I like the new/rough version. The columns with both elements help to pull the top of the house into the bottom (The siding and brick parts are brought together.) I would make the trim around windows/etc. as beefy as possible to pull off the look.

I like the brick on the columns as well and I really like the shingles more than the normal siding!

Agree with lolauren that you could beef up the trim. The house is going to look terrific!

I agree with the others. The brick bases on the columns work well, and allow for more angle on the wooden portion of the columns. And I definitely agree that the shingle trim on the upper storey is better than the existing siding, and that the beefed-up trim finishes the look.

I love the wood columns and the shingle siding also. Looks great and cohesive. Great job.

I fifth what everyone else said! You have done great work there. I'm clipping the pics to remind myself how much can be changed without a complete remodel.

(that must have been some hailstorm, btw--wow)

Nice work! The beefier columns work well. Something about the windows somehow take away from the craftsman look, but I am no expert and think your house is lovely however you want to slant it.
And just in case she's lurking .... SH, come back! I miss you and your wonderfully generous PS work!

Oh my goodness, you guys are so encouraging! How nice to come home tonight to this great feedback. We are meeting with the contractor tonight to discuss, so here's to hoping we can make these changes happen soon.

Looks good, the second floor needs something to make it blend in with the craftsman style.

I'm open that that, sloyd, but I'm not sure what changes to make. I thought the cedar style siding would be enough to make the style somewhat cohesive. I don't really want the house to scream "craftsman" because we're in an older neighborhood with a lot of homes that are not defined by a period. If any of you have suggestions on how to improve it, I'm all ears.

I think your rough version is almost there.
I am thinking maybe if possible do not put the white trim around the shingles.
Also on the top portion of house make the window trim a bit larger.

Love them and don't think anything else needs to be done. I like the one with the wood and then brick at the bottom of the columns best. I think the wood shakes do the trick perfectly blending it all together. IMHO it's perfect, I love the color of the trim also. You have such a great imagination!!! I would never be able to think of these things, I marvel at the people on this site!!!

Very pretty home!I love the entryway. I also vote for the wider columns with the brick pier and I agree with Lyban that a color trim other than white may give it some extra pizazz. I wish I could do photo shop but if it is helpful here are the colors we used on our craftsman style home. We went with trim and columns that were a step lighter than the siding. My camera washes out the colors quite a but it gives you the idea. It looks gray but its actually clay. Finding the right color combination was really hard for me. I was trying to pick out stone for our facade and I had all my trim and siding color samples with me. I couldn't make a decision. An architect/designer just happened to be there at the time helping a client and she pulled together the combination that she would use. That's what I went with. Good luck. I can't wait to see the results.

If you could find a way to minimize all the angles on the second floor, to make it more simple. One thought is to build out where the windows are, so you don't have that bump out look. Then finish with some natural cedar shingles, and white trim pieces.

Our first home was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, one level living (with basement/garage - right end):

Three kids and 10 years later, it became a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath, story and a half. I always thought it looked like a modern craftsman. Old brick house couldn't be matched exactly, so we shingled upper master bedroom suite - sitting room/front, bath/open space center, bedroom/back of house. The back looked just like the front. Hipped roof. FP Chimney was continued up and left exposed:

We added arches to the front porch, boxed the post and added a shingle base to the post. Also added a custom wooden, divided glass front outer door.

Can't find a good picture of the porch from outside:

Also can't find a picture that shows the sides of upper floor. The sides are not shingled (more expensive) but painted board. House sits on a corner, so you never see the side unless you are coming into the garage.

I think your home will look great as a modern craftsman.

Thanks for all the help, everyone!

Sidney4, your home is GORGEOUS! I love the cedar shake siding, the subtleness of the color palette, and your RED DOOR!

Allison0704, what a transformation! It looks magical at Christmas. I love the idea of staying in a home, and making it work for you through family phases. Lovely, lovely!

jojogirl11, I love your rough mock-up. The hint of gold in the shingles is terrific with your brick, which has pretty coloring to begin with. Your column design is wonderful. Maybe replace the two nondescript upper storey windows with a more craftsman-like design?

Thanks. We lived there for just over 20 years before building our new (now 6 years old) home. Lots of great memories.

It was funny - they started the addition the day Spring Break started and the roof was on by the time everyone came back from Florida. We'd see cars almost come to a screeching halt.