I'm no expert but just know what I like. The house is very nice except the shutters, they are too narrow & don't belong on this house. Color of shutters doesn't help either. 2nd thing I notice is that most of the beautiful stone is going to be hidden by foundation plantings, all that money & no one sees it,also the porch stone doesn't show up.I would put it up where it could be seen on the short wall to the left.Curving to make an arch probably will add a lot to costs & make it too busy looking, you already have stuff going on with the gables.I think the large door would look great! Hope someone comes on with photo shop & tries a couple of things for you or take the pic over to Landscape ideas & they might be able to help as some do photo shop so you can tell colors & where things should go. Hope the whole building experience is a good one for you!!

I like the exterior of this house but I have a suggestion. To me the left side seems somewhat disjointed with the 3 different arched top windows.

If you are planning to arch the deck header and have an arched front door I would probably eliminate all of these arched top windows. Perhaps the room above the garage could have an arched window to carry the theme to the right side of the house for balance. I know from experience that non rectangular windows are expensive, maybe this is a place to cut some $$ by having a really great front door.

The house has a lot of interest with the roof lines and textures, I'm sure it will turn out great.

Thanks for pointing that out, Sunny--I hadn't thought about the foundation plantings eventually hiding all that stone work! Me thinks you just saved me some money. So putting the stone only on the left side (it's the study, with the arched window) would be a good accent? I'd like it on the garage side too, but that's a larger space and therefore more costly.

rnmomof2--is there a sort of "rule" about where to used arched windows? My husband is the one wanting even more than on this house's picture! I can do without them--we did arches in our last house (time for a change).

Thanks!
Tracey

I don't know if you've been over the the Building a Home forum here at GW but there are a lot pf people there with great information. What you're talking about seem to be essentially design questions but there are always other things to factor in. I'm not building, have never built and probably won't but I still read there regularly because there are some regulars there with tremendous knowledge and willingness to share. The answers aren't always what people are hoping for but they come away with more information every time.

Here is a link that might be useful: Building a Home forum

I've lurked a bit on the BAH forum, but this one is so active, and it's the creative eye I'm after here. I guess I could cross-post.

Does anyone have an opinion on stone versus brick (accents--can't afford the whole front in it)? We're thinking that while we like stone, it seems overly popular right now and might "date" the house too soon?

I've been driving through subdivisions so much now on "research" that I'm afraid the Neighborhood Watch will call the police on me!

Thanks.

Tracey, I don't know that there is a rule but I'm guessing you would want to have an odd number. I wouldn't think you would want more than 3 or they would be too much and not "special". My problem with the windows on the current picture is that each window is different. One is a half-round, one is an arch top and the other one is even flatter. Two windows have the rounded mullion shape and other is completely different.

I remodeled my kitchen and wanted an eye-catching window at my sink as it looks out into a wooded area. The front of my house has 2 half rounds (Ignore what I said above!!! These windows can't both be seen at the same time due to location). One builder/designer suggested placing an arch topped window at my sink. When I pointed out the half rounds on the front, that is what we went with over my sink. This carried the look thru the house even though no 2 half rounds can be seen at the same time.

I think you and your DH need to pick what your focal point will be on the front of this house and work from there. Will it be a drop dead front door, eye catching window at left of house, stone work, etc. I know these can be photoshopped but with that great picture I wouldn't think it would be that hard to do vellum overlays and alter these different features to help you get the right combination.

I think some structure and focus is needed to simplify the details. The basic structure looks very traditional to me, with cottage details added to the facade. I think I'd stick with more traditional elements; traditional shutters, for instance, rather than board & batten.

I'm not understanding all the different window styles, either. Even the porch area has yet another style (transom) going on back there in the shadows; and the paned door sort of adds another to the mix. The shutters are also much too narrow and inappropriate for the style of some of the windows.

The ledger stone is not very visible where placed, but also is too busy with the shake siding.

I think I'd eliminate the detail on the peak mouldings, and just do them plain, though the porch header will need some detailing.

The dark roof areas in the peaks are distracting. If they're functional, and with a gray house, I think I'd do those to match the siding and blend in; though you said you were thinking of another color, like green. If they're just decorative, I'd eliminate them.

I'd also do white railings on the porch and not introduce wrought iron. Having only two posts on the porch also looks odd to me. I think I'd add another or reconfigure in some way.

Sorry, but it looks like someone was trying to do too many different things on this one house. I'd be worried if this was my builder. I would look for someone, whose work you like, that can help you to pull the exterior together in a cohesive way. Otherwise, some very expensive and permanent mistakes are apt to occur.

Good luck working it all out. It's a tremendous undertaking!

Just saw this fabulous place over on the Cote de Texas blog. Reminded me of some of the elements the house you've shown above has tried to incorporate. Maybe this is a look or direction, in the house above, that you are liking? HTH

Here is a link that might be useful: House Story

Oh no, my builder has nothing to do with this house. I just googled this particular floorplan name and lucked into finding one built in my county (the floorplan name was mentioned in the listing information). From there, I went to the county tax site to get their picture of it. I wanted to see this floor plan done in real life and go from there. That's why I wanted some help and figured this was a good place to start--a house already built. We don't like this facade and don't plan on using it.

Okay, so which windows WOULD you make arched? (You wouldn't believe how many hubby wants! Ack--his philosophy is "more is better", and we get into arguments all the time). On the ones left straight, can we use pediments (is that the right term, I wonder)? Keystones? (hubby again).

Squirrelheaven--by "dark roof areas"--what do you mean? The little "eyebrows" at the bottom of the roof gables? There seems to be a lot of that around here--usually accented with metal roofing.

As for the posts, I can't tell if it's on this house, but we were thinking of pilasters (?)--half-columns on each end against the walls of the porch--and then the 2 other columns. One "goes with" the door and its pilaster, the other with the DR window and its pilaster (does that make sense). Regarding railings, if the porch is low enough, do we need it?

Thanks!

Squirrelheaven--by "dark roof areas"--what do you mean? The little "eyebrows" at the bottom of the roof gables? There seems to be a lot of that around here--usually accented with metal roofing.

Yes, that area, which is sometimes seen as roofed in overhangs. They usually look odd to me, esp in a high-contrast color to the siding material.

Regarding railings, if the porch is low enough, do we need it?

Not if there's not a safety hazard of someone toppling over the side. Check your local code for any requirements, otherwise. The porch shown is high for not including a safety rail.

Having half posts on the ends sounds like a good idea.

The windows are just something where you have to decide on a style and play with it. Think about your interior also. Do the windows have to be the dimensions shown above? Say, could the two on the lower right be one large window?

I would now look for some pictures of homes that you really like the overall details, coloring, and styling of. Then you can see whether your home can take a similar direction. The one above has gone in too many directions.

A few other things to think about. Are you wanting arch topped windows or half circles? Think about covering these windows on the inside. Do you want wooden blinds, drapes, plantation shutters, etc. A window with a curve hampers what one can easily put on the window.

Also depending on how high the arch is one might need a room with either 9 foot ceilings or some sort of cathedral ceiling to have room to fit the arch under the ceiling line.

I would think the lower left room and upper room with the double windows would be a good spot for a special window. Would have to play around with the windows on the garage end to see how they looked down there.

I understand that DH wants these windows. What do you think? What is the setting fro your house and the neighborhood like. I get a modern farmhouse feel or traditional home from your house., I would like to see it with traditional windows with pediments (the trim above the garage windows) above each window. I think that would be a very classic look.

Have fun deciding and don't kill each other.

LOL....if looks could kill, both of us would be dead by now :-)

Wow, I loved reading that blog; thanks for posting it. What a story that house has.

I don't want half-circles again (had those at last house). And you're so right about window treatments. The front of the house is western exposure, but there are tall trees in front that will probably help with most of the sunlight (hoping!). The ceilings will be 10'.

I searched for the original sketch of the proposed elevation (frankbetz.com):

{{!gwi}}

It looks like a very nice country house there, and they've used a similar mix of windows.