Help! Windows for Exterior Reno of our newly purchased 1970's Split
We are in the middle of renovating a 1970's split and second guessing our design for exterior. We are completing in two phases. The windows are being updated in phase 1. Looking for help on placement and type/style of windows on the second floor. Tried to hire an exterior designer but the ones we contacted are too busy and we have to make a decision quickly! Front door, siding and roof will also change but we haven't figured out what goes best with the stone. Trim should stay white bc we are not replacing large casement window.
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Cottage-ify this split level
Comments (36)re: galvalume. this is my post of july 23, which i'm sending to you fyi. "we just finished lining the ceiling of our glassed-in porch and also underneath our overhanging eves with galvalume (galvanized corrugated aluminum). (it's not on top of the roof -- you look up at it). it's reminiscent of the old corrugated iron shed roofs, but really beautiful. however, it has developed hundreds of whitish/gray spots, which look like a venting/condensation problem, although the spots do not rub off like dried cloudy condensation spots usually do. it's brand new, so i don't think it's corrosion, although who knows? the spots run along near the wall of the house, about a foot wide, exactly where the old soffit was. this is occurring on the galvalume under the eves, but not the galvalume on the sunroom ceiling. (i think the sunroom ceiling, which is 10'x20', has more space above it and the air moves around more, so there's no venting issue.) i looked at the mfg. website (U. S. Steel), which says that "storage stain" can occur if the materials are stacked without ventilation, causing white or black spots. maybe it's related? (the mfgr. does not warranty the materials if the area is not vented properly) the GC and the architect are coming out to look at it next week. when the galvalume went up, it was spotless and beautiful. does anyone have any experience with this? I would like to get some information before meeting with the builder. THANKS."...See MoreIs there anything redeeming about 1970s style?
Comments (57)I read and understand that I've no idea about seventies. Probably because our seventies were your fifties and sixties.. So I associate seventies with mid century modern. That's why I like it actually-reminds me of childhood. eighties-yes, I already remember some shift..but probably toward eighties? I never saw colored fixtures until I came here..so to me this is like, wow, cool. Our current house was built either 68 or 70. It's a ranch. A Spanish ranch. I really love it. Even though I struggled with having standard ceilings in most of the house..that's because our standard ceilings were minimum a foot higher than standard ceilings here..and we lived with even higher ceilings, older houses, built pre-war etc. So that part was really new to me. Luckily previous homeowners put some skylights in. And we also put one in our addition. Totally changes your perception of height. And I also painted the ceilings the color of the walls, each room..or rather the proportion of the color that would look like it's the color of the wall. Makes it less ..white lid effect. Less oppressing. Also added layered lighting everywhere, including central lights-although many advise against it since it accentuates ceiling is low? Well I didn't find it being true, at all. You have focal point, instead of just staring at the ceiling..it breaks it..takes your attention off the height. Some things are strange or I dislike regardless the decade..say we were choosing bathroom fixtures etc and saw a stainless steel toilet, for 800 or so I think? in one of the stores It's an exact copy of what they used to have in prisons. I couldn't believe my eyes. I still laugh when I think of that toilet..really? But probably someone who doesn't have other cultural associations finds it cool? If it's being manufactured? And costs 800 bucks, at that? As for depressing colors..it's very personal, really. And cultural too I guess, to some degree. Every color has a potential to be happy or sad..some have bigger potential to alternate between both, like yellow. It's like, in some countries black is associated with mourning. And in others, white is. I heard a story somewhere about a cruise ship from here that went to Far East..maybe China, but I'm not sure? Most of the passengers happily wore white-very summer-y color..and then they boarded..and then locals looked at them in a very very strange way..they didn't understand why so many people are dressed like they're going to a funeral, but have such wide smiles..:)...See MoreSplit Level Addition Help!
Comments (36)Your kitchen is likely going to be your most expensive project. You might want to plan all the additions now so the end effect will mesh together well but only do the remodel in stages. Since you want to enlarge/expand your living/dining area, consider removing the sides and roof off the foundation of your screened porch and enlarge that foundation to create the size living/dining room you actually want all along the entire left end of your home -- perhaps sixteen feet wide. Have the roof extend twelve feet in the front, part of which would be your new entry with its floor at ground level and the steps to your main floor level WITHIN that new entry, but with the entry ceiling the same as living/dining room ceiling height -- the first step in removing the split -level look you indicate you don't really want. The second step to removing the split level look you don't want would to move the front windows from your current living room and install them in the left side of your new living room so you could build a new bedroom of both your current front entry and the right side of what is now your living room The left side of the living room, with fireplace and a single or double front facing window, could become your new home office accessible from what is now your dining room. The right end of the living room and current entry hallway/stairs that lead UP to the main level from that mid height front door (no longer necessary) would then become one of your new children's bedrooms. Enabling you to close off that mid height front door would be the third and final step to ending the split level look you don't like. You could then build one (or two*) more children's bedroom behind your new living room and part -- (but only part) -- of your current dining room. You want to leave enough space on the exterior wall in the right side of your dining room so that when you later enlarge your kitchen to include most of your dining room (except for a path to the two new children's bedrooms on the back), you can swap out the current back door for a sliding glass patio door that will lead to your new deck or screened porch built beside the new children's bedroom(s) behind your newly expanded kitchen. With an expanded living room upstairs, your entire downstairs not used for garage can be rebuilt. Create a wide front to back hallway as a mudroom between your garage and the rest of the downstairs and create a laundry room within that mudroom. Then the entire rest of the downstairs can become your much larger master bedroom suite with fireplace. Once your Master bedroom suite is rebuilt in the downstairs, your main level master bedroom could become the third children(s) bedroom addition rather than building two behind the new living room and the existing dining room. What you would actually be building on would be an "L" shape on the left side of the house (extending forward beyond the current front of the house) and then wrapping around the back left corner....See MoreExterior Home Help (Desperately) Needed
Comments (21)This is all amazing! What a great community you all are! @btydrvn I really like the idea of the yellow door thank you! @Donald I agree with the lopsided look. If you can imagine, I actually removed about 50 feet of juniper behind that big bush. It was hugely lopsided. I think that after I do whatever needs to be done on the house, I will then take to landscaping! @Patricia Coleen Consulting I really like the idea of the cedar on the left side of our house and maybe that will help with the lopsidedness as well. Thank you! @Jennifer Hogan your place looks fantastic! Great Work! I hope that I will have as fantastic as a before and after photo as yours! I think the two tone photos looks great! @cat_ky yes totally agree with landscaping is required :) @Creative Visual Concepts, Kevin Strader I never thought about changing the railing which would definitely change the look! Thank you! Thank you for the Website link I will definitely check that out! @B T thank you yes I see what you mean about tying in to existing siding. I also really like the idea of the porch with light! @celerygirl Wow! I am not sure how you did that but it really helps! Yes I think the two tone will work out very well since being able to see it! and of course the landscaping! Very much appreciated!...See Morehoussaon
3 years agoI would not trade double windows for single in a bedroom. I think I would get larger casement solid pane windows that are in keeping with the large one. No grids.
Getting rid of the roof extension on the right is a good idea. It doesn't add anything aesthetically and you end up with more gutter and an odd leader. i assume that you will have to replace the siding. If you do, think about board and batten.
I think you can do better with a new portico. I like this one and the windows are close to what you should have.
Exterior · More Info
Exterior · More InfoI also like this curved portico.
Carmel, CA Entry 1 · More InfoYou need some ornamental trees on either side of the large window to break up the long expanse of stone. Plant about ten feet out from the house. A multi stem river birch would look good near the door.
Aly Droege thanked houssaonAly Droege
3 years agoAly Droege
3 years ago
PROElizabeth Minish Design
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoIt looks like there is general agreement that the proposed approach by your architect is not the right one for this house. Without knowing more about what would be affected on the inside of the rooms whose windows are being changed, it is difficult to be very directive, but once again, the general idea here is to think about going wider not taller and keep the panes clear, not divided. In a bedroom, there must be an egress, so the style is somewhat dictated by fire code. You need a big enough opening for a human to get in or out. Budget considerations may affect your decision here.
Bright white trim combined with your stone is never going to look right, so consider painting the wood trim that cases the unpaintable window frames a transition colour like BM Revere Pewter that will blend with your stone better and still be light enough not to make the white unpaintable parts look too stark. Some additional colour ideas are contained below.
Re: your front door, I'm wondering if the sidelights are amber as many were in the 70s. If so, change out the glass first into an obscured but translucent option and see if that solves your lighting issue with the entry. If it still isn't enough, put a some glass in a new door but make sure it is consistent with the era of the house. (some examples shown below.)
As others have mentioned, landscaping will also make a dramatic difference. I'm guessing you're in bug country or there would already be an outdoor patio on the outside of the sliding doors of your sunroom. If not, make sure that is part of your landscaping plan.
Good luck with your project!
PROBeverlyFLADeziner
3 years agoHere is your home with the larger windows in the bedroom. Just a not that you could save yourself some $$$ if those windows are sliders instead of casements.
- PRO
Elizabeth Minish Design
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago 
PROChinaWDMA Windows
3 years ago
BeverlyFLADeziner