Kahlanne, Just in case you ever wanted to drive by his home it is on Stanford Avenue in Baton Rouge. If you are driving towards Highland Rd. it would be on your left, if you are driving towards the interstate it would be on your right. It is near the lake. :) His book is AWESOME!!! You can find it in most any bookstore, esp. if you are near Baton Rouge. The B&N has it also the LSU Bookstore has it. Many a night I have fallen asleep with his book studying picture after picture. If this is the look you are going for, I would definately get his book and study those pictures, paying attention to colors of his exteriors (windows, doors, columns, etc.). Another thing to do (with this $12 a gallon gas) is to drive thru the neighborhoods in BR and around. They can give you many an idea for colors, etc. Your home has the structural make-up to acheive a Hays Town look. I personally would definately paint the brick. I have painted brick and have no maintenance issues; however, I do have a smooth textured brick so that may make a difference. I can't tell if yours is smooth or rough. I do know of a lot of rough brick painted houses as well and I don't know of them ever having any maintenance issues either. With your windows, I think I would paint the exterior a putty color and use a deepter putty color shutter. I prefer operable with darker hardware to match your windows. With your house you could go either Board and Batten or Louvered on the shutter (matter of preference). I would paint the inset part of the entrance the deeper putty color as well with a stained red cedar true divided light door. There are many builders of these doors in the Baton Rouge area (like the ones of all of the new construction). As far as the porch, if possible considering the roof, you could definately do that as well. I am going to post another picture of a house (inspired by Hays Town) in Alexandria (which is totally awesome on the inside) with a porch similar to his. You could use the 10x10 or 8x8 beams with a pressed sheet metal roof. I too would only put it across a portion of the front not the entire house. If possible, using reclaimed brick for the floor. I cannot tell if you have an exterior light or not but that is another place where you could achieve his look. If it turns out that the porch is not an option look into copper awnings for above your front entrance. You can google "copper awnings" and get many ideas and most of the craftsman are in the BR area. I am brimming with ideas. I just get so excited when it comes to his architecture. If this doesn't work you could just purchase one of the two homes he designed for sale in BR (only around a mil)! :) Also look on FSBOBR.com and CJBrown.com for inspirational pics. Ok, I can't get the picture to work, but if you want to just email me at shannonrider55@hotmail.com I will send them to you. Shannon

Regarding casements, I don't like the ugly indoor screens, the awkward cranks. the limited glass width and the obstruction of porches and decks. What I like about double-hungs is the ability to compose with them which is critically important for the 2 story houses of the northeast. The double sash automatically introduces a horizontal element and, if mullions are added, in the upper sash it can become a very strong strong element. To me casements are like big blank eyes; I wouldn't know what to do with them. But some of the Greene & Greene houses are pretty wonderful.

Ya! I have to say that with blue-ish spruce, so pretty, grover's club/hunter green door seems a nice color....with warmer green around too. Imo, then the moss/olive green planter upstairs wouldn't work as well as verdigris-type color would.

What I wrote never said a heat pump won't work in a cold climate like Wisconsin. Houzz actually covered up my first post. Here's what I said...... (truth is stranger than fiction) Here's the rebuttal link to going with Fujitsu mini split option or any mini split for that matter. Don't forget to read the comments at the end of all of it... My opinion is it will be short lived if you go that route. There are furnace manufacturer's that provide life time replacement if the heat exchanger of the furnace ever fails. Typically minimum heat exchanger warranty is 20 years. Do what you want builders provide me with future work so take that for what it's worth. After a year or two... you won't get a builder to come back for servicing or repairs.