This is the house that we are using as our inspiration...

That has nothing in common with a Craftsman home. Too many notes. Too too. And the inspiration shouldn't be. Simplify and unify. Pick one type of siding and use it. Use the stone more realistically. Let the textural quality of the materials speak for themself rather than attempting to make them shout by trying too hard with too much contrast and too many types.

Thanks for the feedback.

What specifically do you suggest regarding the siding options?

Also I gather that you aren't "inspired" by the original house?

I completely get that this style isn't for everyone so I don't mind critical or constructive comments.

Here are more pictures of that house...

http://www.houzz.com/projects/13126/Willow-Hill

Here is a link that might be useful: House

To me, the front door is a little but fussy, the columns too formal, and the oval window a bit unexpected for a Craftsman. Also, does one of the columns actually occlude the oval window head on? That is a bit odd if so.

I think that sometimes in custom builds people over-flourish, if you will. They take every element they have ever seen on a house that they liked, and try to incorporate it.

All that said, getting exactly what you want is part of the reason people custom build, and there is nothing wrong with that. But often, for reasons you might not even realize, a truer and simpler rendering of a certain style will suit you better in the long run. You will find it more pleasing when it is built, and so will others (incl potential buyers).

Not always, but often.

Good point on the oval window. We went back and forth on it. There is a small hallway there to an office. It might be best to have a small rectangular winder there instead.

So how would you change this rendering to make it a "truer and simpler rendering" of that certain style?

I see an elevation drawing that has minimal rendering but no plan. It appears to retain little of the charm of the inspiration house but that could be partially due to the limitations of the presentation.

I'm no pro, but I think the inspiration photo is lovely, and your home will be too. Definitely beef up the trim throughout. Do you have photos of the back of your house. I have always loved this home on Houzz too, but never came across a back elevation.

I'm no pro, but I think your inspiration photo is lovely and yours will be too. Definitely think about beefing it up with some wide trim throughout. Do you have a back elevation posted? I know I have always loved this house on Houzz, but have never seen its rear elevation. Good luck!

Thanks. We hope the house will be nice as well. We aren't big fans of the traditional brick look and have always loved this house so we figured we would give the look a shot.

But the feedback so far is a little disheartening.

I can post the back elevation but it has nothing to do with the Houzz back elevation as, like you say, it is not available for review on Houzz.

This may seem scattered brained but I am typing as I look at the pic.

Few things:

Your gables seem to be a different pitch than the insp.
Also theirs has a short return yours completely crosses over.

I would get rid of the two gables in the middle and make them one.

The insp has a break in the roof line that lowers the pitch on the sides.

The entire porch needs columns. Yours seems to be missing them on the far left of the porch. Also the insp. columns seem beefier.

I personally like oval windows. They are usually seen on shingle style homes....which are my favorite. This home seems to be a hybrid of craftsman, shingle, . Renovator8 may have some words about this...lol.

I a not sure about the barrel portico. Seems a bit out of place. The insp porch bumps out.

If the house in the picture is the one you loved, than I would copy their entry ...

to wit,

1.swap out oval window for rectangle (better functionally anyway, hard to control light with an oval, and you said it was an office, so light is impt

2. instead of rounded Doric columns, copy theirs

3. get rid of the rounded roof over the entry and copy their roof

4. I can't see your front doors too well, but they may be a bit fussy.. They are certainly more fussy then the inspiration. The inspiration may actually too simple ... cant really see ... but they almost look like a set of french doors and not entry doors. If they are 2 over 1 like the windows, then I take that back, but I can't see.

Don't be disheartened. Disheartening is to build it, have it cost double and take twice as long, and then not to like it as much as your inspiration picture and be unsure why.

No one else but GW will tell you the truth. It's like fiances. Your friends won't want to say something critical about your design in case it ends up that this is "the one". But we don't mind criticizing at all. : )

I don't mind criticism at all. But I prefer if its constructive.

With the barrel portico it bumps out as well. This was actually my idea as I saw it on another build and thought the barrel roof leading to the front door was a great look. Again, I could be wrong here.

Also I am not sold on any type of front door and can easily change this. I would prefer a 8' door.

Here's a snapshot of the front porch shape.

Regarding their columns these will be copied. The way that they are drawn is just to get an idea.

Here is a little better picture of the shape of the front of the house. It doesn't get conveyed very well in the first picture.

How will people get from your driveway to your front door? Will you have a second drive? A circle drive? or??? I always wonder about these side load garages with a large front-out-cropping with recessed front door...

I also thought the barrel entry was a bit out of place, but seems you like it. If it were me though, I do think I'd make the more like your insp. pic and get rid of the barrel. And, I second making your oval window squarer.

This home is popular on houzz. I would:
remove the middle gable in favor of a shed dormer like the inspiration pic.
I feel like the 3 posts are overkill when this is not repeated elsewhere in the plan I'd keep the 2 on each side that are structural. Your colum bases are not the same ("these will be copied") may apply to the base/stonework too.
To pull off the barrel I think you'd need a gabled entry with some triangular knee brace supports. This would make it a much different look though.

I agree the oval window seems out of place with the design and inspiration pic.

Do you have a floorplan your able to post?

The return gable on the right seems to stand alone. I'd go for a more simple and cohesive look as your home seems a little smaller than the inspiration and as such I'd cut down on the diversity of details.

The high pitch roofs do not seem craftsman but do match the inspiration.

I love the color palette!

Thanks for the excellent and honest feedback.

I agree about the barrel roof. I am going to have it changed and will post the update. I will also see what the plan looks like with a rectangular window instead of oval. These seem to be the two biggest critiques.

Also, the posts will have a single base with three posts just like the Houzz example (this is assuming that this is possible with the new porch).

Here is a craftsman with an oval. It was the only one I could find. It is a common element on shingle style house. Which your house is leaning toward.

Here are a few more: https://www.houzz.com/photos/craftsman-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2116-%2Boval

I agree. Oval windows are very uncommon.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oval

I like your inspiration home...and with a few changes already mentioned, your plan will be very similar.

Change the entry, the oval window, the columns (square rather than round) and make the small gable a shed dormer. Maybe post the new elevation, after these changes are made?

Also, I'd like to see your floor plan, if possible. It helps to see the inside, as well as the outside :)

The columns are already drawn as square. Not sure why people are saying they are not.

The left elevation will have 2 shed dormers over the garage (in the bonus room) so I will likely not repeat a shed dormer in the front as well.

I like the gables in the front personally.

I will have some new drawings maybe as early as this evening. I will post if possible.

Here is the final rendering.

Thanks to everyone for helping with making changes. I appreciate your honest input.

I think it looks very nice. I like the change to the porch roof and I think the squared off window instead of the oval makes a nice difference.

Thanks. I appreciate the comment.

I also changed the front door to a single 8' door with sidelights. I think it is framed up in the porch quite nice.

this is looking very nice. i think if you want to have the look of the inspiration house..the peaks or gables?? should be taller and more pointy. sorry, i
don't know the right terminology.

The inspiration house is just that --- an inspiration. Our intention was not to copy it exactly but to mimic some of the lines, color palatte and textures with our own custom plan. The inspiration house also is quite a bit wider than our house so the steeper pitch of the roofs look better on the inspiration house than they would on ours, imo.

In any event I am glad that you like it thus far. Basement has been dug and work on the footers began this week.