Mid-century ranch combines Spanish Colonial and Arts and Crafts styles
A ranch house is typically a one-story structure that appears low to the ground due to low gabled roofs and extended eaves and features an open floor plan designed to maximize interior space.
The California architect Cliff May is credited with popularizing the style beginning in the 1930s. It took its inspiration from real ranches in the United States, which were inspired by single-story Spanish style homes designed to beat the heat in the Southwest.
May blended the Spanish Colonial style with Arts and Crafts style to create a modern, single-story dwelling that suited the California landscape and climate. Plus, the mid-century modern ranch style was also inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian homes. These single-story dwellings were designed to be affordable suburban housing for the masses.
Where to look in Denver
The mid-century modern style became popular in Denver after World War II. At that time, many architects designed affordable tract homes for the families of soldiers coming home from Europe. Today, neighborhoods like Arapahoe Acres (Englewood), Arapaho Hills (Littleton), Bel Aire (Wheat Ridge), Bonnie Brae, Harvey Park, Hilltop, Krisana Park, Lynwood, Montclair, and South Dahlia Lane attract visitors interested in their mid-century modern homes.
Source: www.midcentury.org/ ; www.5280.com/
