I came up with the term “mid century modest” a couple of years ago and about the same time, I met Alyssa Starelli, the mid mod maven of Portland, Oregon, who had floated her own terminology: She coined the term “granny ranch.” It’s been on my list (for too long!) to ask her for a definition, so that I could assess if there is a difference. There is. –>
What is a granny ranch?
I emailed AlyStar and asked her, “What exactly is a granny ranch?”
Hi Pam!
Well, I have to thank Atomic Ranch for attributing the coining of the term to me… <blush>.
A granny ranch to me is one that has stood the test of time and received little to no remodeling. It is as if you’re stepping back into a bygone era, a home that was treated with such pride of ownership, little, if anything – right down to the decor – needs to be changed out because of the care it’s received. It’s a true time capsule, usually with some of granny’s funny little knick knacks, sitting right where they always did. Everything is in its place and there’s a place for everything, because Grampy built a cubby just for that item’s purpose. That is a Granny Ranch, to me.
A lot of people misconstrue the term “Granny Ranch” with those houses more recently remodeled by people of the earlier generations, generally … with newer “home-depot special” baths or kitchens, maybe some carpet in the kitchen, a walk-in tub, and hand rails everywhere… And while a grandmother may have very well made those changes, that’s not what I’m referring to with heartfelt sentiment when I squeal with joy over the time warp “Granny Ranch” I just walked into. No, those are just “Remuddles”, a term I did not make up. : )
All granny ranches are mid century modest houses, but not all mid century modest houses are granny ranches
Thank you, AlyStar! Okay. So now that I know AlyStar’s definition, I can split hairs:
- A mid century modest house is a (usually relatively) small house built in postwar America. An unpretentious house built — likely by a local “merchant builder” — aimed at the mainstream, middle class. These houses do not necessarily have architect-obvious “mid century modern” cues — they are more likely to have a “minimal traditional” colonial-ranch mix exterior. However, a mid-century modest house likely was originally built to include some of the “latest” technology and features of the time — such as zazzy ovens and range tops and sinks… patterned laminate countertops… pastel colored bathrooms… lovely light fixtures. A mid century modest house may — or may not — have been remodeled over the years. The term generally refers to the original architecture, middle class roots, and design vibe of the house.
- A granny ranch, more narrowly, is a time capsule mid century modest house — lovingly cared for by the original or early-generation owners. Grandpa likely had mad skills at woodworking and home maintenance — and he stayed on top of each and every issue that may have occurred in that house. Inside, Grandma cleaned, then cleaned again. These houses were treasured — and when you enter them 60 years later, the love radiates from all the original surfaces so carefully maintained..
Ipso facto: All granny ranches are mid century modest houses. But not all mid century modest houses are granny ranches.
RAnderson says
We have a little 900 sq ft “Granny ranch” built in 1955 at the height of IBM’s influence here in Endicott NY, almost identical to the Beatrice West grey & yellow ranch featured a while back. It has most of it’s original details: knotty pine kitchen, glass blocks on each side of the front door, hip roof and high horizontal windows, big picture window with aluminum awning in the LR, a through-wall Nutone kitchen fan (over what was a 40″ double oven GE Liberator push button range but now an ’80s vintage Hotpoint 30″) and wood floors throughout. Unfortunately the original pink tile bath was “updated” to ’70s gold vinyl and fake wood paneling 35 yrs ago. Bought from the original owner in 2005, and yes we wonder every day how in the heck they raised 3 boys in such a small house! It’s just right for 2 empty nesters though, we love it!
The Atomic Mom says
I just stopped by an estate sale a few weeks ago that was a “granny ranch” house if there ever was one. I live in Los Alamos, NM, which is a MCM haven, not to mention a granny ranch haven. In some of the original neighborhoods (built in the late 1940s and 1950s), there are original owners of the post-war houses built after the Manhattan Project wrapped up. The house was full of granny nick-knacks, pom-pom curtians, built in shelves, wood floors. It was great.
I’d love to see you do a post about Los Alamos and our MCM housing. It’s quite fascinating.
Dawn says
I am happy as a clam that I can claim “Granny Ranch” for my own usage! She was a second owner but owned it for 55 years and didnt touch a thing. Heck, I kept her drapes even because she had taken such great care of them. We have a few “Udpated” appliances. A 1970’s dishwasher I am SURE was not in the original 1959 design and double wall ovens that were replaced in the 80’s. Now I am “remuddling” it up. 🙂
Peter says
Occasionally, our neigbors come over and say the previous owner asks them what we’ve changed. Its funny because we basically painted the walls the same color they were, bought a new sage green shag rug for where she had her old green shag rug, grew a wisteria vine where she had to remove the old wisteria vine. We were even using her laundry detergent until it ran out.
Joan Defenbaugh says
I have previewed estate homes (Granny Ranch style) where the family proudly recounts the way their mother or grandmother used the kitchen. I remember one daughter boasting about how her mother never touched the birch wood cabinet fronts with her hands. She always used the handles. The cabinets were pristine (drooooool !). The unexposed, unscratched hardwood flooring seems to always be the discovery that I look forward to the most. I do love those homes. I will own one when I’m done with my “supersize” home.
Wendy M. says
So, our house sort of falls in this category. It isn’t a ranch (it’s a one-and-a-half story.) However, it’s pretty much all original from 1964. We bought from the original owner and I was finally able to corner their son this summer and bombard him with questions about the house! He said the only thing that was ever changed were the kitchen appliances (in 1983- the dishwasher and oven/range are still in working order, so we haven’t changed them.) Even the golden orange living room carpet is original! He said his mom rolled out a giant area rug to cover it, so when we moved in, it seemed like new. Dorothy (the original owner) taught home design at Oregon State and designed the house herself (we have all the house plans). Her son said she felt like she got it right the first time, so why would she change anything? She was ahead of her time- I think she included features that certainly wouldn’t have been standard at the time. We’ve had to change very little (a few things were just worn out) and I really appreciate how well they cared for their home. I hope my kids have to drag me out when I’m in my nineties, too!
pam kueber says
My favorite line of the day: ” I hope my kids have to drag me out when I’m in my nineties, too!”
Peter says
I grew up in a midcentury ranch, but when my wife and I started looking for homes last March, my wife wanted a tudor. We saw lots of cramped little rooms, vaulted ceilings, and damp unfinihsed basments. But when the realtor took us to a small ranch built into a hill overlooking Oyster Bay and owned by a 92 year-old widow – original owner, I felt like I had come home. Pink and grey boomerang formica countertops, knotty pine cabinets with those ubiquitous hinges (you know what I’m talking about), a built in chrome flourescent light above the sink, black and grey fleck linoleum kitchen floor, nutone side exhaust. A black and pink bathroom with grey formica bult in vanity, stars and comets etched into the bathroom light and an old Emerson AM radio built into the bathroom wall – that still worked and had a tag on the inside “installed valentines day 1960.” An open “L” shaped living room/dining room, wood floors throughout, floor to ceiling fireplace in pink, orange and salmon stone and grey slate hearth, big sliding teak windows out onto a 250 sq/ft second floor screen porch that was almost as big as our previous NYC apartment. Three little bedrooms (no master bath) all with corner windows again in teak that have screens on the inside that open up like in an airstream trailer or on a boat and in the hallway where all the bedroom doors converge a giant ceiling exhaust fan. The downstairs has a wood panelled walll, a second brick fireplace, a wood burning stove, and big windows and door leading to a slate patio (because it’s built on a hill the basement is level with the grade on two sides) with a modest fountain. Best of all, the house was pristine. All we did was have the floors cleaned and the walls and ceilings painted. We’ve really enjoyed furnishing our little house midcentury and embraced it for what it is. We found a danish dining set and midcentury Broyhill bedroom set (a mathcing set of high boy, low boy and nightstands purchased from three different sellers), but also new things like a Tate bed from Crate & Barrel and a Nixon sofa from Thrive Home Furnishings. Retro Renovation has been and continues to be a great resource and, at the risk of sounding like a jerk, we always get a little laugh when we see people spending so much money and effort to restore their homes to the condition ours basically came in.
tammyCA says
Our house has a “whole house fan” in the hallway ceiling, too. It is a godsend for saving on the AC…we turn it on when the air outside is cooler and it pulls in the coolness…noisy, but we don’t mind.
Betsy says
Hi Pam…someday it would be fun to have readers upload scans of some of the vintage photos of our granny (and great-granny) homes as they stood mid-century. Old photos are so wonderful!
tammyCA says
My ’54 Ranch had previous owners so they made some changes, some bad, some good. They enlarged the living room (good), but took out the original kitchen cabinets/counter & replaced with the ’80s (bad) and installed them in the garage.
They left the wrap around worn red brick fireplace alone…love the brick. The original bathrooms were still intact, not in great condition so we just retiled one in the ’50s style…still has the original sink, several original light fixtures in the house (2 recently broken by husband and kids…grrrr…still looking for ’50s replacements)…street facing windows are original criss-cross (that are in bad shape but I refused to replace them & lose the charm, had to replace the others but they didn’t have criss-cross anyway), the criss-cross front door is original (love it so) and the wood floors are original (except where previous owners put in icky sheet vinyl in baths/kitchen).
Sometimes, it feels like I am battling my husband over every house thing…he is the type to just run to Home Depot and not be bothered searching for the ’50s type stuff…it’s hard too since we have little kids and I can’t do as much (‘tho I do all the painting somehow!)
But, thank god I didn’t have to deal with granite, sandstone? tiles, marble or whatever else it is that everybody raves about (all the flipped/flopped houses sport this look)…it is just cold icky to me.
Jay says
I like the flip/flop phrase, flop is more like it especially when you watch HGTV and the realtor gushes that the house has been totally done over – you know exactly what to expect.
pam kueber says
Yes. Ugh.
tammyCA says
I used to watch HGTV channel a lot…but, now I can’t even stand it for all the great stuff they destroy…yes, the perfectly good pink bathrooms & other MCM charming features.
jacki says
Tammy,If you are interested, there is someone on Ebay who sells new, ruffled sheer, criss cross curtains and they are fairly reasonable. Wish I could remember who it is, but you might try Ebay’s search. They are not vintage, but very authentic looking.
tammyCA says
My childhood home had sheer Priscilla curtains (these are the kind that have a cool cross over each other on a double rod) in the dining room and bedrooms…I loved them then, but I don’t think they would work for us now…I always sew my own and change them out a lot. Thanks for the info.
nin462 says
Cute – but my home will not be a granny ranch. My house was designed by a single gal in her 30’s back in 1965 and I am carrying on her tradition of being a single gal in 2012. (However, I”m willing to change for ‘married’ – but no kiddos, hence no granny).
pam kueber says
hmmm… you make a great point. I think that being a “granny ranch” does not require that there was a married couple living there. A single owner can own a “granny ranch” too!
Jay says
Well, I certainly live in a mid century modest home. When I purchased it exactly 10 years ago it was all original, but hardly lovingly maintained. I just replaced the picture window two weeks ago. What a job that was! Anyway, i certainly feel like I live in a granny ranch. My parents agreed to come live with me so they could have one floor living, they were along in years so of course all their furniture came as well. I feel like I am back in the home I grew up in. My mother was not parting with any furniture. She didn’t want anything new. Even the giant 1951 wall filling plate glass mirror that hung over the couch came along. I love when you invite A.S. onto your site, I always look at her houses.
alyssa starelli says
Where’s the “Like” button? Thanks Jay. I love being on RR myself.
~ AS.