California “Ranch”

From the 1930s until the 1960s, this version of California Modernism appealed to a suburban, middle and upper-middle class clientele seeking an indoor/outdoor residential environment. Designers integrated long, low houses into naturalistic landscapes, with multiple opportunities for visual and physical access. Some also focused homes around “modern” outdoor patio living, a new take on the Mission Revival patio gardens of the 1910s and 1920s. Within the landscape were dedicated spaces for “outdoor living activities” such as barbequing, dining, and recreation. Articles and photographs in Sunset Magazine helped to make this style popular. The style is often considered synonymous with the work of architect Cliff May.