Exterior & Interior Design/Layout for 60s Southern Mid-Century ranch?

last year

Below is my awkward dimension home. Which I have lived in for over a year, and still haven't decided on an actual layout that make sense.

I have done tons of research for floor plans similar to mine, and houses that fit the style, which I have landed on southern ranches, post war ramblers, and mid century ranches. But it doesn't fit directly into one specific category.

It has an extended eaves on the front supported by what seems to be lally columns, covered with aluminum casings for a previous screened section. It has a large patio off the front of the house which has a knee wall around a portion of it, which seems to also act as a sort of a retaining wall.

The home doesn't have any sort of entry way, which forces you to walk along the driveway through the patio and into the front door. Walking into the home, you have no sort of indication that you are at the entrance to the home, as you are forced to walk directly into the kitchen which seems to double as the dining room. Being the house was built in the 1960's I am not exactly sure what has changed over time. The shaded portions of the floor plan is the current cabinets, and refrigerator(which blocks a portion of bedroom 2's door). The utility room is abnormally small, and actually doesn't properly fit a washer and dryer.

We have come to find out a lot of the work completed on the home is subpar, and a lot of the original drywall is very thin, including the ceiling as we had part of it fall into the house. Mostly due to the build up off moisture in the attic from original duct work, which has since been replaced... Lousy installs of lighting, and switches... the single bathroom, has two breakers, and actually shares one breaker with the master bedroom. Wires spliced in junction boxes in the walls rather than in the attic, a lot of the rooms lights and fans are controlled by remotes, rather than switches on the wall. Painted vinyl siding which now is being quite badly warped from the sun...

Bad workmanship is just something everyone needs to deal with unfortunately, but that will be fixed as time goes on.

In the meantime, I really need to get a general direction on flow of the yard, and home itself.

The plants/garden around the large oak tree in front had to be removed, as they were unkempt for so long, and honestly positioning of them just wasn't the best, so below is the front, after we had some grading issues fixed, and prior to having our black gutters installed.

Now the yard is still a huge work in progress, but having the tree as the focal point, rather than the unkempt garden is a huge preference. Hopefully once our cool season starts we can have some natives planted.

Now below is really what I need help with....

1) The siding does make the house look a lot longer than it is, and I think that going with a vertical plank siding would be a huge change for the better, and wrapping the columns in a sort of wood.

2) Front Door/Entryway, the house from the floor plan lacks an entryway, and the actual walkway to front door is up the driveway and through the patio, which doesn't feel right at all... Would I be better off making a path going around left of the tree, and blocking off the knee wall patio somehow?

3) The kneewall looks very out of place, but I do feel it is a quite a necessity, how can I make it look a bit more appealing? I think it is a bit to short for any sort of veneer, but what about wood slats or cladding?

4) Having a cover over the patio would be huge, but being the low height and low slope roof, it makes any sort of cover not inviting, or possible, but would a sloped pergola that overhangs the house by a foot or so be an option?

5) The kitchen and dining room I feel is large but the space just isn't utilized very well, using the outside patio space is a huge goal, and having that flow into the house, into the kitchen and dining area would be awesome, I don't think the dimensions of the home, would make sense for a kitchen with an island, but a kitchen with a peninsula may be a possibility.

6) Would an ensuite bathroom even possible without extending the floorplan at all or would that only be a possibility in bedroom 2? Which I believe was a car port and enclosed sometime in the past..

Maybe I just am overthinking, or need more ideas.

Featured Answer

PRO

Patricia Colwell Consulting

last year

IMO first you get the inside figured out then you fix the exterior . I cannot read the plan measurements so first fix that. This not your typical MCM ranch layout but IMO all the stuff that you mention is sub par needs to be addressed long before curbappeal Get a good architect/ designer to work on a full scaled rdo of all the space and function long before anything else . Any work you do cosmetically is like lips tick on a pig still a a pig until the basics get fixed

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

Sigrid
last year
You make your kneewall more attractive by painting it or planting something in front of it. In the 60s, long and low was the goal. I'd keep the horizontal siding.

You probably have a lot of shade from the tree. Do you need a roof for your patio?

More flow to the outside might suggest French doors from the living room.
Quentin Svoboda thanked Sigrid
Quentin Svoboda
Original Author
last year
We do have a lot of shade but the space is large so it will drop a lot of leaves, and we also get a lot rain which in turn floods the patio.
Related Professionals
Folsom Bathroom Remodelers · Superior Bathroom Remodelers · Wauconda Architects & Building Designers · Rockland Interior Designers & Decorators · La Grange Park General Contractors · Torrington General Contractors · West Mifflin General Contractors · South Glastonbury Siding & Exteriors · West Hempstead Siding & Exteriors · Bell Gardens Architects & Building Designers · Grover Beach Home Builders · Albany Painters · Euless Painters · Lehi Painters · Newington General Contractors
elcieg
last year
last modified: last year
Idea for entrance:

There is not dirt at the foundation, correct? Add potted shade perennials under the eve.

How about a dark exterior (please, no shutters)?

For front door.
housegal200
last year
last modified: last year
No comments on most of your Dilemma, but few suggestions for later on after you address interior of the house:

--Consult with a landscape architect to create a wide rain garden bed around your tree This will help with your drainage problem, and it will be all the landscape design you need with that amazing tree.

--Remove the shutters, which don't suit the style.

--Eventually beef up the skimpy white pillars for a visual upgrade.

--Replace front door with one that has MCM vibe.
Cohassett Project · More Info
PRO
JAN MOYER
last year
Post a much better, easier to read , black and white jpeg of your floor plan, inside.

Every wall , window etc dimension LEGIBLE
PRO
Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
last year
Please try to come up with an overall plan for this house. You need to start with all the problems with construction, HVAC, roofing, plumbing, and electrical, before you start worrying about the aesthetics. You may need the services of an engineer or architect before you do anything.
apple_pie_order
last year
This is a long list of things you don't like about the house. You've already neatened up the (Florida?) landscaping and set up a comfortable area on the front porch.

1- What attracted you to buy it?

2- Do you have a budget range in mind for changes over the next five years or so?

3- What are your top three priorities?
housegal200
last year
last modified: last year
Some further thoughts:

--Front patios can make inviting entryways if you design them as an outdoor "foyer" or "room." Right now you have the same hardscaping in patio area as driveway, uninviting. Starting at the edge of the kneewall, change the hardscaping to flagstone or cement and stone (maybe with red stepping stones embedded in cement and leading to the doorway. Add colorful patio chairs, table, and great outdoor lighting to make the space a real entryway, though outdoors. In warmer weather, set up a buffet/bar out front when you entertain so that outdoors and indoors are connected, welcoming spaces.

Here are some inspiration photos that show inviting front patio entrances leading off the driveway.
Evanston Residence - Eclectic Colonial · More Info

Forever Ranch · More Info

Re-Design Consulting · More Info

Patios · More Info

Cottage Patio/Landscaping - Essex, MA · More Info

--Kneewall could be treated in one of three ways: small low shrubs, native to your area along the kneewall and all the way across to the left end of the house. Or long, low planters, kneewall height, filled with perennials and low shrubs. This will help separate kneewall driveway. Build or buy low benches same height as knee wall to use for seating, then bring out the seat cushions. (This is assuming kneewall is seat height.) Notice in third photo, that kneewall is painted white, which links it to white trim on the house.

As others have suggested, you need to deal with your interior first in case you're changing doors and windows. Your horizontal siding looks fine, but a new more modern door, outdoor lighting, and beefier supports would upgrade your house.
Quentin Svoboda
Original Author
last year
Patricia Colwell Consulting

In regards to not being able to see the floor plan, I am not sure why a lot of the measurements are not legible. This may be better. https://imgur.com/a/46Iidqj.

A lot of the stuff on the inside will also change how the outside is in that regard, so I am trying to plan to do both of them pretty simultaneously. Ex. Electrical, doors, walls, etc.

elcieg

It is a slab on grade, a dark exterior was talked about, but I honestly am a bit worried that it would fade quite substantially in the Florida Sun. Shutters definitely need to go.

housegal200

Thank you! It is a very large live oak, have a total of three of them but the one in the front of the house is majestic. I have had an arborists do an assessment on them all, and to do any sort of landscape work, it needs to be highly thought out to not damage the Critical Root Zone which is actually very shallow in the ground, and to use an air spade, rather than anything else. The white pillars are so goofy, everytime I look at them!

JAN MOYER

This may be better. https://imgur.com/a/46Iidqj. Not sure why the floor plan uploaded so weird. To be honest, I've tried to draw up a lot of different floor plans that'll work with the home, nothing I've drawn up just says yes, which really comes down to the 24' depth of the home. I'd love to find someone that may be able to assist, but haven't had much luck, as I get pointed in all different directions. Most major problem up until this point has been completed, New Septic and Drainfield, house regraded, AC Handler, AC Ducts, and New Roof. Plumbing was updated previously as well. So that is why I am trying to get a better idea of what can be done in regards to the flow of the house so I can change things and update the electrical at the same time.

apple_pie_order

I don't think it is to long, just planning for the future honestly. Reason for the purchase, was the master is split from the rest of the house, large yard, growing area, and the majestic trees. Somewhat secluded neighborhood. Outdoor space for entertaining, large parking area. Top priority is really just making the interior traffic flow better as well as blend with the outdoors.