Forest Hills Remodel Offers a New Vision of The Modern Ranch

Jacob Moss had a new vision for a modern ranch home. It’s not what you’d expect.

He wasn’t interested in tearing anything down and building new, or in creating a huge footprint. With four children, he wanted a communal outdoor space. And boy, did he get it.

“We love a big backyard,” Moss said. “You can imagine with four kids that outdoor space is important to us. But we also wanted to emphasize the front porch. It’s what brings communities together.”

He’s right. When you drive into your garage and go inside, you don’t meet your neighbors, unless you have a front porch that’s big and comfortable. One you can’t wait to spend time on.

When Moss spotted this 1948 Forest Hills ranch-style home, set on a half-acre and under a canopy of mature trees, he knew it had potential. It had a bit of a farmhouse feel that was appealing, and it was next door to the oldest home in the neighborhood. He and his wife knew it would be an extensive remodel, but felt they could maintain the integrity of the house and still bring a sense of style and a cool factor to the home.

Moss is not new to development and construction. He’s a Realtor with Compass Real Estate. As almost every Realtor can tell you, they are generally involved, at some point, in remodeling. Whether it’s helping a client renovate to sell or offering ideas for a home they are purchasing, Realtors know the ropes of construction and remodeling. It comes in handy when they start work on their own homes because they also have a great list of resources.

Moss and his wife scoured the Internet for design ideas. They found some modern ranch houses in the foothills of Colorado that provided the basis for their inspiration.

“The black facade was a collaborative effort,” Moss said. “We came across a home online that mirrored a facade similar to this one and thought it would be perfect. We also worked with good friends that had great ideas!”

The modern ranch took about 15 months of work with a complete interior remodel, the addition of the deep front porch, and additions off the back of the house. Floor-to-ceiling windows were installed, as was a metal, standing-seam roof.

As if the exterior doesn’t offer a big enough wow factor, the interior continues the jaw-drop moment in every room.

“I like to think of it as an innovation renovation,” Moss said. “We tried to add something intriguing in every area, from the wood divider in the living area to the master bedroom fireplace wall.”

The visionary modern ranch now stands at 3,229 square feet, with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a powder bath.

As so often happens when you complete a house, you end up loving the process, so this beauty at 8179 San Benito Way is going on the market. Moss knew it was imperative to have the house staged. He called on the talented Lisa Stapp, owner of Staged by Stapp, to give this modern ranch the right finishing touch.

“Its the best of both worlds,” Stapp said. ” It’s a full-on Colorado mountain dream house on the outside that blends in with nature, and a chic SoHo loft decked in white on the inside.”

Moss has listed this uber-cool modern ranch for $1.595 million. Don’t wait around. I predict this one will blow right off the market.