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Pro Spotlight: 3 Ways to Update Your Ranch-Style Kitchen
Bring your rancher’s kitchen into the 21st century using these tips from a Danville architect
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Who: Steve Wynn of Barry & Wynn Architects
Where: Danville, California
In his own words: “Ranchers were just enough and never overdone.”
People want their kitchens to be a welcoming space for family and friends. The kitchens found in modest ranch-style homes from the 1950s and ’60s worked well for their time, but now they’re too isolated from the rest of the house. “Put simply, we’ve outgrown much of what the original rancher provided,” says architect Steve Wynn of Barry & Wynn Architects in Danville.
Where: Danville, California
In his own words: “Ranchers were just enough and never overdone.”
People want their kitchens to be a welcoming space for family and friends. The kitchens found in modest ranch-style homes from the 1950s and ’60s worked well for their time, but now they’re too isolated from the rest of the house. “Put simply, we’ve outgrown much of what the original rancher provided,” says architect Steve Wynn of Barry & Wynn Architects in Danville.
A blend of disciplines. Wynn’s interest in architecture stems from spending time as a child in the office of his father, a civil engineer, plus his own interest in art. “Architecture felt like a natural combination of the two,” he says of the disciplines. After earning a degree in architecture at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, he worked at several firms before moving to the East Bay in 2001. He became a partner in Barry & Wynn in 2014.
Finding a balance. Updating a ranch-style home, especially its kitchen, is one of the most common requests Wynn receives. He enjoys the challenge of making a space more functional and appealing, but he also reminds homeowners to embrace their rancher’s enduring qualities: comfortable proportions and a warm aesthetic. “You should keep the spirit of the original,” he says.
Ready to redo the kitchen in your rancher? Wynn offers some advice below.
Ready to redo the kitchen in your rancher? Wynn offers some advice below.
Construction by Tobiason and Rook Co.
1. Spruce Up the Style
Give your kitchen an up-to-date look that still conveys the charm and character of the original space. This modern-farmhouse-style kitchen in a West Side Danville rancher looks fresh but still suits the home.
Wynn combined the kitchen and dining room into one large, open space with more cabinetry. “The original kitchen possessed not a single cabinet more than what was practical at the time,” he says. The team replaced the ceramic tile on the floors with wood and the tile on the countertops with sleek concrete. A wooden kitchen table takes the place of an island, harking back to the room’s roots.
See more of this project
1. Spruce Up the Style
Give your kitchen an up-to-date look that still conveys the charm and character of the original space. This modern-farmhouse-style kitchen in a West Side Danville rancher looks fresh but still suits the home.
Wynn combined the kitchen and dining room into one large, open space with more cabinetry. “The original kitchen possessed not a single cabinet more than what was practical at the time,” he says. The team replaced the ceramic tile on the floors with wood and the tile on the countertops with sleek concrete. A wooden kitchen table takes the place of an island, harking back to the room’s roots.
See more of this project
2. Create a Gathering Space
Turn a kitchen that functions primarily as a pass-through space into one that’s welcoming to all. “A successful kitchen makeover should invite family and friends to gather, share and linger,” Wynn says.
Another set of Danville homeowners loved the quirkiness of their galley-style kitchen but not its tight layout and lack of natural light. The team removed the walls between the kitchen, dining room and halls to maximize square footage. An expansive window above the sink, a skylight and new pendants brighten the space. The simple gray-and-white color palette creates a calming backdrop for the large prep island, which doubles as a casual gathering spot. The whole room now encourages people to stay, relax and enjoy their time together.
See more of this project
Turn a kitchen that functions primarily as a pass-through space into one that’s welcoming to all. “A successful kitchen makeover should invite family and friends to gather, share and linger,” Wynn says.
Another set of Danville homeowners loved the quirkiness of their galley-style kitchen but not its tight layout and lack of natural light. The team removed the walls between the kitchen, dining room and halls to maximize square footage. An expansive window above the sink, a skylight and new pendants brighten the space. The simple gray-and-white color palette creates a calming backdrop for the large prep island, which doubles as a casual gathering spot. The whole room now encourages people to stay, relax and enjoy their time together.
See more of this project
3. Bring in More Light
Maximize the light in your kitchen using large windows, glass doors and skylights whenever possible. “The kitchen deserves plenty of light,” Wynn says.
Dated lighting and windows overwhelmed by surrounding cabinetry and hutches left the kitchen of another West Side Danville home feeling cramped and dark. The team added skylights and more pendant lighting to better illuminate the work area and the new island, seen here. New sleek, glass cabinetry further opens up the space. The biggest transformation was the dining nook, where French doors and large windows now fill the space with light for an airy look.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Steve Wynn and examples of his work, visit Barry & Wynn Architects’ Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Maximize the light in your kitchen using large windows, glass doors and skylights whenever possible. “The kitchen deserves plenty of light,” Wynn says.
Dated lighting and windows overwhelmed by surrounding cabinetry and hutches left the kitchen of another West Side Danville home feeling cramped and dark. The team added skylights and more pendant lighting to better illuminate the work area and the new island, seen here. New sleek, glass cabinetry further opens up the space. The biggest transformation was the dining nook, where French doors and large windows now fill the space with light for an airy look.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Steve Wynn and examples of his work, visit Barry & Wynn Architects’ Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
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Review by Carleen Pallavicini:
As I look at our kitchen 2 years after my remodel, I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. Sometimes when you’ve lived with something for awhile, you think, “oh, I wish I would have...”. Not the case...More