the separate office in the back yard. Also get a sofa with a bed inside.
kandrewspa
last year
If it is legal to build an ADU in your backyard that might be the best idea, but that would probably eat up all your money and not leave anything to remodel the main house at all. An ADU with a full bathroom and enough room for the two of you to work and a Murphy bed would solve all your problems.

Have you looked at other houses to see if moving will get you what you need? Sometimes no matter how much you like your current house it's just time to move on. I don't know where you live - is it common to have basements in your area? The same size house with a basement might be able to solve your problems.
PRO
Norwood Architects
last year
My vote is for a new separate office in an accessory structure if that is allowed per your zoning.
Nicole Davis
Original Author
last year
Thanks for the comments, all. We'd prefer to stay in the neighborhood, but because we are in Dallas, there was a huge housing boom and everything around us is at least 300k more expensive, so moving is kinda out. We are in the awesome (but terrible) position of being in a very highly-desired neighborhood and are hooked up to an amazing school system, etc.

Yes, no basements in Dallas. Sounding more and more like a pull out bed and backyard office might be the way to go!
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
last modified: last year
I think the separate space for offices is always a good idea . It makes going to work an actul thing and at the end of the day you lock the door and go home . I agree that the budget is small so maybe even look at prefab units to use . theare are some pretty cool ones .Lots within your budget too.
Laura Dail
last year
Have you considered adding a second floor over the main house? I am sure if you drove around similar neighborhoods in parts of Dallas, you can find similar styles where people have added a second story. I drove through the neighborhoods around work (Lake Highlands area) when we received that recommendation, and saw many people doing the same thing in that area due to the way the DFW market is. However, we have a lot more room in the backyard for an addition, and we are older so I am trying to downsize from stairs, not add them. We are adding a primary suite to my fiance's house and selling mine. Otherwise, I would add the structure to the backyard, but you may appreciate more space as time goes by if you are growing your family.
Laura Dail
last year
Yet, as you suggested yesterday, looking at ways to increase their budget may be worth it in the long run.
latifolia
last year
Adding on is going to be very expensive in a house of that age; probably cheaper to tear down and start over. A second story is likely to require a new foundation and new framing. And they are likely to require everything is brought up to code, so new plumbing and electrical.

As much as you love your neighborhood and schools, there are probably other nice neighborhoods. I would keep looking.

Otherwise build the separate office or rent office space somewhere, and put your parents up in a hotel.
Laura Dail
last year
In the end, construction costs vary widely from place to place depending on product availability and labor. Speaking to a local contractor and architect is best, and shop around. Our architect costs ranged from $2500-$11500 for the same services with the 3 different architects.

Related Stories

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: 1960s Ranch Redo in Denver

By Becky Harris

This sibling team balanced their renovation budget by spending where it counts, and turned their Colorado childhood home into a showplace

MIDCENTURY HOMES My Houzz: Refreshing Makeover for a 1960s Ranch in Texas

By Angela Flournoy

First-time homeowners transform their home with blue feature walls, classic finishes and playful accents

ARCHITECTURE Personal Spaces: 10 Cool Updated Ranch Houses

By Laura Gaskill

Looking to bring your ranch-style home into the 21st century? Get inspired by what these homeowners have done

CONTEMPORARY HOMES My Houzz: Modern Update to a 1960s Ranch in New Jersey

By Esther Hershcovich

Outdated home decor is replaced with modern European-inspired elements, all while keeping true to the family’s rich culture

MOST POPULAR 8 Ranch House Renovations Make More Room for Living

By Annie Thornton

See how homeowners have updated vintage homes to preserve their charm and make them function beautifully in today’s world

HOUZZ TOURS New Layout and More Light for a Family’s 1940s Ranch House

By Becky Harris

A Los Angeles designer reconfigures a midcentury home and refreshes its decor

STORAGE Tap Into Stud Space for More Wall Storage

It’s recess time. Look to hidden wall space to build a nook that’s both practical and appealing to the eye

LIFE You Said It: ‘Work With the Space You Are Given’ and More

By Becky Harris

Having trouble keeping that resolution momentum going? Help is here

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Want More Party Space? 5 Tips to Improve Indoor-Outdoor Flow

By Dylan Chappell Architects

Expand your home's entertaining area without adding on by boosting connections between inside and out

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Added Space and Style for a 1960s Split Level

By John Prindle

With a new second story and downstairs suite, custom touches and midcentury pieces, this Portland family home suits 3 generations

Sponsored

More Discussions

How would you update this fireplace?

11

waterfall countertop for kitchen island … made from wood

15

Granite veining direction on countertop "L"

9

Critique my new floorplan! Master bath and kitchen

7

Opening to between rooms got smaller?

7