Where is this house? Florida? Building methods vary by region, especially 100 years ago. Is it concrete? (that would explain cracks telegraphing through). But a house can crack on the outside stucco and have similar cracks in the plaster inside because the surfaces are tied together. If the cracks are basically exact, it may be concrete walls; if they are just in similar places, then frame walls with plaster inside.

The outside is real stucco (not the fake Dryvit stuff used on every McMansion).

Those "bizarre wedges" are the structure of your roof. Don't mess with them.

I'd give a big No to your first revision, but a Yes to the second; it's much more period-appropriate. Yes, you can enlarge the windows (it will require beefing up the overhead supports, but it's doable).

Yep, you can have the stucco repaired and smoothed. Every time I've seen it done, it kind of blew my mind how much it changed the look of the house -- for the better. Much, much better.

I like the tan colored home with black trim! That would look nice. I agree with you the window situation is sort of strange that's the first thing that popped out to me. Not sure whats inside the home but maybe you could turn those three arched top windows into one large tall window, perhaps if that's a family room, it would look nice.

The staggered windows are probably the stairwell windows.

if you planted a stays-pretty-small tree in front of the 3 windows on the interior staircase, your house would look more symmetric. less interesting, but more symmetric.

Hah! Tatts we thought the same thing-- it looks like it's a southern house. No, it's in St. Louis, Missouri on a street lined with beautiful old brick houses. Ours is the eyesore. At some point I as drilling something and pinkish dust came out so I'm wondering if the house was originally brick and someone covered it in stucco?

I'm pretty sure the windows on the lower right are original because of their hardware. The lower left windows are new(er) and I just have no clue about the weird arched ones smack dab in the middle of the house or the tiny sad ones on the upper levels.

We moved from a full federal in the historic French district and so I am out of my element here.

Yes, the arched windows line the stairway so I'm not sure how to handle them. I guess it would be a crime to cover them? What if I made the front door huge with lots of windows around it? Would that excuse my sin of covering the stairs windows?

The asymmetry is beautiful IMO. Don't change the windows!
But I think you need a uniform color to calm down the busy-ness. The white pic looks great, sans window changes. The dark one reminds me of a haunted house.
Check out the beautiful asymmetry of this beauty!

https://www.houzz.com/photos/roots-of-style-chateauesque-bridges-a-century-traditional-exterior-phvw-vp~5351268

ninigret, that's an AWESOME idea! You're right-- a "stays-pretty-small" tree (haha, took me a minute to figure out when you meant) would definitely make things a bit more symmetrical.

I love your home. I do think it would look nice all one color.

The all-white mockup looks wonderful!! The staggered stairway windows virtually disappear. I especially like the white muntins; I think black ones make the windows look dark and forbidding. Is that a window box at the tiny windows just under the eave? I'm not digging that.

A very impressive home, though.

Your house is not an eyesore and quite frankly, it's a shame you feel that way. It's obvious you know nothing about beautiful old homes. Please don't go and destroy the integrity of the exterior and interior. If there is original stained woodwork, PLEASE don't paint it white.

Before doing anything do some research on arts and crafts style homes. Post on the old house forum.

I live in a land of endless housing tracts, one after the other, after the other, after the other, each one filled with nearly identical-looking houses stretching as far as the eye can see. Now THAT's an eyesore! I like your house.

Ugly?? I think it's stately! I love the all white look. I think the tan and black looks haunted mansion. I think in all white, with beautiful boxwood shrubs you will have a beauty!

I think the house looks wonderful in all white. You could paint just the window muntins in a dark gray to tie in the roof. It sounds as though it may have originally been a brick house that was covered in stucco. I had an all brick house and every time I drilled into the walls to hang something, out came the pinkish brick dust.

I would not change the shape of the stairwell windows. I would remove the two by fours that were used as trim. Paint the windows the same color you paint the house then add a tree like a dogwood at a safe distance from the house.

I would not remove them because I suspect they look attractive from the inside.

You are a steward more than an owner. Do some research, please.

I hate to see real stucco painted. Real stucco has a variety and life to it that painting hides. McMansion "stucco" has no such life.
See if a real expert can patch the cracks in a way that they can be left unpainted.

Joseph Corlett is right. You are a steward of a significant home. Before you do anything check the city records, historical society, etc. Preserve it.

You are a steward more than an owner. Do some research, please.

Isn't it sad that so many only want to make it look like what's the current fad on HGTV with no thought to what happens once the latest fad is gone?

And if you thought the house was such an eyesore, why did you buy it?

Another vote for the all white look, or possibly a subtle white on white scheme.

If the stucco has never been painted, stay with a fresh color coat of stucco. Those cracks can readily be patched by a skilled stucco craftsman. When I lived in Germany, I was always amazed at how good centuries old buildings would look after a fresh coat of "putz", as they called it.

If you start moving windows around and increasing the opening size, you will incurred some really hefty costs! This is undoubtedly a plaster house inside. Between re-framing to carry the roof load and re-plastering, get your wallet out! Also, plastering is a dying trade. Good luck finding a good plasterer!

Ivy!

If everyone could buy their perfect ideal of a house every time they had to move, I wouldn't be nearly as busy as I am. :)

Wanting to customize a new home so it reflects one's personal style and taste is normal. I've had to buy/live in houses that weren't my taste. If I had my druthers, I would have chosen something else but relocation doesn't always work out that way.

OP is doing the right thing by asking questions to try to get a handle on the right way to make someone else's old house her family's new home.

I love your house as is; I can see how the assymetry could be bothersome, but why not start by painting all the dark trim white and see if that makes the different window sized less noticeable. Also, do the upstairs windows have grilles? It doesn't look like it in the pictures, perhaps having all windows with similar grilles would give you the look you're going for without having to change window size.

A lot depends on your budget and with that in mind, The first thing I would do is look into why it cracked. That could be very expensive, it could be foundation problems, installation error or deterioration from old age and water penetration. regardless solve that issue first. I would add grilles to all the windows, paint it white and install Oak doors on the entry. If you like how it's going but still need more then change the windows as per your drawing. It is a different style and I like it.

It's a lovely old house. Try painting the gray outlining of the stairwell windows with the same color as the walls. They will not be as prominent. Or scrape off a bit of the existing paint to see what the historical layers of paint show.

The cracks that go through and through are worth checking out by a structural engineer or a seismic safety consultant.

Your dislike for the house comes through so strongly, I am afraid you will never be happy here despite editing this & that. Has the deal been finalized? Perhaps you should look some more.

Spend your money on your structural problems that the house has rather than a remuddle that ruins its character. Cracks on a diagonal that go all the way through from the exterior to the interior originate is issues with the home’s structure. You need to get an expert in there ASAP. And have a significant budget.

Sophie, hopefully they'll spend so much on fixing the structural, they won't have additional money to ruin the exterior or interior.

Jus the fact they didn't even know what the "bizarre wedges of wood" are rafter tails and prized by those of us who love old homes.

I will say that if you remuddle the home, when it's time to sell, it may not sell as quickly.

You have a lovely home. I agree there is something off about the colors and the windows, but do not replace them, other than to repaint the trim. The comments above were made by preservation snobs. It's amazing that one of these show offs did not use the word "fenestration." There must be a historic preservation organization in your town, as well as a state organization, plus the National Trust for Historic Preservation. You will find help there. Plus, you could subscribe to the magazine "American Bungalow." Enjoy your house. It's a gem!

Before you do any more damage to this house, kindly step away and sell it to a new steward who will care for, appreciate and tend to a home that’s stood the test of time long before you came along. Architecture and symmetry are not exclusive. And if you’d rather a home that looks just like every other neighbor, surely you can find a newly-built tract development to your liking. This home has elements of craftsman, prairie and colonial. All extremely influential architectural movements. Consider appreciating what makes your home so special rather than wishing it looked like a neighboring home.

Agree with Sherry. This looks like a modified Deco or French rococo home that has had a lot of work done on it. I would even guess that it might have been a story and a half at one time and made into a 2 story. The roof at that time might have been tiles. I think your wanting to put in matching windows on the 2nd story is a good gut reaction (the newer windows look really odd on this house) and the all-white paint job is a great idea. Get the stucco repaired, have it smoothed down and repainted white and see how you feel. Don't go crazy with demo just yet, see what you can salvage of the house's original design.

Who knows who has done what with the house already - THAT is such a good point!

Just because it's old, doesn't mean it's right or good.

Based on the rafter tails and other elements, this was NOT once a 1 story house. It was built as the colonial with elements of prairie and craftsman as someone else alluded to.

Not every house has to look like an HGTV wannabe or a twin of a McMansion.

ItsALLart: That's pure speculation based on nothing. And the staircase right inside the front door makes your lower roofline an impossibility.

What's bizarre--and the only bizarre thing--is the different trims around different windows. My guess is these are signs of remuddling in the past. It is not a sign of a second story addition.

The rafter tails are elegant AND a structural part of your house.

I have vinyl windows on my house. It is new enough and sub-$1 million, at least when I bought it, so that's appropriate for my house. It isn't appropriate for this one. It is too old. The vinyl windows look awful. It needs fiberglass.

Well, Tatts, I dunno... my grandparents took a 1-story home and put a 2nd floor AND a staircase in, punched through windows to light it, put an entirely different roof structure on it... and that was in the 1930s. I've seen major renos to older homes just like this, i.e. the one across the street from mine where they added a 2nd story and put a staircase in the middle of the house. Anything is possible and since neither of us truly know, it's best to just say it's all speculation at this point instead of trying to belittle each other. Mine was a guess... just like yours. :-)

There were definitely some major changes made a long the way. It's the only house within a four block radius that is not brick so I strongly suspect it was originally brick.

Additionally, that chimney on the right of the house is a total
mystery-- there are no fireplaces any where near it. Oh-- and underneath
the heinous 1995 pink ceramic tile we pulled out of the front left side
of the house (now the kitchen) was what looked like solarium tiling--
painted cement tiles in a black and white checkerboard pattern. It was
actually very cool and I'd have tried to saved it but it was broken
throughout and ended about halfway through what is now the kitchen.
Perhaps the left side of the house used to be sort of semi-enclosed in
front?

The rafter tails and roof are also unique-- most of the neighborhood houses are are either (you guessed it it'sALLart!) clay tile or flat with dentil molding underneath.

In any event, just because I don't like the exterior of the house does NOT mean that I am interested in a mcmansion or in destroying original elements of this house--- quite the contrary in fact. I have a distinct appreciation for old homes.

Unfortunately, this house does not appear to have retained much of its originality -- and the parts I don't like (vinyl windows) are obviously not original so no, I am not a steward in this case. I'm just a girl dealing with some ugly vinyl windows and asking for some helpful/productive feedback.

Your house is in great hands! Please keep us posted on your progress. I like the white mockup that you did. Here are some other color schemes that might work...

From your description, it sounds like there may have been some "updates" made in the past that are not necessarily for the better. I do think it's worth doing some research at the local historical society to find out more about the original architecture of the house and its history. Besides finding clues about how you could restore/improve your home, I also find it interesting to learn about the original architect, various owners, etc. if that information is available. In addition to the good advice of having a structural engineer check out the cracks you have observed, I think it would be worthwhile to consult with a very experienced architect on how the house could be restored/improved. Some of your windows might look better if they were altered, but proportions are extremely important and my impression is that your mock ups have gone too far. And, as others have noted, the asymmetry could be addressed by a clever landscape architect. That would probably be a much simpler approach. Major alterations on an old house could be opening up one expensive can of worms after another. Good luck!

Ignore the colors of the windows below. This is just showing you layout options...

I moved from a historic French neighborhood and majestic home pre-dating 1875, which I lovingly restored with salvage materials painstakingly gathered over the course of about 7 years. I may not know anything about the style of our new home (which is, frankly, new construction where I come from) and yes, I happened to find it quite unattractive. But it's ridiculous and inflammatory to cast shame upon me and suggest that I do not know anything about old houses.

When you didn't even know what a rafter tail was, then yes I assumed you were someone who was looking to remuddle the house into an HGTV home. I've seen way too many homes of your house vintage ruined because of the owners being clueless. Plus your thread calling this old beauty "sinfully ugly" made me upset, because I imagined another old beauty being destroyed.

I looked for over 2 years in my neighborhood to find an old beauty like yours but every single one that saw had been remuddled by whatever had been the latest and greatest of the time and they had not kept the integrity of the house.

I apologize if that wasn't you and if like me, you appreciate old homes and will be willing to bring back her beauty.

I agree with you that the vinyl windows need to go and be replaced with something appropriate. However I also think the first floor is original to the house and that includes the stairwell windows.

Just because the other homes were brick, don't assume this one was. The stucco on this house looks original to the period. The rafter tails are structural to the build and were quite popular.

What sticks out to me like sore thumbs (in orig pics) is the goofiness of the windows above the front door - looks like they were altered for airconditioner sor something? Also the 2 ginormous dormers + windows on top - do y'all think those original to house? Or maybe they just need some french windows or similar to windows below to make them fit in better. I would not object if those were removed though OP would lose some functionality of the attic. OP, what are those rooms up there?

There is this thing called asymetrical or informal balance, and I see it in that house.... EXCEPT for those dang dormers - seems to me like those are whats throwing it off. However if theres something Im missing in my critique pls do let me know - I do like to learn new things!

OP, it is not a sin to cover the stairwell windows. The house has been remuddled and I suspect the original builder did not stick to one particular style. Change whatever you like but as a practical matter I would not unnecessarily change things like the roof line or relocate the staircase as they are costly and you will get no return.

You have a two story house with a hip roof so that lends itself to certain styles. I would aim for Italian Renaissance style.

I don't think you need to have arched windows. You can't have symmetry because the front door is not centered. As mentioned above, you can have balanced asymmetry.

I once had a beau who lived in a house with a walled up fireplace. People rarely removed them, just covered them up.

I do love the home all white as shown in your mock up as well!!!!

A climbing plant on a trellis would be a camouflage for the stepped Windows. This era and size of house was often covered with Boston ivy.

The dormer windows need a vertical emphasis that could be affected with a change to casement windows.

I love houses like this, with layers of history, whether wonderful or wonky. Congratulations on your find.

I agree with those who are suggesting an expert take a look at your cracks first, and to use landscaping where you can for additional balance. I will only add a suggestion to keep a photo journal of the befores and afters as you proceed. That way you can be rid of the vinyl, but keep the history -win win. Best of luck!

I think the staggered windows are interesting & add character to your house. But this is coming from a person who always buys "interesting " homes, not McMansion cookie cutter houses.

This thread is very interesting too, as is the house. Can kind of see OP's point, but then whats interesting is to consider and visualize some relatively simple changes in windows, adding trellis , etc. can change the enter dynamic of it.

A couple of things Im curious about and hoping OP will oblige - how do those tall arched staggered windows look from INSIDE the house? Trim and everything original... or not? I'm imagining it could be quite the spectacular staircase. And still wondering whats up on the 3rd floor - definitely getting the windows in better harmony with 2nd floor would help (window openings almost look to be the same size???)

Finally Im wondering if youve connected with local historical society and neighborhood history clubs - is the original family easily accessible - would be interesting to locate some photos of soon after it was built.