Does the rendering above remind anyone else of a haunted house?

The plan mill proprietors say their designs feature "unique ornamentation" and bring to life you favourite tales. Mary Shelley would be right at home!

Is that a 12 room, 3200 sqft house with NINE full-sized windows!! Mid-evil might be a more apt description than "old world..."

A house with a roof 2.5 times the height of the front facade...?

I don't think so.

And no to flagstone. Perhaps limestone...

Why not do some research on real french country houses -- the ones in France.

It doesn't make any difference what the chimney is faced with. That house is mostly roof! Seriously, there's more roof than wall.

If you slap asphalt shingles on that huge roof, nothing you do anywhere else will matter.

And the layout--all 3 bedrooms are accessed through the dining room. The dining room!!???

Horrible layout, and huge amounts of wasted space that you will pay a premium to construct and heat (Optional storage 1 and Optional storage2!). That's the best they could do with the second floor?

The designers care only about the exterior--probably worked for Disney or Warner Brothers.

According to the designer, he enrolled in a five year architectural programme in 1990. And just two years in, he started his architectural plan company.

Heck, neither Senenmut nor Christopher Wren were accredited architects either.

"...Heck, neither Senenmut nor Christopher Wren were accredited architects either..."

I must have missed their plan factory sites. Can you post the URLs?

Pretty sure it’s this one... https://euroworlddesign.com/ewd-plan-library/dijon-i/

The French have never put big roofs on little houses; its an American fantasy — an eclectic mix of architectural elements from different building types, centuries and countries born, no doubt of Disney's animated films.

Calling it "French Inspired" is more honest than a "French Country House".

If you must have this design, built it with field stone or stucco but not both.

The chimney is an English idea; getting rid of it would be a major improvement.

How tall are your family members??

We are using Blueridge Ledgestone by Glen-Gery for the gables, outside chimney, and two inside fireplaces on our house. We are mixing brick and stone on the outside exterior of our home, and I love it! I have personally seen the stone we picked on other houses and I think it’s gorgeous. I love French country, or French country inspired homes. I think your home will look nice. Here are some pictures of our stone. The house below is not our home, but it is the same stone we are using. Hope this helps.

^^^^^^^^^^^

Another good illustration of the "illusion of structure" referred to in the first response.

*^^^^^^ There is nothing wrong with illusion. Thank You

Lovemybabyl that is what worthy is saying. Even if you are using stone veneer, it should look as though it could be structural. Your picture shows a whole wall in stacked (not wallpapered) stone.

I don't see an illusion, just pieces of stone stuck on a wall.

It is pieces of stone stuck on a wall. I’m not sure what is wrong with that? I personally like it.

Senenmut, Christopher Wren...

I must have missed their plan factory sites.

Limited set of clients!

Wren's masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, took 36 years to build. Senenmut built mortuary monuments that inspired university architecture 3,500 years later.

which would be rejected by 99.99% of HOAs and municipalities in the USA/Canada. Too tall, too big. (Besides, where are the Palladian windows and shutters?)

My point was that it doesn't look like a real stone wall; it looks like a fake stone wall. When did that become an acceptable design aesthetic. The world is slowly going to the dogs.

This is only possible in a zero gravity environment or a fake stone wall. Hummmm, let me guess...

Exposing the top of real stonework to rainwater from the window would eventually cause it to fall apart.

Real stonework and well-designed fake stone would have a one-piece sill that extend beyond the stone so water would drip free of the stonework.

Perhaps its just an elaborate and expensive architectural joke.

If its designed and installed properly, adhered stone can look pretty good.

I am not going to get involved in most of the comments here. What I will say is that no, I don't think flagstone is the correct stone to be put on the front and chimney of a house. I think flagstone should be used for walkways only.

Flagstone isn't a kind of stone; its a generic type of stone that is easily split or cut in slabs for use as paving. It can be slate, bluestone, quartzite, limestone, sandstone, etc.

Perhaps the builder has confused it with "thin stone" that is adhered to a substrate to simulate a real stone wall.

RES It’s a good thing that’s not my house In the photo I posted!

If it’s not built yet is it at all feasible to use real stone?

As far as French houses and roofs, the below is an example of some typical old cottages from a region of France I lived in. Most all of the old homes were built of stone, the roofs were substantial and steep in most cases in this area.

But having said all that not sure how one of them especially a new build would look here. The last one is an example of one that the stone was rendered over with some exposed stone which is quite typical as well there and maybe more similar to your idea of using both.

lol res I'm not a builder but since at least it was stacked to the eaves as opposed to being used as an "accent" I gave it the benefit of the doubt.

I would be looking for a new architect first this house is just wrong on so many levels, oh I see it is aplan off the interent then you really need an architect.

The stone you see in the photos of France is usually a foot or more thick of solid stone. All modern stone exterior walls in the US are fake to some degree. The most realistic is a stone "veneer cavity wall" that is constructed like a brick veneer cavity wall with 4" thick masonry sitting on a foundation ledge and tied back to the structure with masonry ties so it is free to move independent of the structure. Today a less expensive option is "thin stone" adhered to a structural wall. The materials can be sawn real stone, cast stone or molded synthetic materials.

It is essentially to find a local installer who knows how to detail the system and can show you samples of what it will look like. It is wise to insist on a sample panel on the site before authorizing the work to begin.

.

So what's the verdict on this Houzz member's interior fireplace?

Bad

Really bad. Really fake.

Stone never sits atop wood. Never--especially finished trim.

And the mantel clearly is not in front of the 'stone', because each piece of 'stone' ends flat on top of the mantel. If the mantel were applied in front, the stones would continue down behind it, not all end at the top.

That stone above the mantel is laughable.

The owner couldn't decide between colonial and rustic.

. . . so they got rusted colon.

Sometimes roughly associated with a colonoscopy.

"...So what's the verdict..."

Unfortunate.

Actually if the poor OP is still around, that FP is a perfect example of "wallpapering" stone. It is a walkway on a wall, which is what the builder wants to do with your house. Very very poor design.

I hate to pile on, but that is not a French Country home design; it's a fantasy interpretation that seems very impractical and badly proportioned. It has the worst roof line I have seen in ages, and I can't figure out what all that attic space is for. There's nothing wrong with true French Country home architecture. It's classical, beautiful, and practical. But you need architectural input so you end up with a good design that is worthy of the money you are going to put into your project.

Jeeze, you guys! Let's try to remember we're talking about someone's HOME! Get over yourself!

Well...it's very hard to be serious about an illustration which is a Disney style caricature...and illustrates architectural materials in a fantasy sort of usage.

And, as others have previously posted, flagstone in place of all of the masonry in the illustration is not a good idea.

If one is going to use materials in architecture, they should at least be used in an honest and convincing manner, as if they were really the method of construction, rather than actually being lick-and-stick stuff.

I was under the impression that this project was in the planning stages, but I could be wrong. If so, I apologize. I don't think I am alone in my opinion about the fact that this is not an optimal design, but I did edit my first post to be more sensitive. My intent was to get the OP to reflect on this choice of design before proceeding with building. That's because more than once I've seen people get enamored with an elaborate design and come to regret it later. However, If the OP is already building, I hope that it will work out perfectly.