What is "character"?

What's the house missing?

Where are your other 3 elevations and plans?

PPF- When I think of character I think of something that isn't like other homes. This is a custom home so I haven't seen the exterior. Maybe the porch will be the character of the home? I'm very visual so it's tough to tell from a drawing.

Virgil -I'm sorry - I don't have anything specific in mind. I like your suggestions. Thank you!

Landscaping, fountains, garden gnomes, and pink flamingos all add character, and can be added anytime after the build is complete.

Forgot to mention porch swings, we added on to our build. Had the builder put some blocking up in the soffit over the porch to support it.

“Character “ to me may mean something different than your definition., to me it means adding things that personalize your house. Things such as creative landscaping, quality hardscape, outdoor art, beautiful unique lighting, house number, etc., etc. , not just adding unnecessary doodads to the architecture. In that context I think your house has more than enough character architecturally, but I’m a “less is more” person.

K Laurnence - I agree - it doesn't have to be architectural to add character. I'm looking to add charm/character in all ways. Thank you for your ideas.

Admitting I'm prejudiced in favor of porches ...

Consider extending that center gable 6'-8' to create an actual front porch, then use a shed roof to extend the width of the porch the same width you have stone shown.

Would probably not add the stone on the exterior wall; instead, use it to outline your sidewalk to your driveway and/or your driveway to the road and for other landscaping as well.

Tell the builder you need the porch ceiling joists to support porch swings..

I’m with k laurence - I’m not digging the siding + Stone + shakes. Don’t try to add character by throwing on multiple unrelated features.

Suezbell - Sorry I made a mistake on the above description. The house has a front porch under center gable that is 5' deep and 27' wide - from the left pillar to the far right pillar. the blue area is the front porch

IMO 5 feet of depth is rather useless if you intend to use it as a sitting area. Also consider the issue of getting furniture through the front door. IF your steps will be on the left, then there is a sharp turn into the recessed doorway...hampered by the pillar. Skip the stone, better to spend money on a good landscaping plan which can be installed in stages.

I like everyones idea about removing the exterior stone and investing in the landscape!!

I would do as Virgil suggested with the porch and ditch the pseudo craftsman style columns and use columns that go to the porch.

Can you post the first floor plan and not the foundation plan?

cpartist - Glad you mentioned the pillars because I wasn't 100% sure about them either. what kind of pillars would you suggest (plain square pillars, stone, etc) I'm trying to post a copy of floor plan

We are using standard lap siding. I like the wood shakes and the planks! Thanks for the idea!

" . . . skipping the stone . . . "

http://www.mackinacblog.com/?p=86

Pillars = columns.

Nidnay - yes, you do totally get what I'm saying! Thank you!

Here's the floor plan

Rear elevation

Regarding stone and trim...

I see lots of new builds put all this low level stone and/or water trim that is then covered with landscaping.

Agree, either skip it or be sure to utilize low level plantings directly in front of the house.

I have no problem with the size of the porch on this house. My own house has such a porch. It's not for sitting on - it's for standing on, out of the weather, while waiting to be invited in or unlocking the door. It's a covered place for UPS and FedEx to leave my packages. I do have a small bench on my porch - it's uncomfortable as H#ll - it's decorative and another place for me to leave things for someone to pick up at their convenience.

The character that is lacking here is nice windows of a good size. These are very "ho hum". Landscaping will help. And I don't like the stone - one material for the house, not two.

Good call on the stone-it is way overdone IMO and should only go to first floor (like foundation), second floor (like walls of original 1 story house) or all the way to the eaves, never halfway up the first floor. If you show a lot of forndation you may want to face the whole foundation in stone. I also would can the mini gable and idk about the one two three gables like that I'm not an architect but maybe someone here can suggest a way to eliminate the others, maybe enlarge the center.

Drop the two outer gables and enlarge the center with a larger porch.

dan1888's single gable is very attractive, but the roof pitch is completely different in that example compared to the ops and if they did a single gable, it would look nothing like the example above.

The house is 85' wide.

Heishi - I am surprised by how similar your plan is to what we did to our house. We had a 15 year old spec house that we decided to totally remodel including an addition. Our architect had the challenge of blending the addition to the original house structurally. We wanted to have the house be Craftsman inside and out which included new roof, windows and siding. In my opinion, Craftsman means using different materials. To that end, we are very happy to have included stone on the front, board & batten, lap, and shake siding, different color siding, and a red roof. Our house turned out exactly as I had envisioned. I think the biggest take home message is to do what you like not what someone else likes. I am including a picture as you indicated that you are a visual person. We have some grass started now and we will add a few low growing plants in front of the picture window next spring.

Spec House to Craftsman Makeover AFTER · More Info

PPF- Looks Great! This gives us another option. Thanks!

milesdog - Unfortunately I like a lot of different styles --- farmhouse, cottage, bungalow, traditional, tudor and craftsman- so choosing the exterior has been difficult. Yes, our exterior is similar. Thank you for the advice and picture. I hope you are enjoying your home!

milesdog - just looked at your remodel pictures and your home is beautiful!

You might consider extending the roof of your porch several feet more. Use the opportunity to add posts to the front to support the porch of the home that distinctly reflects the style you want for your home -- rustic, colonial, modern, etc.

SuezbellI - we will try that - thanks!

You have a nice home planned!!!!! With your garage doors on the side of the house, few people will use your front door. It is just too far to walk from the garage drive.... However, if you enter the garage from the front, the walk from your driveway to the front door is less. Few guests will enter your home walking 60 feet to the front door from the driveway.

Drop the stone and perhaps you want to extend a parking area in front of your garage front wall? If cars could park parallel to your cars (as they sit in your garage), than you can probably have a cooler home, especially if it faces west. If you created a "pull in" area that was in front of your garage wall as your plan is now, than you could create a nice path to your front door.

I think the 3rd Option that PPF offered is really nice.

With your nice home, I would make the gable wider even, and I would give it an eyebrow, to make it more substantial and important. I might extend the gable further to the right, looking at it, so that it goes to the far edge of the Triple windows on your porch.

You have a beautiful home. Bring the door out flush with the outside wall, unless you have alot of prevailing winds from the left or right side of the house. If you do, than you may want to recess that door about 3 feet. It will save your storm door, if you have one. I know, because I kept my door even with the wall, and a 3 sided porch, it is hard to help company in and out of the door when the wind is blowing before the storm door flies away/out of their hands.....An eyebrow roof line over a front porch entry...

redsilver and PPF - great ideas! I noticed the houses have a gable roof and we currently have a hip roof. Are there any big advantages/disadvantages between a gable and hip roof (cost, snow, etc)? I really appreciate all the advice and suggestions received - thank you!

I like the hip roof because it makes my house look more finished/'calm'... LOL..... I am okay with a nice gable over a front porch with hip roofs on the side. Others like gables because it creates more attic space for storage, esp. if you want to finish out the attic with a floor....other's have a theory the attic space is not as hot in the summer with gables and vents on the eaves...I have seen homes that are 20/25 feet wide on the north and 30 feet wide on the south, with hips on the sides and 3 or 4 gables on the front of various widths at the base over each room that has 3 outside walls??.... and they just make a very chunky looking house with every offset, another gabled roof of a different dimension. The less offsets on your foundation, makes for more efficient carpenter work and material use.. the same on your roofline..which the theory used to be...put more money available to spend inside the house, or less money to borrow to finish the home?

I also, don't care for large windows in a garage or in the garage door. I just don't care for my car to be visible, inside my garage. And I like having that water heater closet in the garage with a circulation pump that I can turn off or on, to get water faster to the bath or kitchen areas as needed. The gas water heater, keeps my garage above freezing in winter, as my garage door is insulated. And the concrete is 2 feet high before the interior walls begins so water will not damage the wood paneling if the water heater leaks..as someone earlier here stated..

redsilver - we also like the hip roof. My husband doesn't care for large windows in the garage either (for the same reasons you stated) and considered using the smaller ones (like the ones on the small gable) in the garage but we weren't sure if they would look good.

Craftsmans are supposed to have deep eaves and exposed rafters. I'm not seeing that on the plan. The roof should also have a lower pitch.

Other people mentioned that the porch should be large, which is also missing.

Those are fundamental characteristics that the house is missing; right now it tends to look like a McMansion rather than a Craftsman

we also like the hip roof. My husband doesn't care for large windows in the garage either (for the same reasons you stated) and considered using the smaller ones (like the ones on the small gable) in the garage but we weren't sure if they would look good.

If you like a hip roof, then why all the gables? As for garage windows, they get blinds like other windows, or possibly obscure glass, when the design of the house needs larger windows into the garage to look good.

If you have a design where small windows are appropriate, then use them.

I noticed the houses have a gable roof and we currently have a hip roof. Are there any big advantages/disadvantages between a gable and hip roof (cost, snow, etc)?

Your house is a mix of hip and gable. It could be all hip or all gable as I showed above.

Personally, i like gables over doors to shed snow and water away from a walk or drive.

This was my favorite, best without forcing all of those gables. In the case of a long low house I prefer a front facing garage with high quality doors. You will probably save enough without all the roof lines to do real wood carriage doors.

Interesting how much tastes differ. The one above showcases more than 50% of the front elevation as shingles. Gable please!

Garages and garage doors without windows is an odd thing to me. Either hide the garage or better integrate into the house. The big flat blank spaces that are garage doors look cheap. Just my opinion!

Whaaas I like the shape of the house compared to random gables but not the details such as the door, shutters, garage doors etc. less is way more on the shape of a house, spend that money on high end finish such as windows, doors, and siding and you will have 10x the beauty all the roof angles in the world could add.

Agree the overall conceptual shape is what brings it. Masses of shingles at the front elevation drive me nuts though!

PPF- I Like this House! Can my house look similar to this? Thanks!