You may have said and I just don't remember, but do you have to do the front load garage? My eyes don't know where to fall, I feel like the front door should be the main focus. With so many different things grabbing my attention it seems overwhelming. Obviously I'm NOT a pro, so take my comment with a grain of salt!!!!

Is your second story not a full height second story? Are you in a high wind area that necessitates a hipped roof?

If you want a brick colonial I would skip the front gables, except maybe the center one. I think the the chimney on the end would less odd and be less prone to damage if it was on the end of a gable roof rather than hip. I would also skip the arched windows, maybe keep them in the center. Shoot for symmetry as much as possible.

Honestly, if I may be blunt, it looks like just another brick McMansion. It has no charm at all. And it looks like every other McMansion in the area. It's not pretty.

Chelwa she didn't want a brick home. She wanted a shingle style home but is compromising because every other house in the area looks like these things. I think if she built the house she loved, she'd start a trend of people building pretty homes instead of these.

BTW: I messaged you. :)

Stellaalto, I am sure that most of us can appreciate that you indeed put a lot of thought into the design of your house. I find it quite beautiful, but I definitely favor this style. Well done. I look forward to seeing your interior plans.

Stella, might I recommend the book called Get Your House Right by Marianne Cusato and also What Not to Build by Sandra Edelman, Judy Gama and Robby Reid. If you'd like, I can lend them to you.

I'd rather try the Tudor and tone it down a bit...maybe bring in a little cottage charm? A climbing rose around the bay window. Maybe some shutters upstairs?

FWIW, the prettiest neighborhood in our 'ritzy' part of town was an older Parade of Homes site. Before they all got together and coordinated their style. One was a Cape Cod, one was more modern, another was a two-story Craftsman style, yet another was more of a cottage. They were all so lovely and it's still a very desirable neighborhood.

Moral of the story....don't bow to peer pressure. It's your money! Make it a home you want to live in :)

This is my favorite entry in the "Too Much" thread. Worth re-posting!

hillokee

We
are still hammering out a few plan details. We will start as soon as
our guy finishes his current job. A little different from most as we
are hopping across the drive and replacing our old, tired farm house. I
wanted "grandma's" house over by the pond. And that is the type of
plan we started with. Plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms for the kids and
grandkiddos. And I thought about my grandma, a lot.

Then I started to realize the things I loved so much about her house.
A big kitchen table with mismatched chairs all around. The living
room turned into a giant pallet bed for all the cousins. Arm wrestling
for bathroom rights. Sleeping on the screen porch surrounded by
honeysuckle and lighting bugs. And the house didn't matter near as much
as the people in it.

Ours plans are much smaller now. Not all the bedrooms and
bathrooms. We will have room for the big kitchen table and open space
for floor sleeping. Lots of windows, so we can see and smell the
honeysuckle. And a porch all across the back, out by the pond. It
won't be big and fancy, but it will be their grandma's house. I hope
they remember it as fondly as I remember mine.

gwlake - follow your heart

I think you mentioned elsewhere that your first choice was the Shingle Style. I can't imagine why this house could not be of the Shingle Style although it would be more difficult but not impossible in brick. If you are concerned about fitting in with the neighboring houses, you can use more Colonial Revival elements to create a sense of harmony with other Colonial houses.

The Shingle Style was considered to be an early example of the Colonial Revival style until it was studied and defined as a separate architectural style by Yale historian Vincent Scully.

I haven't read your previous threads stellalto so I did not realize this style was not your first choice. I will back up others who say that if you build a pretty house that can't be a bad thing and if your house stands out as the only pretty house that isn't so bad right? :) I can understand that it is a tough decision though, a house is no small investment. Maybe a real estate agent could provide some reassurance, though maybe you have already talked to one?

I'd choose one style and stick with it. This is a bit of a mash-up. Look at Sanford's windows and *pick one*. Try to think *SIMPLE*. You don't need to mess up a nice colonial. (Note that windows in a colonial or shingle are usually double-hung, not casement.)

I don't see why this could NOT be a nice shingle style, if that's what you want.

Stella- Can you link your other thread? Do you have a house plan? I'm sure you do, but there are so many....it would be nice to match the inside with the outside.

Brick....it's nice, durable, but expensive. Are you giving up anything to change the exterior? Postponing landscaping or a finished basement? Maybe spending more than you'd like?

I'd also think about the interior details of each style. Do you want built-ins? A window seat? Thicker window sills? Maybe a few outside detail too....a pergola? Covered porch? Screened porch on the back?

For me, I have to think about the little things in a home. The views from inside. The way the rooms work together. If there's a fireplace in the kitchen by the table....or is it open to a big family room. Do you have children? Small children? Lots of company? Do you want to entertain with lots of parties? Do you prefer smaller groups and hosting dinners to try new recipes?

Have you looked at all the questions they ask in the Kitchen forum? Then imagine all of the things you should consider before deciding on your entire home. A clear vision of what you want....will make it much easier to choose all your finishes. And that will save a lot of time and help you avoid some stress, too :)

All those arched windows will be a pain, and additional expense, when it comes to installing blinds, blackout blinds, drapes, valances, etc.

I'm not a fan of following trends. If every other house in the neighborhood was a brick colonial, I'd do the exact opposite. I hate drving through homogenous neighborhoods where every house looks exactly the same.