The bedroom ceiling was raised by simply going into the attic. The master bathroom expansion still stays under the once-wide ranch eaves of the house. Timelessness The use of materials also makes a difference in a ranch remodel. Interior designer Linda Kay DeMartini of Kay Designs in Burlingame moved her own home s design from ranch to an updated English Cottage style. The front windows were pushed out to an angled bay window with a copper roof and diamond-pattern leaded glass windows.
Most ranch homes have aluminum windows and sliding doors.
DeMartini installed wood-framed windows and replaced sliding doors with French doors. In the Towle-Stewart home, limestone replaced the brick facade on the front of the home. Everybody uses oak, says Towle, who wanted something unique. The brick fireplace in the family room was resurfaced in culture stone, a synthetic material that still manages a natural, outdoorsy feel. Updating materials such as wood, brick and stone is a common fix for ranchers.