I wanted to add more info. Windows are currently 8/8 for double hung on most & grids match window color exterior. I was considering less grids 6/6 but was told grids or windows between would be too square. Don’t know what look is good for our home?? Interior window color is white with bronze grids currently. Should the interior grids be changed to white? I was told the bronze grids are more noticeable but I think the white grids would be more obvious. Also I have white wood blinds on most windows but I leave them open a lot.

I bought an arty window film from https://www.blossomandbrush.com for the bottom half of a double hung window. not permanent so i can remove. Not super cheap but not expensive either. You may be able to try something out. It’s too bad your “transom” window is on the bottom. IMO It would be nicer if your larger windows were on the bottom and the single panel on top, so you’d have a natural stop for the frosting. If you are doing something permanent I’d consider rearranging the windows. it’s a pretty room and view. Definitely would want to cover only enough to feel private

I have the Marvin sdl and they were a large part of our house expense. No regrets. But my windows are the fractional style with just the mullions at the very top so window washing is not much of an issue. i wanted these windows in our last house built in 2005 but they were not in the budget. so we used the Andersen dh with the grills between the glass. Lots of grills on both sashes making window washing a breeze. I really thought they looked great and not offensive at all, especially from a distance. I was on this board even way back then when we built that house and one of the members suggested the wider grills. Yes, Andersen gives you the option of wider than standard gills between the glass...making the between the glass grills look more realistic. Worth taking a look if you find out you are shocked by the price of your Marvin SDL window package.

@K Kohr @Jon Alan and @res2architect helped me a ton with windows and the charm they bring to your home's design. They are a wealth of knowledge. I agree with PPF when he describes window pane sizing. I think that you want to have the same width of pane size. To explain that here is an example... See how the panes in the dormers are similar widths to the panes in the lower windows. Here are some of the colonial style. Honestly with the size of window you have I think a 9 over 9 would be just fine. I love the charm of the cape pictured above with it's 12 over 12! These are all equal widths and 6 over 6 This stone colonial has 9 over 9 on the bottom and 6 over 6 on top. Notice the side windows are 4 over 4 (kind of hard to see because of the tree in the way but they are attempting to keep the grids equal widths like PPF stated above. The dormered windows look to be 6 over 6 which is fine imo. Window grids definitely add charm if done right. So make sure you draw it all out and are ok with the look before you order your windows. Looks to be a beautiful house. Can't wait to see more of your build. You'll have to share your milestones on the home building forum when you get started. It is a fun group of people! Here is a photo of our exterior. We just finished building this summer. While it's not the same scale of build (financially) as your home will be (I'm basing that off of your window selection. Marvin's were definitely out of our budget). The addition of window grids gave our custom home the old world charm my husband and I were looking for. Thanks again Res and PPF for the help with window grid design :)