Would these be too much? I do like the dentil type blocks you have shown.

Hi @nhb22 Thanks for the reply! Are those windows that you are suggesting or a gable vent? I think I am leaning towards the dentils, IF it goes OK with classic eave return?

I don’t know if TWO overlapping gables with the dentil blocks will look right. Look at the examples that you are referencing. They are all single gables, or separated gables. NOT overlapping gables. I think the problem is the two gables make any decorative element look cramped, and redundant.

Hi @ptreckel Thank you, that is a really good point I had honestly not thought of! While one would be more in the foreground - even staggered a bit they may not look right and the one gable in the back is obscured a bit (like not a full shape) because of the one in the front.. Oh boy, I thought I had it figured out and now really unsure again!

Sorry to be a negative voice. You need someone to photoshop this. I like the curved gable to the left. That should be your focal point. It is unique. Perhaps you should refocus on it and let it be the star? The two gables, then, play a “supportive” role. Others????

@MBAK This is a cute house!

@ptreckel

I also agree that the dentils won't look right on overlapping gables. I also note that in the samples, the gables are taller and wider. I believe the proportions will be off if you add something like that to yours. The very straight, square, lines of the dentils also compete with the pretty, round shape of your eyebrow roof.

I would put a curved element up there to echo the eyebrow curve. IMO. Nothing neo-classical, and not a molding (those tend to be neo-classical), 'cos an eyebrow is NOT neo-classical (it's awesome FUN!).

I'll see if I can find some examples.

See this? How about doing something this simple, but instead of having the horizontal element, use an inverted curve that echoes the eyebrow? This one here is a little big, so smaller, and with a curve.

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Otherwise, I'd put a circle of some kind there, just for decoration. The difficult thing with any kind of decoration like this will be the scale of it: not too big, not too small.

This is obviously as rudimentary as it gets, but my attempt below. I'd keep it all white and same siding in the gables.

Since one gable is a decent amount higher in background, they would not end up lining up like a thru-line.. if that changes anything? Although they would to your point "overlap" in the sense that they would be back-to-back...

So hard to visualize! Ugh. I could see about getting a small window in the front gable still, but honestly time is of the essence to get this house done so if it's anything that slows down the process, hubby will balk at it!

And hubby's idea is to close off both gables and do white hardie shingles in there to make them a little different.. I worry that won't help with the emptiness in that area, but admit it's not super expansive and already a lot going on with eyebrow and gables in general..

Another ridiculous rudimentary rendition coming at you:

@tangerinedoor Thank you so much for your thoughts! I'm glad everyone is liking the eyebrow. Honestly, we took a bit of a gamble with that. Now just have to pay it off and get it to all come together!

In hindsight, I would have perhaps done the portico of shed roof over front door more of that same curved eyebrow to mimic the eyebrow.. So that is a good point to incorporate some other curved element. I think I have to wrap my brain around that type of gable decoration.. It would not be my first personal choice on its own, but maybe is the right choice for the style of house.

I’m a fan of those upside down crosses on gables.

No Satan jokes please.

I've been going down a rabbit hole searching "overlapping gables" on Houzz..

Seeing a lot of craftsman and victorian style cutouts. I don't personally love them, but maybe they work the best on this particular house?

Thoughts on a few overlapping gables below? Certainly not all in the exact style I'm going for, but some offer interesting concepts. (And I know proportions are not all the same, but my gables are fairly tall and a whole third floor - I think it may not appear that way b/c I was taking the photo from right under the house.)

Like #1 - should I do just a classic eave return on the gable in foreground, and leave gable in back open with a little decorative window?

Also #4 - similar to what I was thinking originally? Maybe little curved brackets (modillions?) that are less "harsh" spaced farther apart than a dentil. Even though they overlap, I like that one?

Many I've seen actually do not do the same exact thing in each gable. I thought that would be too busy being that the house is narrow, but perhaps because they are overlapping it is actually better. Many have a little decorative window in just one..

I am meeting with siding/trim guy tomorrow and I'm sure he will have some ideas, but I'd like to come prepared so that I can make the best decision.

To anyone playing along, THANK YOU.

Or does craftsman style cutouts - with some arch similar to eyebrow roof - seem to work best.. Found a few here:

Fish scale shingles? They'd kind of echo the eyebrow roof.

I agree that the overlap is going to give a crowded effect. I did a super rough drawing over your pic.
I’m thinking some detail at the bottom of the triangles. And the front pointed gable with some detail matching to some corbels on the front porch. Hope I’m making sense. Here’s the pic! Great house!! So cute!

Those were gable vents, as shown in the upper left hand corner of my mock-up. If you click on the photo, it becomes larger.

Leave it as is, dont try to force design elements that don’t work with the rest of your house.

I have no idea why you are mixing those 2 styles together if you want simple then keep it simple and lose the eyebrow arch piece and make it anothe gable or better yet then just the roof.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting Mixing what two styles? We like the eyebrow arch so not ripping that out. Seems most people really like that, or at least tell us that to our face!

@HU-187528210 Interesting, I think I get what you are suggesting! : )

...So, not necessarily replicating the same thing in both gables?

@MBAK Your eyebrow is cute as a button, imo. What's interesting is the grey home ^^^^ someone posted, that is identical to yours. They actually do dentals "lite" and a small attic window. That seems to work well, but perhaps because it's coordinated in white with the rest of the trim and doesn't end up looking overdone.

Ya know, I like that decorative little curve on their little porch gable. That would work on your house, too.

# 4 is most similar to what I would expect given your frame.

Where is your original elevation design? Typically the materials and trades would be committed at this point. Roofing is going on and siding needed to be locked in and ordered at this point. The exterior walls should be weather tight in order to proceed with mechanical & electrical top out with some exceptions.

At this point you should have (or very soon) rough measured cabinets and scheduled a meeting with the cabinet designer.

I would do nothing. Keep it simple. Let the shape of the eyebrow window be the star. It's always tempting to add embellishments.

What is planned for the base of the the structure? Brick, stone, stucco? Once that element is added, you will have a lot going on. What color is the front door? That's another element. They must work in harmony. The fact that you have two gables so closely placed plus an eyebrow gable is a lot of visual activity. I would counsel cladding like the rest of the elevation.

Stop trying to add onto what is a nice home. You don't need it and it will just turn your nice lady into a home that looks like a floozy with too much going on. LESS IS MORE! Always!

BTW: All the examples you posted? Too much and too overdone. Each one takes away from the beauty of the underlying house.

cp, FWIW, I'm going to disagree with you about 2 and 4, especially 2. I did agree with OP's husband about avoiding ornamentation and using a shingle change at most.

OP, hope you keep us updated. I'm sure I'm not the only one invested in your darling house. Your trim guy might be some help to you, which would be nice.

@Jeffrey R. Grenz, General Contractor Thank you so much, all good points.

The elevations do not show anything in the gables...

But now that I'm seeing it built, it just seem like a little too much "empty" space as there is an attic/third floor so it's fairly high.. It is putting my mind at ease that many think we should just leave them..

Siding is being delivered this week. Arctic white Hardie (I think 7"?), fairly thin/simple corner caps as there's not much house along edge of garage/window side for anything chunky, and doing classic eave/cornice returns.

I am speaking with the siding guy tomorrow about the gable that I raised question about.. There is small window of time if we wanted to add a little something. But even trying to add a small decorative window may already be too late if it takes weeks to deliver. We are desperate to move in so don't want anything slowing us down too much at this point.

And yes! Thank you - We already ordered our cabinets. Thankfully, as they are telling us there's delays and probably will not get them until the end of July!

Looking good. i would not add decorative lights as i think it would look too crowded. I would opt for can lights in the overhang.

Well done!!!! And thanks for sharing your journey to this beautiful end!

Well, you were right - the gable detail is just right. What a darling house!

I agree two gooseneck lights seems like a lot. I can see cans, as suggested, or a single fixture. How is the front entry lit?

And may I ask how deep your front porch is? We're installing a front porch on our small farmhouse so I'm porch curious these days.

It is coming out fantastic! I really like what you did to the gables.

I hope you put in a sunny yellow door.

Think about painting the porch ceiling haint blue.

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Love it! Just that little touch made the world of difference.