Not too long ago, ranch-style homes were some of the most sought-after in the market. With their modest footprints and easy upkeep, what’s not to like? Despite their namesake, ranch-style homes can sometimes incorporate modern design elements like moveable glass walls to enhance their overall appeal and further incorporate the outdoors. Plenty of outdoor space is a commonality between these timeless dwellings so enhancing the connection to nature is almost required. Although every ranch home features a set of unique characteristics, let’s take a look at how others have personalized their homes with the indoor/outdoor experience and flexible opening glass wall systems.
Our Top 5 Ranch Homes with Moveable Glass Walls
What Defines a Ranch Home?
Ranch homes date back to the 1930s quickly becoming a popular choice in the suburbs amidst the rising popularity of Colonial and Craftsman-style architecture. These low-profile homes are characterized by simplistic design elements rooted in functionality and a love for the outdoors. These single-story structures often feature open concept layouts with separated bedrooms as well as a functional basement or garage. At first sight, facades are composed of large windows, low-pitched roofs, and extensive patios. Brick and siding are popular envelope materials and large openings, often in the form of traditional sliding doors, are preferred to extend the living spaces to the backyard.
Opening the Walls to the Outdoors with Moveable Glass Walls
NanaWall opening glass wall systems are replacing conventional sliding doors due to their advanced weather performance, ease of operation, and durability—alongside a plethora of other design-forward elements. These floor-to-ceiling glass walls successfully enhance the indoor/outdoor experience by facilitating wide openings that invite plenty of sunlight and fresh air ventilation. While thinner frames enhance landscape views, barely-there floor tracks offer seamless thresholds between the indoors and outdoors. In addition, NanaWall moveable glass walls are customizable to the needs and aesthetics of every household. Choose between wood, aluminum, or clad and over 200 powder coating options. Folding or sliding systems can be customized with swing doors for quick transitions and even simulated divided lites for a more traditional look.
1. A Hidden Santa Barbara Gem
Perched atop the picturesque Santa Barbara mountains, this stunning ranch-style home is the perfect spot to take in the view. Featuring an eye-catching black rooftop and contrasting white walls, the modern approach of the home’s façade extends to the interior design choices. This includes the multiple sets of moveable glass walls that completely open the back to the extensive backyard and stunning mountain views. Two folding glass systems were specified in the master bedroom and living room while a window-sized folding system and stand-alone swing door were utilized in the kitchen to create an indoor/outdoor bar area right in front of the outdoor dining table. The homeowners truly created a paradise right in the comfort of their home!
photo: Carina Romano/Apartment Therapy
2. Indoor/Outdoor Living Takes a Whole New Meaning
This home looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale. When it came to renovating the property, the homeowner, who had spent over 25 years in the city of Manhattan, had one major goal in mind: to bring the outside in. With the Poconos Mountains as the backdrop, the home had strong aspects of mid-century modern ranch architecture, including the floor-to-ceiling windows often found in these homes. Multiple NanaWall SL60 aluminum framed folding glass walls take over the back of the property that connects to the patio. The combination of the open floor plan with the dynamic systems offers a bright and airy atmosphere with plenty of fresh air, natural sounds, and the flexibility for the homeowner and her animals to flow freely throughout the residence.
3. Stunning Eichler Reimagined
With their timeless elegance and unique set of characteristics, Eichlers perfectly fit the ranch style category. This Silicon Valley Eichler, for example, checks off the open concept floorplan, low-pitched roof, and extensive outdoor space—which is why when it came to renovating the property, the homeowners wanted to further enhance the connection to the outdoors with opening glass wall systems. In fact, the architects modeled the whole house of fenestration around the NanaWall systems and applied a custom glaze to retrofit the remaining original windows. The previous large, fixed glass walls were not too energy efficient and the NanaWall systems completely transformed the functionality and energy efficiency of this iconic Mid-Century home. Throughout the home, these systems create wide, flexible openings that lead to the extensive backyard and open the home to plenty of daylight and fresh air ventilation.
4. Breezehome-Inspired Design Enhances Interiors
Unlike the Silicon Valley home mentioned above, this San Jose Eichler leverages two large opening glass wall systems on either side for the ultimate indoor/outdoor experience. This breezeway design allows fresh air to seamlessly cross-ventilate interiors while creating seamless transitions to the outdoor areas. These aluminum framed systems seamlessly blend with the rest of the floor-to-ceiling glass walls on the back façade for a fully transparent envelope. The barely-there floor tracks are barely visible—almost as if there was no threshold there at all. We can only imagine the lively entertainment nights that occur by that bonfire!
5. The Best of Both Worlds with Clad Moveable Glass Walls
This welcoming Maine dwelling checks off all the requirements of a ranch home. Low-pitched roof, open floorplan, large windows, and a significant connection to its outdoor spaces. Compared to the conventional sliding patio door, the homeowners opted for a clad folding glass wall that extends the interior living spaces into an extensive deck. A specified swing panel allows for easy access between the indoor and outdoor spaces when the system is closed. Wood frames on the inside complement the natural tones of the home’s interior décor while aluminum frames on the outside offer low-maintenance and sleek aesthetics. As a Generation 4 Folding Glass Wall, the NW Clad 740 offers the slimmest clad frames on the market, quadruple laminated wood, smoothest operation, and advanced weather performance. Truly, the best of both worlds!
Discover how other homes leverage NanaWall moveable glass walls in our extensive gallery of projects!