How to Decorate a House in Ranch Style: 5 Main Rules

Ranch houses are typical homes of Americans in the early 20th century, which emerged during a severe economic crisis. Today, well-known Moscow designer Elena Krylova told us what exactly makes the interior design of American ranch style unique and how to make it as close as possible to Russian realities.

Elena Krylova is a well-known Moscow designer and head of her own design studio. Elena created exclusive interiors for many showbiz stars, famous politicians, and businessmen: Bari Alibasov, Natasha Koroleva, Lena Lenina, and many others. During her career, Elena Krylova with her team has completed dozens of design projects for residential spaces, clubs, restaurants, and beauty salons. She is a regular participant in business events and TV projects.

1. Materials

American ranch houses were originally built from the cheapest and lowest quality materials. The reason was that hot locations and a leisurely lifestyle did not force the cowboys to build quality and durable housing.

Therefore, whatever was at hand was used in construction: brick, stone, boards, clay. Today, these materials are also relevant for decorating houses in ranch style.

2. Layout

Naturally, during the crisis, there was no space to build large structures, so the rural housing of hardworking Americans did not feature multi-story buildings — just one or at most two floors.

Ranch houses also have an asymmetrical design and lack any internal geometry. The small area of ranches did not allow dividing the space into many rooms, so the dining room was almost always combined with the living room and hallway. The first floor was designed as a passage with large sliding doors to the veranda and inner courtyard. This created an illusion of expanded space. The only separate room was the bedroom.

Today, the idea of a spacious first floor is still relevant for many houses. If, as is typical for ranches, the house has only one floor, it's important to thoughtfully plan the layout and communications to accommodate all functional zones in a small area.

3. Interior Decoration

American ranch style is homey and cozy. Therefore, the interior is not overloaded with decoration or details but is rich in various family relics.

The ceilings remain in their original state, where exposed beams add color to the country house.

Natural materials are preferred for finishing: stone or ceramic tiles on the floor; toned brick or wood on the walls. Furniture is wooden or wicker.

4. Accessories and Decor

The ranch interior is full of original details: chests, forged candleholders, rocking chairs, clay dishes.

Textiles come in small floral patterns with frills. Many cushions and carpets give the interior a cozy and warm atmosphere. Much of these details are handmade or custom-made.

At the same time, ranch interiors are characterized by a certain brutality typical of the male interior of a real cowboy: forged accessories and furniture, animal skins, textures of raw wood, concrete, and brick.

Another essential feature of ranches (and any country house for a large family) is the fireplace, decorated with concrete, stone, or brick. The more textured it is, the better!

5. Lighting

When creating an interior in ranch style, one should not forget about the characteristic lighting of this style. Originally, to save money, ranch houses were built with as large windows as possible so that sunlight could reach all corners of the rooms. This trend has been preserved to this day, so the main emphasis is placed on functional lighting in work zones and decorative lighting that adds even more texture to finishing materials. Ornate lamps made of copper and steel, chandeliers imitating candles, forged fixtures — all of these are quite appropriate in this style's interior.

Undoubtedly, over time, the interior of American ranch style has undergone many changes. However, it is only gaining popularity now. The key point is to remember that when trying to create this style in an interior, one should first think about functionality and comfort for living!