Is your house a Ranch style? If so, you’re not alone. For decades, the Ranch was a highly popular architectural design, with a single level that spread out to offer everything a homeowner could want with easy access. With an open floor plan, attached garage, gabled roof, low roofline, and large windows, Ranches are bright, relaxed and welcoming.
Yet they also often need an upgrade in their exterior style, since Ranch homes were commonly built in the 1950s and 1960s. Their age may mean they need a creative facelift with new siding that is designed to last better than old-fashioned wood boards.
You can get a lot of gorgeous curb appeal and a personalized, modern touch to your Ranch house with the lovely, customizable designs available with America’s favorite siding product—James Hardie®. Here are some of our favorite siding style approaches to complement your home.
Build on Casual Style with Hardie Board and Batten
Ranch homes are known for their laid-back design. They’re unpretentious and relaxed—offering a perfect canvas for creating the modern Farmhouse look with board and batten siding from James Hardie. This appearance is easily achieved with a combination of vertical HardiePanel and HardieTrim.
Create the Illusion of Height with Hardie Vertical Panels
If you’re not a fan of board and batten but you want your single-story Ranch home to appear taller, HardiePanel can be used without the HardieTrim to create tall, lean lines that draw the eye upward. Dark colors can add drama to this look, while lighter colors can appear more classic.
Go Horizontal for a Timeless Look
Perhaps you’d like your Ranch to have a traditional, classic appearance—much like a modern Colonial. Horizontal HardiePlank siding is smooth and attractive, and will blend well with the Ranch’s casual, sprawling nature.
Mix and Match for Craftsman-Like Charm
Craftsman homes are eclectic in style, which may sound a lot different than the laid-back Ranch look—but it’s not. Boost your home’s curb appeal with personalized touches, blending HardiePlank lap siding with HardieTrim accents and HardieShingle around key features.
Create Texture with Layers and Combinations
Since Ranch style houses are relatively simple—they don’t have the intricate features of a Victorian or Queen Anne, for instance—you can use siding to give the façade an extra pop. The layered board and batten design is one approach, but you can also combine vertical HardiePanel with horizontal HardieBoard for added visual interest.
Mimic Traditional Shake Style on the Gables
If your Ranch home has roof gables that you’d like to emphasize, consider covering them in distinctive, authentic-looking HardieShingles. They look like cedar shakes, but because of their fiber cement makeup, they last longer and are much easier to care for. They also retain their color longer. They can really add character to your home.
Get Contemporary Flair with Hardie’s Special Collections
For added modern style, start with the elegant Artisan Collection—a sleek, 5/8-inch Hardie siding panel style that is refreshingly up-to-the-minute in its vibe. Or, accent the contemporary feel even further with the elevated design choices from the Aspyre Collection, James Hardie’s elegant, luxe line of siding that will make your Ranch look unique.
Personalize the Design with Amazing Colors
James Hardie comes with tons of color choices to allow you the exact look you want. Get pre-primed boards if you would like to choose your paint after installation. If you desire lasting, vibrant color, opt for ColorPlus Technology, which is applied in the factory in layers and is warrantied up to 15 years.
Check out the Statement Collection for Hardie’s most popular colors in Chicagoland, or peruse the Dream Collection—featuring over 700 beautiful ColorPlus finishes. There’s something for everyone!
Finish the Look with Well-Planned Details
Hardie siding comes in a full line of materials to create a finished style that keeps your home’s exterior well protected. Once the siding panels and shingles are installed, be sure to complete the look with HardieTrim and HardieSoffit so everything blends together seamlessly.
Invest in the Right Siding Team for Your Ranch Home Updates
Getting creative with your Ranch’s exterior look is easy with the right siding—and the right siding installation team. At Siding & Windows Group, we help Chicago homeowners get lasting, beautiful curb appeal and top-notch service and craftsmanship. As a James Hardie Elite Preferred contractor, we’re among the exclusive group of pros who are experts in precision installations of your siding.
Get started with some inspiration! Check out the many color and style options of James Hardie siding that we offer. You’ll get gorgeous results that will earn admiration for your home for decades.