Ranches of the American West

The American ranch embodies a rich architectural tradition that has been passed down through generations of ranchers. This book presents twenty-five of the most spectacular Western ranches, including important historical structures and those designed for today’s newest ranch owners. With three hundred newly commissioned color photographs of ranches in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, California, Oregon, New Mexico, and Texas, the book will appeal to ranch dwellers as well as homeowners inspired by this rustic and romantic architectural style. The original ranches included property for livestock and structures that were built to withstand the natural forces of a harsh climate. Today, as in the past, life in the West means long winters and a need for shelter that encloses and protects. House designs and rooflines mimic the forms of the surrounding foothills and mountains, and today’s ranches often feature reclaimed materials—rubble, abandoned artifacts, cut stone, and forged iron—put to new use. Materials, often cut by hand, are basic and echo those used in past: logs, shingles and shakes, branches, fieldstones, sandstones, and flagstones. The prevalence of renowned architects and interior designers working in the West, as well as an increasing number of celebrity owners, demonstrate that ranch living is popular and on the rise.

Linda Leigh Paul is the author of Cottages by the Sea, Coastal Retreats, Desert Retreats, Cottages on the Coast, The Cabin Book, Island Living, Lakeside Living, and Haciendas, all published by Universe and Rizzoli.

Michael Mathers is a photographer whose work is featured in several books, including Desert Retreats and Northwest Style.