Spent some time looking at James Hardie products last night - I really like the color cobble stone siding shown below. so now I’m thinking of going with that and a Brick foundation and would like some shingle siding somewhere too. I think brick is wonderful but not sure the cost is worth it to us with so many other low maintenance options like the pre-colored James Hardie. But if we do go with hardie i definitely think we still need some more architectural details on the exterior. Thoughts on this color and other details to add?

Any feedback on siding vs brick for this house and potential color ideas and other details to add interest? I feel like it needs something but not sure what. I really wanted to stay away from true white since its so popular in our area right now but now I’m afraid anything too off white risks looking ”drab” in our wooded lot. I love brick but think it may be boring and siding would help add character. Here is another inspiration photo im considering going off of.

I like brick for its low maintenance. Detail can be incorporated into the brickwork to add interest

IMO way too many roof lines which are always to me a mess . As for the choices for siding why on earth painted brick that is IMO always a way to devalue a house either do brick or not but painted brick would be a no for me. IMO you can't judge the exterior of a house without knowing what the interior holds . For instance why a high roof on a sections with no seconf storey . I dislike vaulted ceilings , they are an expensive heating and cooling choice not to mention how they distort sound .

We had a cape style house with similar pitched roof lines and painted it BM Nantucket Gray and used a white for the trim. The Nantucket Gray is not gray at all and when used outside is more khaki.

Couldn't find a good example of the Nantucket gray but found this house that is very similar style to yours:

Quiet Casual Home: Exterior · More Info

I don't like your right side elevation with just the 2 windows in the corners.

I also don't like the way the front porch ends part way across the gable ... something seems off.

@chispa oh good point about the porch - I think that may be why something looked off to me, i just couldnt put my finger on what. For the right side elevation, I see what you mean but that doesnt bother me. We could easily add another window in the master which would add a window in the middle of that side. We had been considering that but have soooo many windows and were actually leaning on closing that one at the back off i dont want much light in the bedrooms - with our lifestyle ww only sleep there

@Mark Bischak, Architect very true! We are definitely going to see if that's in the budget.

Too many rooflines for me.

Since I have had issues with gutters and leaders having to carry overloaded runoff, I am more aware of the potential problems with two gables forming a valley like on the right side of the house and the corner where the garage is attached.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting I definitely have heartburn about painting brick - I think it's beautiful and we originally liked the idea but I think it ruins all of the "perks" of brick, so realized I definitely wouldn't do that.

Interested in more detail about your thoughts on the rooflines. Since there is a second story in the dormers, I don't feel like we can bring those roof lines lower. We don't have any vaulted ceilings (main level is 10 ft) but did want really good walk in attic space off the second story. I haven't gotten the architects blessing yet to post the interior but in summary, when looking at the house, the window to the left of the front door looks to the kitchen and casual dining area. That little window between the kitchen window and the garage is a built in corner breakfast nook. Behind the garage on the left are a small office and big pantry plus powder room. The front door leads you to a foyer with stairs to your right to the second story, and then you walk straight ahead into the family room. A hallway with three bedrooms (including master suite and a hall bath for kids) comes off of the family room, which are what the windows to the right of the front door and the right side of the house lead to.

@houssaon thank you! Since you're the second person to mention rooflines (and I think the same thing when I look at the "aerial" view) I'll see if our architect has any ideas to simplify it while maintaining the same layout.

Here is the rear elevation and left side. I also caught my typo in the original post - shutters not shitters. Houzz on a mobile phone is the worst.

Genuine stucco has the same excellent properties as brick and is rated the same as brick by insurers. Our home exterior alternates medium texture off-white stucco with brick that is coated rough white. The brick reads as off-white at a distance. Put whatever color you want into the material; you don't want to have to paint and re-paint it.

Re: Bedroom windows. A future buyer will appreciate good light from at least two walls in any room, including a bedroom.

I haven't gotten the architects blessing yet to post the interior.

Why not?

An update for those interested - current status (see if you can spy my little photo shop update in this version). Much happier with it!

That feels better. What happened to the dormer to the left of the center section? Or was that incorporated into the new larger gable?

@bpath both of the former dormers looked into a single loft area at the top of the stairs, so it was a fairly easy adjustment to incorporate into the larger gable and actually made the space more usable

Much better!

Ditch the shutters. Shutters should always look like they could cover the window and with double windows, those shutters can't.

I agree, ditch the shutters!

I love what you did with the gables. In another dilemma, the OP came up with that detail to add interest to her blank peaks. She had judges panel in the gable. Like this without the round windows.

Oakley Home Builders · More Info

@cpartist @houssaon I thought about ditching the shutters! Would window sizes need to be adjusted or anything? right now he has it as shingle siding with board and batten details but im not set on that either - I think choosing siding materials and colors is going to be the toughest part for me. At least as long as the windows stay the same size i can add shutters later if I decide I want to. I cant decide if this is way too much shingle siding and i should do lap instead with shingle accents. All opinions welcome!

You might want to beef up the window trim a bit instead. Look up historic exterior window trim to get some ideas. I can show you my window trim which is craftsman style.

Also I would not do the brick on the front to the bottom of the window. If you decide to do brick (or stone) do it only to the first floor level and then make sure to carry it around the whole house.

@cpartist okay im glad to know i wouldnt need to change the window sizes and the trim helps! i have time to think about that. we plan on a brick crawl space but not up to the windows- however with shingle siding ive seen some gorgeous homes with stone and may go that dorection

@cpartist what are your thoughts on shutters on some windows (the ones that they could "cover") and not on the larger ones? I have trouble thinking of giving up the shutters because I feel like it will be boring... but, there are a lot of beautiful houses without shutters so I'll have to think on it.

I don't think you need shutters on any of the windows. Just do the wider trim. It will look great.

Here is an example of window without shutters and wider trim.

Contemporary Shingle Style · More Info

I wish I could find the other dilemma where the OP ended up doing judges panel in the peak of the dormer. It look stunning. She was concerned that there was to much space without any detail, so she had the gable bumped out like above, but did judges panel instead of fish scale shakes.

@houssaon I do love that. I do want to make sure we avoid this looking ”farmhouse” so maybe thats the answer. My other main concern is that my windows arent all big windows like that picture but the plan isnt really conducive to bugger windows in some areas. I think itd be easier to go with a colored siding if i dont do shutters too. I keep worrying I will only feel like I can do white because colors are so hard to get right with siding and shutters. I do like the darker warm colors but they definitely dont look as good with shutters. Really the photo you shared is the siding color famiky i have leaned towards and shutters may make it too farmhouse or craftsman.

Thought I would post the final version! updated the right windows. I’ll decide for sure on shutters later but for now theyre only drawn on the windows where they fit.

It's looking good but now with shutters on some, it loses its cohesiveness. Your house is not boring at all and you don't need to put extra jewelry on it to turn it into a floozy. Without the shutters, she's very classy.

Floozy 🤣 @cpartist I dont know what my hang up is over getting rid of the shutters but they‘d take a nice chunk off the cost. I’d love any suggestions you have about exterior colors. I don’t want to do black windows, so is white too boring with white paint? I love BM white dove. I’m afraid of doing multiple colors on the parts with different materials, and sometimes think darker colors can look cheap. I’ve looked at very pale greiges so we can have some but not too much contrast with the trim, but am afraid of them looking drab in the woods.

Colors: Maibec has a gorgeous green cedar shingle. A soft, medium olive. Cream colored trim, BM Ying Yang. Cottage red doors. Stunning IMO. Would look gorgeous in a wooded area.

Note to my previous comment regarding exterior colors. Looks so good with “black” windows. So easy on the eyes.