The roof peak needs to be aligned over the center of the garage so that the windows can be aligned with the peak, the center of the garage and with each other too. Dumb design.

Bottom line: it's a horrible ugly house. Way too many roof lines and a garage that takes up the majority of house front real estate. Just a design disaster.

This area is famous for its "way too many roof lines." I'm still in the same city on my realtor.com perusal and just keep finding things that make me feel as though I need to lie down until the vertigo passes.

This horror of a floor, for example.

ETA: The kitchen in this house is bizarre too. Let's just throw a bunch of different cabinet finishes in there and see what we come up with! That green relates to nothing. Ditto the light fixtures. Ugh. (Ugh for $1.7 mil, too.)

The builder could have made the front look a bit better but it's a narrow house on a narrow lot. If you want a 2 car garage, it's going to take up a lot of the front.

It is by no means pleasing to the eye but for a narrow lot, it's not too bad.

I'm sure the interior is one of the standard narrow-lot floor plans that we see these days. This seems to have been an attempt at a storybook-type facade. Very strange indeed. As awm noted, the garage doors aren't centered on the roof peak. So the lower window went with the doors, and the upper window went with the peak. I almost think they should have added a third odd window to make the storybook thing look very intentional.

Sorry, dees - but even for a narrow lot it's pretty much awful! We live on a very narrow lot (zero lot line, actually), and our house is basically a 3,000 sf box. I now completely understand why our builder nixed the architectural elements (gables galore) that most people seem to expect in this area and went with more of a straight "tower" design. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but at least it's symmetrical. ;-)

Okay, here is what I am guessing. The top window was added later, after the house was built. It probably makes sense from the inside of the home.

Fixed up a bit, I think it could be cute, certainly not the worst I have seen.

I wouldn't call this home 'horror'ific. It looks to be a 'wannabe' Tudor, but doesn't quite make the mark. The top window could have been left out completely since it doesn't add anything aesthetically. As for the multiple rooflines, the Texas area seems to be riddled with newer homes having them, and from where I came from, it would cost a pretty penny. Multiple brick patterns are also found on many exteriors~I think my home has 3, along with stone.

As for the wood Herringbone pattern floor, I love it, but that's probably because I had them in a house years ago. Again, not an inexpsnsive install, and not for everone. It's more French in it's design, and I have a few tabletops with the pattern. You don't see it used as much anymore since the trend is toward simplistic styling, and wouldn't appeal to the masses.

I think the design may have well been for a centered peek in the garage, but the execution is not always what the design intended. I am not a fan of the style and excessive roof line anyway, so it wouldn't be at the top of my list.

I have three cabinet finishes in my kitchen, but I'm not sure what the folks with the green island were thinking. No, actually, I think I know -- it looks like it was designed by a cabinet salesperson who was trying to add as many upcharges as possible. Light fixtures and faucets would be easy to change, but the cabinets ....

GAAHHHH, that's making me cringe! I wouldn't live there because of those windows being that off visually. I would have to seriously fight not to complain, aloud or in my head, every time I had to see it.

Wonky alignment aside, it doesn't even look like a home to me. It looks like a big garage, that might have a room or two on the side. "Welcome to my garage!"

When I first looked at it, I thought it was still under construction because the light stone with a few not-random-enough dark bricks thrown in looked like house wrap.

Patty - yes, also being in Texas, you've seen your fair share of these homes too! You're right about the multiple material facades. Ours is brick and stone with a bit of cedar accenting. I don't mind multiple materials when they're done in relative moderation.

Here's another one from today's realtor.com perusal that kinda made my eyes cross though (and I'm not sure what that is over the door: a ginormous mantel??):

... although the more I look at this, I think it's the white windows that are throwing me.

The symmetry would drive me nuts. As for the floors, and kitchen, neither is something I would do, but they look fine to me.

The two different kinds of brick, and the brick on the garage is just ugly. CP, when you added the window and straightened the gables, it helped a little, but made the house even taller and pointier.

Stop the madness :-)

Thank goodness its cocktail hour here! I'm a little dizzy from the last pic but the others are pretty much awful imho. TGIF and Clink everybody :)

Sometimes symmetry is all that matters.

Other times, it is all a house has.

I also thought the house wasn't finished at first glance.

The house is finished? oh.

TurquoiseRose - the last picture posted - What I don't like is the top fan part of the window, it just doesn't work, too much stuff happening that doesn't mesh.

It looks like someplace the dwarves from Snow White would live, and not in a good way. I think either the builder or the architect were drunk!

Ugh for $1.7 mil, too.

Just because it costs a fortune doesn't mean it is in good taste.

I'm not sure what that is over the door: a ginormous mantel??

Yes in case they ever need to start a fire in the doorway!

Too many roof lines? DH took me for a drive around an area in Tyler, Tx where he works. This was in the Cascades area. He replaced the carpet in this home recently. Owned by a Dr. They have 6 children and his wife home-schools them...YAY for her! I happen to like all the roof lines :)

cpartist, DH built a a door surround around our back patio french doors. It's three sided. He beat it with all sort of objects, burned it and stained it. There is a pair of cattle horns attached to the front. Everyone around here loves it and wants to know how he did it, but I know it's nothing anyone here would like or appreciate. I've never quite understood that tho because I like/love/appreciate nearly all decorating styles. Oh well. I like the "mantel" in the picture.

i kindof like the door mantel too! i think it helps the front look better! the blinds/shutters in the 2 large arched windows look terrible with everything else going on! also, why add the arches if they're just going to be covered!? seems silly...

the 1st house would drive me crazy too... maybe this is a case where the plans were modified (maybe to a 2 car garage?) without the help of an architect??!!

the flooring and kitchen are pretty terrible too--- hopefully they didn't pay a lot for their ID!! :(

monica - The house that you posted may not be my preferred style but it is very pleasing to look at. It's large, yes, but it is very well balanced architecturally

How about this..why don't we all post a picture of the exterior of our home, or ANY picture, and watch as it's torn apart by gw members. NOT! Y'all would have only the nicest things to say, but because this is the home of a total stranger, it's fair game. Would someone please expaing the point of this thread, or have I missed something? This is nothing short of childish behavior. Can't we stick to threads about our own homes and not 'throw rocks' without the permission of the owner who can't even protect themself? We see pictures chijim posts regularly, but they are in magazines, and it doesn't seem as offensive as does an actual home in a *real* neighborhood. Sorry, I don't know any of you personally, but think we're all too nice to stoop to this level.

Thanks to those who had a positive comment.

A friend of mine is very insulting about the outside of my house. She doesn't like flat-roofed homes as she thinks it's a sign of a "poor" (?) house and makes it very obvious to anyone who will listen to her. Ignorance is her enemy. What she doesn't understand is that post-and-beam homes, which mine is, often have a flat-roof. I don't bother discussing MCM architecture but rather I just let her make a fool of herself.

If I were to post my home here I know many wouldn't like it, but I do. It does have an identifiable style, well except to my friend.

Y'all would have only the nicest things to say...

patty, apparently you haven't seen a picture of our Cowboy Chic Den or DH's bathroom. But, maybe you are of the generation who's mother taught them, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't' say anything at all" :) Yeah, I don't understand the posting of stranger's homes to tear them apart but that's who I be :)

Patty, I'm sorry this touched a nerve with you. The purpose of this thread was to share something house related that I thought was extremely odd and just outright poor design. It's JUST a random house on realtor.com and I promise you people are critiquing homes for sale "in the real world" too. I see this as no different than having an opinion on something the Property Brothers or Joanna Gaines creates. The uber sensitivity when we are discussing design elements wears a bit thin, IMO. I don't recall reading in the Houzz terms and conditions that only "nice comments" are welcomed here. Saying something negative about interior or exterior design is not even remotely the same as critiquing the people who live there. I think we can separate brick, stone, and mortar from human beings.

I agree with Patty. This seems like a mean spirited thread. Sure it's just a random house but I'm sure some people on here might have similar styles. What's the point?

I don't know..when house hunting we went to one house that didn't have windows at all. I mean on the facade, second floor..Now that was highly disturbing to me. It was like a person without eyes..so sad. I must mention that half of the houses on that street there seemed to have similar problem..like the builder just didn't put windows in the front on that model(why??)..and some people added a window later, and some had not...

So in comparison to that sad house(which by the way was nicely improved inside)-this one looks real nice..looks like a person I mean like a house:)

(By the way the one without windows was like 200 thousands more, because nice city, Orange County CA.)

If you were 'sharing' I don't understand the need for some of your comments. You mention wonky positions driving you insane, making you feel queasy, and loopy, you don't know what would help this poor house, your need to lie down until the vertigo passes, then sum it up by saying it being pretty much awful. As if that weren't enough, you went on to post another home, commenting how it made your eyes cross. I'm sorry Jen, but these comments come across as overly dramatic and worded with negative connotations, immature, as well as mean spirited, and believe me, I'm no angel. A little making fun goes a long way, but in my eyes, you've gone over the top. I know it's been said before, but bares repeating, re-read before hitting send.

I really don't need your delicate instruction in posting, patty. Feel free to scroll on by any time I choose to participate here. I personally view YOUR comments as overly-sensitive and childish.

(Where was your outrage in the numerous threads where other listings were shared and many negative comments were made about those design elements? Don't like a thread? Scroll. On. By.)

ETA: Didn't you used to post as patty_cakes? If so, you've amused yourself by poking fun at ugly CL couches, so what's the difference here?

So Patty, you are criticizing Jen because she was criticizing an a inanimate object? Like you've never criticized anything before. Glass houses.

Graywings, you saw exactly what I was pointing out. Thank you.

Definitely sinister fairy tale material. I agree that the windows and garage centerline are throwing it off, but two other things are bothering me:

- You can't see the front door. Why is it hidden?

- Two different bricks that don't play together nicely. I thought the part above the garage was unfinished /looks like some kind of "wrap".

I enjoy threads like this because they help refine my eye. I could, of course, tell that this was really, really poor window design, but could not have figured out (without a lot of time and thought) how it might be fixed. Cpartist showed easily a reasonable fix; awm showed just why things were so out of alignment. I could see for myself how awful the brick coordination (lack of it) was.

I understand posting things like this to a group of design junkies - when you come across something like it (in the public domain already through a r.e. listing) it's reasonable to share the pain you feel - for the new owners who will try to fix it (presumably) and the neighbors forced to look at it. And maybe even for the current owners trying to sell it...

It is more disturbing to me to post pics of someone's house you know, without their permission, and especially one where your business has profited.

Here's my attempt at cleaning up this monstrosity.

I guess I'll just be immature and say "that is one ugly house!" That white brick on the one side just does not go and all that asymmetry is horrible.

Was reading along enjoying the conversation - when suddenly I was taken aback by comments that.... what... we shouldn't use strong words like "ugly" to critique anyonymous, public domain photos of inanimate objects.... because someone "might" have a house that kinda, sorta looks like it?

Apparently some of yall have never taken an art or design course. Critique happens in class and it is how we learn and its not meant to hurt anyone's feelings. FYI - design principles - balance, repetition, scale, etc. - are immutable and have been used in creating design and architecture since.... well, since humans first started painting caves and moving rocks around. Yes, there are design fads and fashions come and go, but the fundamentals of design... balance, repetition, scale etc.,,, are not "opinion," they have to do with how we are hardwired as humans to perceive spatial relationships and how objects relate visually to each other. YOu don't have to have the intellectual knowledge to perceive these relationships - you can just have an intuitive sense that something looks "off."

THATS why I enjoy these threads!!! I see the picture and I go OMG, that's ugly but not sure why. And then people explore the "why's".... and I learn from that.

Keep it coming!

Thank you so much, Current Resident. I appreciate your thoughts and agree with your completely. I remain rather taken aback by the comments accusing me/us of malevolent (or thoughtless) motives in this thread. I submit that higher doses of fiber may be in order for some. ;-)

"Aunt Jen" has a history that precedes her new name of TR~do you not, TR? Her mean girl mentality is not new to this forum or previous forums of which she was a member, and was MIA for quite a while. Whether it was by choice, i'm not sure, but it's my belief she is antagonistic, and tends to 'collect' a following of forum members. In past threads she spoke of her firm befief in God, but I find her behavior to be extremely hypocritical.

As for your 'opinion' of my 'needing higher doses of fiber'(would you tell your own mother that?)it's as bad as name calling(old lady reference perhaps?)disrespectful and uncalled for~yes, I am a good 20 years older than yourself, but what's your point?

Yes, I was patty_cakes on GW, but somewhere along the way Houzz decided to use the name I registered under on their site, and i've just left it. I have no skeletons to hide. As for the CL comments, they were laughable, but do you really find this home to.be on the same par as the CL posts? I see this as a game of sorts, and your objective is to win and seeing others are in agreement with you gives you some sort of high. Not knowing you, this may just be your 'personality', so by all means own it. Now, as the saying goes, "keep calm, and carry on". Mine is, "i'm done".

Well, patty, I always considered you a friend, so your comments in this thread confound me somewhat. I don't really get the lashing out, but hope there's nothing serious bothering you. This is only a discussion forum, after all -- certainly nothing worth getting all bent out of shape over.

Oh, and would I tell my own mother that she needs more fiber? Unhesitatingly! She's a feisty 77 year old with a kick-ass sense of humor. :-)

Jen, I wanted to send you a personal email, but didn't see one. It seems there are way too many thoughtless posts, with someone always getting upset and hurt. I guess this bothers me more than others, althought I do tend to be very outspoken myself, but if I purposely hurt someone's feelings....I wouldn't be able to sleep. I want to sleep tonight Jen, since what I wrote may have been upsetting to you. I deeply apologize if i've overstepped boundaries, was too sensitive to the issue of the post, and in all honesty, have even thought of you as a daughter, strange since i've never even met you, but you're in the 'age range'' . I sincerely hope we can let bygones be bygones(it's an old saying!)and i'll try not to read so much into threads which are only pointing out 'oddities'. Life is too short for such trivialities to take precedence over forum friendships, which in today's world are as 'good' as real life ones.

Sincerely,

patty _cakes

I need to meet your Mother! She sounds like my long lost twin. lol My kids have referred to me as sassy and feisty!! Does she dance also? lol

Thank you, sweet patty. I appreciate your words more than you can possibly know. I too apologize for my hurtful words directed at you.

OK ... friends again. Momentary bitchfest averted. LOL!

(((((Hugs)))))

I love happy endings :)