Once-derided architectural style gains new appreciation

[Huligar]

By Charles Ealy
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Sunday, December 30, 2007

Architectural snoots have long derided the lowly, ubiquitous ranch house. The rambling, unpretentious structures, originally popular in California, spread across the American landscape in the 1950s and '60s and became a symbol of suburban sprawl.

Some of the derision was aesthetically justified. Sprawl, after all, isn't attractive. The rancher's typical linoleum floors, once hailed as the sensible solution for the busy homemakers of the '60s, have long languished in ignominy and will probably never make a comeback. Ditto for single-paned aluminum windows.
But such homes were functional and well-suited to American families. The best of them had open floor plans that encouraged socializing, kitchens that opened onto dining and living areas, attached garages and sturdy slab foundations.

And even some snobs are beginning to see their worthiness again. Investors are snapping them up, adding modern amenities and adapting them to today's families.

The big appeal? Unlike older homes, they have adequate closet space. And unlike newer suburban homes, they typically have one story or at least a master bedroom on the ground floor. No stairs to climb, no gables or vaulted entryways, just a simple floor plan that's perfect for aging baby boomers.

Bill LaSalle and Larry Roush saw the potential when they bought a house at 301 McConnell Drive in West Lake Hills a year ago. So did John T. Baker when he bought a house at 2002 Paramount Ave. in Barton Hills.

Both houses have been extensively renovated and are now on the market. The house on McConnell is listed for $724,900 with Hugh Parrish of Parrish & Associates, while the house on Paramount is listed for $747,000 with Baker, a real estate agent and investor at McAllister and Associates.

"I've had a lifelong interest in architecture," says LaSalle, who bought the house in West Lake Hills with Roush as an investment. "We were looking for a house with a first-floor master bedroom to accommodate the aging baby boomer generation, so the ranch style was a natural fit. I wanted an older home with more nostalgic appeal than one from the '70s or '80s."

The three-bedroom McConnell house was built in 1959, "at the height of the ranch style movement," LaSalle says. "The original idea was to create an updated, toned-down version of what I call the Dean Martin swanky pad look."

LaSalle says he focused on removing "the dated aspects of the interior (to) make the spaces flow a little better and unify the interior design. We wanted clean lines, a modern but not antiseptic look, and ceramic tile in the bathrooms to respect the era."

One of the biggest projects was the renovation of the three bathrooms.

"All the bathrooms were rebuilt from the studs, and we had to cut into the slab to add some new plumbing so that each of the three baths has a shower, tub or combination," LaSalle says. "All three baths have marble or granite countertops, brushed nickel fixtures and full tile."

The kitchen and adjoining living room also needed substantial renovations. "A lot of what we did was deletion," LaSalle says. "There was a bank of cabinets that butted up to the fireplace and just didn't look right. I wanted the fireplace to be completely revealed, so we knocked them out. It was only after we got into it that we realized the cabinets hid a support post that would also have to be moved. We used a steel beam to make it work, but it was well worth it to make the fireplace look right. Fortunately our contractor, Rodney Craig, was game, and we ended up using another steel beam in the same room to eliminate a support post that divided the room in an awkward way."

In the kitchen, cabinets separating the kitchen and living room were removed to open the space. The room was "completely modernized for family living or entertaining," LaSalle says, with stainless steel appliances and two dishwashers and two sinks. "That way one sink can be used for dishwashing while the other is used for food prep," LaSalle says.

"We didn't want to change the façade too much and make it into something that wouldn't look right in the neighborhood," LaSalle says. "On the exterior we removed some old siding and made some minor cosmetic improvements. The brick is a good color, so we decided not to paint it. The windows were aluminum — ugly and inefficient — so we replaced those as well as all the exterior doors. The custom maple and frosted glass front door allows lots of light into the new entry, and three sliding glass patio doors were replaced with French doors."

Baker faced many of the same problems — and opportunities — when he bought the house on Paramount Avenue, which was built in 1960.

Unlike LaSalle and Roush, he replaced the brick exterior with stone and stucco, but it still fits in with the neighborhood.

"It was a complete renovation from the slab up," Baker says.

"When I bought the house in 2006, it had three bedrooms and two baths, with 1,586 square feet," Baker says. "The previous owners had closed off the garage, but I didn't count that as living space. Such conversions rarely add any value to a home and are made for the sake of the owner's convenience."

Baker converted the room back to a garage, added a wooden garage door, and redid the utility room at the rear of the space, installing two tankless gas water heaters.

He also expanded the home significantly, tearing down a sunroom addition at the back of the house, redoing the roof line and extending the depth of the home, which sits on a relatively large 0.36-acre lot.

The result is a spacious, 2,837-square-foot residence with four bedrooms and four bathrooms.

The floors in the kitchen were replaced with hardwood maple, the countertops are granite and the appliances are stainless steel. The room now sits between a large dining room and a family room, which also have hardwood floors.

But Baker takes particular pride in the master suite, which has a huge walk-in closet and a bathroom shower with body sprays built into the tile wall. The bathroom also has a heated tub.

Like LaSalle, he replaced all the aluminum windows. The new ones are double-paned and much more energy-efficient.

Baker says the revival of the ranch house is long overdue.

"The ranch style lends itself to modernization and updating better because it does not carry the same strict architectural qualities typically associated with Craftsman, Victorian and others," Baker says.

And "from a structural standpoint and a cost-effective building standpoint, the simpler the design, the better," he says. "Insurance companies will typically count the number of turns in a structure for valuation purposes. The more turns, the more it will cost to build or replace a structure. Also, the more complicated the structural design, the more opportunities for failure of the structure."

In short, many ranch home were built to last, Baker says. "And it's important that these homes be restored and the neighborhood's integrity preserved."

	Marble MARBLE: CHARACTERISTICS This standard includes general information on the characteristics and common uses of marble and identifies typical problems associated with the material. INTRODUCTION Marble is an extremely hard, metamorphic stone composed of calcite (CaCO3). It is formed as a result of the recrystallization of limestone under the intense pressure and heat of geologic processes. The effect of this process is the creation of a stone with a very tight crystalline structure and small but definite porosity. Because of its structure, marble can take a very high polish and is a very popular decorative stone for architectural and sculptural uses. The limited porosity of marble, especially polished marble, makes it less vulnerable to the leaching effects of water. Calcium carbonate, however, of which marble is composed, is highly susceptible to attack by acidic agents. Marble is readily dissolved by acids, even very dilute acids, however the actual results of acidic exposure will vary with the nature of the acid. Chlorides, nitrates, sulfates and other chemical compounds react differently with marble and produce various by-products, which have a wide range of solubility and impact on the durability of marble. For this reason, it is always important to determine the exact type of pollutants causing marble deterioration. Marble itself can be of two types, one composed of calcite and the other of dolomite. Dolomitic marble is much more resistant to acid attack than calcite marble. The color of marble ranges from the brilliant white of calcite to black, including blue-gray, red, yellow and green, depending upon the mineral composition. TYPICAL USES Marble has many decorative and structural uses. It is used for outdoor sculpture as well as for sculpture bases; in architecture it is used in exterior walls and veneers, flooring, decorative features, stairways and walkways. The way in which the stone is used may be a factor in limiting or controlling the severity of exposure. The use or function of the marble may also affect the feasibility of applying certain treatments, but type of use is not the primary factor in the major types of deterioration and damage to which marble is susceptible.