I am a "form over function" person, so I am not keen on spending money just for looks. I think the dormers make the house look really busy.

Can we see it without the shutters too?

No to the dormers and possibly the shutters too. But those windows are small. More space for larger ground floor windows if you'd delete two columns.

No on those shutters.

In real life you will see little of an 8 in 12 pitch roof so the dormers are not needed to "break up the large front roof'. If in doubt you should have a 3D model drawn.

Great feedback, thanks! The front porch is 53' wide, I'm not sure 4 supports total would look balanced or sufficient. The windows on eitherside of the front door are 42"wide DH. I dont think we can go wider and we dont want to move to 2 windows or a large picture. I'll play with taking off the shutters.

I like dormers. I think yours look a bit small, I’d prefer them bigger. And be careful if you remove the shutters...your windows may look too small.

Fake dormers:

Ok, here's no shutters. Dan1888, I see your point without the shutters on some windows.

That second, small gable seems superfluous. Definitely less busy looking without the dormers and shutters.

If yes or no to the gables are the only options, then ... no. However, if you're open to another suggestion:

Do you want to use the attic for storage or any other purpose? If so, consider one wider dormer in a different style in the center?

You could create a dormer that has the same ridge height as the house roof and thus create a lot more headroom in the center of the attic, something which anyone wanting to use an attic for storage will find worthwhile -- so, too, would having the light from the three windows and the option to open the three windows be useful.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/238339005252484054/

Whether you use the same roof ridge height of the house as a forward facing gable or lower it to be a customary dormer, do make that a single dormer with three windows -- preferably three windows the same size as the center upstairs windows -- with the overall dormer width enough to span the distance between the post left of the entry door to the post right of the entry door with roof overhang beyond that.

You'd also then have the option to create a smaller forward facing gable in front of that "dormer gable" for the upstairs window centered over the entry, whether or not you extend it that center upstairs room over the porch.

Also agree that the double posts aren't a plus ... a single thicker/wider one at each place would work better.

One other feature I notice and will mention is the second forward facing front door.

... You might consider adding a small sun room in front of that door with a SIDE facing exit or

... You might create a fenced area or small walled courtyard surrounded by a green fence so the door is not obvious -- not a door a stranger visiting might knock on rather than your front door.

Alternately, if that is your garage on the left, consider creating an open or screened breezeway between house and garage, perhaps 8' wide, with a front and back screen door and move that door to the side of the room it's in -- making it still possible to the front (and back) from that room but via the screened breezeway which could double as mud room and be a place to park bicycles and/or skate boards and/or outdoor toys/sports equipment and/or wet coats/hats and/or muddy shoes and/or backpacks -- even a lawnmower ... rather than crowd the garage with such things.

I'd consider further simplification. At a minimum, removing the bumpout on what I assume is the garage, or even better it and the gable so the eye focuses more on the house.

As much as I like double columns, I'd do singles here, and remove the ones from the 2nd entrance.

Would be interesting to see how the garage relates to the house and how you have resolved the roofs.

Would you consider a single front door with sidelights?

Could all the windows on each floor of the rock part be the same size?

Shed roof porch and windows changed. Window grids might change too. The garage windows have good proportions.

I removed two columns

Adjusted the height on the base of the columns

Suggested a change to the mullions in the main windows of the house.

If you want dormers, I would see how it looks with dormers lined up above the windows. But I am really curious/ concerned about the house shape and roof design. It’s not clear to me how roof on the left side meets the roof in the middle part.

The windows on the rock portion unfortunately can't all be the same size. We had the garage bumpout and double columns to add a bit of modern look to the house. Great point about lowering the stone base to window height. All front elevation windows will be DH.

Guessing you are doing the design with Chief?

Could you post a perspective or 2 and a top view?

N Dobos, here's a 3D shot showing that portion of the roof.

PPF is this what you're asking for?

Are you constrained on width? Could the garage move back, or back and to the left?

Have you considered no rock, or rock on the entire center section -- sides and back?

Not a pro. I’m not sure about the dormers, but I don’t like how the individual window panes are not all similar. I think they should all have the same ratio of height:width. I also dislike the roof between the main house and garage — shouldn’t it be shorter instead of taller than the garage roof? And I don’t like the cascading gable on the garage. I do like the traditional, symmetric look, though.

No constraints on width. However, the lot has a slight slope running front to back. Because of that we kept the garage on the front side to minimize the need to backfill. Concerning stone we're planning to stone the front main section and sides. The design idea is an old stone farmhouse (center section) thats been added on to over the years.

Listen to PPF. I would also suggest you stone the back as well. Your image of a stone farmhouse that has been added onto would be shattered if the whole center house wasn’t covered in stone (I like the look you’re aiming for, love stone farmhouses). Plus, it would just look like you ran out of money.

When PPF removed those gables, it markedly improved the look and appeal of the house. Stick with the single columns (wouldn’t double columns be kind of pretentious for a “simple farmhouse” that’s been added onto?) Just a thought.

Thanks for posting this idea, more appealing than most of what’s posted here.

Love PPF's last design. So much classier than your original design. I'm sure you don't want to hear this at this point, but your design is way too busy. Calm it down as suggested.

Agree about PPFs redo. And if you stone the front middle section and want it to look real, then you absolutely should stone the back middle section

There are a lot of "faux dormers" haters on this forum. I am doing faux dormers on my house. But, I do not like the dormers on your drawing at all. If anything, one large dormer in the middle with a smaller one on each side would look way better. I also think the 2 posts per column are the wrong look on your house. I much prefer PPF's columns. I also do not care for the 2nd (mudroom?) door. Can you place it on one of the other sides of the garage? At least remove the posts there. But, I think 2 different sets of doors on the front are odd.

PPF, wow that's a total make over! The wings currently set back 1', but with the different siding material and roofline change we were hoping the contrast would be noticable enough to make a difference. I can talk with our designer to see what it would take to increase the set back. Concerning the garage makeover, I'm not sure I like looking at so much roof. Maybe eliminating the small gable on the garage is the solution.

You guys have given us great feedback and some things to think about, thank you!

Since you have a 3D computer model look at the view from the ground at different distances from the house. The overhead views are impressive but you'll never see it that way when its built.

At about 25 ft from the house or closer you will not be able to see the roof but the dormers will be big. At about 60 ft from the house the roof would appear half as tall as it really is.

Only use dormers if you like them and there are no trusses inside. Someone will use that space some day. I've designed many such renovations.

Anna, your pretentious comment is something we been discussing for months. On one hand farmhouses built 150 years ago where built for function, The double columns, cascading gable, hipped porch roof...would never have been used. In the realm of farmhouses - from 150 yr old traditional to present day modern farmhouses, we're trying to land around 75% true to the traditional style. The phrase "they would have never done it that way 150 years ago..." has been said more than a few times. We're trying to balance that classic look with a few modern influences. Maybe our mistake is trying to improve on a classis look. But in saying that, I don't want to build or live in a true to form 150 year old farmhouse. Decisions decisions...

You have at least taken the right step in actually listening to the feedback. I’m not an expert but I grew up in the northeast and know how those houses should look. Sometimes I can’t put my finger on what’s wrong but I know when it’s right.

Then along comes someone like PPF who IS an expert (and some others on here) and redoes the design and instantly makes it “easier on the eye.” They know immediately what needs to be changed because they‘re trained for it. You know what I mean?

It's certainly possible (and appealing) to combine historic with modern, but to do so effectively each has to be true to its time, while also being harmonious together.

Simply attempting to take a historic architectural style, and "update" it is much more challenging and difficult. Often times it may be best to simply let the historic style be itself.

As drawn, the house seems wide -- a 53' porch is a 5 car garage. Your windows are different sizes and it's noticeable on the 2nd floor.

This concept is an attempt to visually narrow the main part of the house, to give the smaller outside windows a place of their own, and to add some additional windows.

This also shows a lower pitched roof.

I'd explore some additional ideas, like keeping the center mass the same and adding the 2 story addition all on one side, making it look more "added on".

Needs the help of an Architect familiar with this style of house.

It's easy to loose the charm of the old when building new.

I really like PPF's latest renderings. I wonder what it would look like with three sets of double doors on the front vs. center door and windows.

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Nothing wrong with shutters or dormers--as long as they're real and sized correctly.

This is a potential for a leak. I would look into changing the width of left part to avoid a saddle

A house added on to over time may not have been so well planned as your design.

And one with dormers.

I like both of PPFs last 2renderings

Traditionally, Colonial houses tended to be either 3-bay:

Or 5 bay:

The better designed and more timeless houses always had a rhythm to the windows, i.e., first floor windows were tallest; second story windows were smaller; and dormer windows (if present) or end gable windows were smaller still:

Simple farmhouses often borrowed from these traditions.