A few years after Cliff May started winning his reputation by designing ranch houses, he came upon the book 'House of Tomorrow: America's First Glass House.' He was not impressed. The boo
This home in Lafayette, California, was designed by celebrated architect Cliff May - renowned for developing the surburban post-war "dream home".
We have an old hacienda-style house with open-beam ceilings, that surrounds a completely enclosed courtyard. For years, people, including many architects, have told us we have a Cliff May house. I saw a sketch of a 1932 Cliff May spec house in a book & noticed that it looked a lot like our house. I then flipped the image horizontally & saw that it is substantially identical to our house. 1932 Cliff May spec house & mirror image original sketch: mirrored sketch: image from CAREFREE CALIFORNIA: CLIFF MAY AND THE ROMANCE OF THE RANCH HOUSE Comparing the mirrored 1932 sketch with our house, the similarities jump out more than the differences. (The home originally had a shake roof, but was recently replaced with composition shingle) below pic shows the original brick driveway (since replaced with stamped concrete) For some perspective on the time that our house was built, see it in this 1936 aerial photo. (the barn formerly in the back is gone - only the original poured foundation remains) And then a photo from the 1950s: The original Building Inspection, dated 9/20/1935, was found nailed onto the garage wall behind the water heater: Links To Blog Posts: 1. Discovering a Cliff May Home | 2. Comparing to known Cliff May designs | 3. Olive Tree | 4. Floor Plan | 5. Backyard Brick Path and Clothesline | 6. Pine Tree | 7. Driveway & Mechanic's Pit | 8. Wild Parrots | 9. Misc Pics
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3065 Stevely Ave., Long Beach 3 BD | 2BA | 1,383 SF | $1,059,000
Want privacy without ruining your curb appeal? Hire the right contractor for incredible additions to modernize your home while keeping period friendly.
3126 Karen Ave., Long Beach 3 BD | 2 BA
Vintage "Cliff May homes" brochure from 1953. Cliff May "The Father of the California Ranch Home" designed many unique homes here in Cali...
I have always enjoyed the work of architect Cliff May, the man who gave us the modern California ranch house. Perhaps he wasn't the first to introduce a non traditional approach to the ranch but he sure made it his own. These two rooms show how May was able to edit out what wasn't needed in design. Simple and straight forward. By deconstructing the building and exposing the structure he is able to give us an intimate knowledge of how a shelter comes together. All of May's homes have a similar feel of being grounded and part of the surrounding landscape. Here is a restored 1952 ranch that fits like a glove into it's wooded site. The contribution that California architect Bernard Maybeck had on May is very evident with this house. Despite Maybeck's arts and crafts style, many of the details from his work can be found in Mays. Similarities such as board and batten siding, low pitched roofs and deep roof overhangs can be spotted in May's mid century work. Above are two examples of Maybeck's California work.
This endearing Cliff May midcentury house is a breath of fresh air. Arranged around a large courtyard, the house carries an air of homey indoor/outdoor living.
3008 Karen Ave., Long Beach 3 BD | 2 BA | 1,245 SF | 5,376 SF Lot $1,400,000
Tucked behind a concrete block wall and shaded by mature California Sycamores, this 1954 midcentury offers a peaceful oasis in Long Beach.
Southern California is famous for its extraordinary architecture, its built history particularly resonant with exceptional examples of Mid-Century Modern residences. It was a fruitful era for many architects with varying focus, some determined to experiment, others concerned with down-to-earth pragmatism. Among them, one prolific builder undoubtedly stands out as someone that combined both tendencies – an architect... Read More
1957 Cliff May Residence (Cliff May #5 "Mandalay") | Los Angeles, CA | Photos: Maynard L. Parker Via
You surely know of the Cliff May Ranchos, but how much do you know of the man and his architectural legacy throughout California and the MCM nation?
Details at the front fence and carport gate. Tagged: Outdoor, Front Yard, Wood Fences, Wall, and Horizontal Fences, Wall. Photo 1 of 24 in Cliff May Homes RM 3212 by Adrian Kinney, Mid-Century Modern Real Estate & Design. Browse inspirational photos of modern outdoor spaces.
3008 Karen Ave., Long Beach 3 BD | 2 BA | 1,245 SF | 5,376 SF Lot $1,400,000
Explore MidCentArc's 43090 photos on Flickr!
A Tustin house designed by architect Cliff May, dubbed the “father of the California ranch house” has sold for $745,000 – just above the asking price. The home hit the market on O…
3065 Stevely Ave., Long Beach 3 BD | 2BA | 1,383 SF | $1,059,000
A modernist retreat house near Washington built for a family of architecture and nature lovers, by Wittman Estes.
Cliff May — Father of the modern day ranch house After our initial discovery of 8 historical plans inspired by Cliff May and now available on houseplans.com, Daniel Gregory, Ph.D., editor-in-chief, was kind enough to connect me with one of the Cliff May inspired home designers — Steven Murphy. Steven was more than happy to…
Today on our list: 8 ranch house plans inspired by Cliff May — available, like the others, from houseplans.com. Wow, those historic-minded folk at houseplans.com are working overtime, it seems. While these are not original Cliff May plans — they have been updated for current building codes — they are “Cliff May-inspired” — and that’s important because Cliff…
The ranch-style features cork floors, quartz countertops.
Vintage "Cliff May homes" brochure from 1953. Cliff May "The Father of the California Ranch Home" designed many unique homes here in Cali...
