I own a 48' X 25' rancher, 1200 sq ft. I want to add another 1000' sq ft off the back which would include a living room and master bedroom/bath. I also want a porch on the 3/4 of the front. I would like the house to have an arts and crafts look to it when complete. Has anyone done this to a rancher? Do you have any photos that you could provide or links? Below is a photo of the front and back of the house.
Thank you!

Of course it can be done, and additions like that are done all the time. The best way to do it is to use a reverse gable roof, with its peak running at right angles to the existing ridge.

Achieving the arts and crafts appearance will take some creativity and design ability. One difficulty is that your roof slope is too low. It may also involve changing a lot of the windows to ones which are more in keeping with the arts and crafts style, and then a bunch of interior details. To do it successfully pretty much will require the help of a good architect who will research the style and apply it as much as possible to your house without wasting a lot of money doing it. I don't think it's a job for an amateur...it's like conducting a symphony: you want the various instruments to play their notes exactly at the right times and not all at once.

Thanks Richard!
I'm mostly concerned with the exterior look of the house. After we remodel I don't want the house to look like a rancher with some additions added on. I want to stay with a one story addition because I think that would allow us to live in the house while construction is going on, plus it would give us more living area. We did discuss adding a second story but I think that would require too much interior reconfiguration and we would have to find another place to live while construction is going on. So one story it is! I just don't want it to look like a rancher! I wonder what it would like if we added the addition off the back with the reversed gable roof higher above the exsiting gable roof but then extended the exsiting roof pitch so it ties into the reversed gable roof pitch. Does that make sense? Here is a link to a house where it looks like the roof was extended, even though it's new construction. Sorry the link is so long! Thanks for your help. I think it's time to find an architect.
http://www.oldhouses.com/cf/displaylisting.cfm?q_listin...0in%20Charlotte%20NC