Res2- Thank you for that 3 D. I prefer with garage gable think it makes the house more proportionate

It is the prominence of the garage that ruins the proportions of the house. It will always be a suburban builder-developer house rather than a cottage.

This is not a final design; its intended to show the value of a 3D model to find the weakness of a design and to be able to try various remedies without changing the floor plan.

You won't be able to remedy this design's deficiencies with a collection of different materials.

Wow! I didn't know a small house could have 13 3D drawings of it! Some showing the same thing.

They're not drawings; they're screen shots of different views of several 3D models some with differnet materials. Normally I would email the model so it could be rotated on a client's computer screen. This is software I've been using for 20 years.

mvcanada- Thank you. I have used maibec before and love it. It is more expensive but I think worth it. We are looking at NorthStar Windows but I will check out Jeldwen. Just trying to decide what part of house should have siding, shingles and stone. I have been searching for an Exterior Consultant in the Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph area but can't find anyone. So decided to post on here for help. I would like to ask you if you have a porch on your cottage and if you do, how is the natural light. The main living room has windows all directions. Front of living room faces SE the side of living room faces SW and the back of the living room faces NW. The porch at front is 8' wide in the corner part; the small cover porch at back is 5'10". Plus its an open concept and the kitchen area has lots of windows too. This will be our full time residence once its built. Thank you. Thinking maybe some thing like the picture attached Grey?

My first thought when looking at the plan was to enclose this corner of the porch with lots of windows on each wall.

PPF- This corner of the porch was one of the things that I was really attracted to about the house. A nice area you can sit during the summers or during a rain.

We don't have covered porches at our cottage so I can't comment. Just remember that in winter especially the days are short and the sun never gets very high, the further north you go, so you'll want to keep that in mind to maximize your natural light during the winter months since it will be your full time residence.

Now for colour, I do like your grey choice above. My own personal taste for exteriors surrounded by nature is to choose colours that come from the surroundings. Greys from the stones, greens from trees and moss on rocks at the waters edge, blue from the water etc.

Here are some from my idea books that I've saved...

I like this green - it is similar to what we have at our cottage. It reminded me of the colour of the moss on the rocks. We chose white trim.

Craftsman Exterior · More Info

This one really appeals to me. Minimal stone and very natural colours and I like the natural wood colour as well. The post and beam look would maybe work with your plans.

Rivendale · More Info

This one has more stone which may appeal to you.

Ridgeview · More Info

Lighter grey on this one but looks like shakes closer to what you're looking at. I don't care too much for the colour of the stone on the chimney but I see it blends with the roof colour. It wouldn't be my choice.

Deck Ideas that Work by Peter Jeswald · More Info

Thanks mvcanada I agree with everything you mentioned

"We are looking at NorthStar Windows but I will check out Jeldwen."

Are those your only options? I could not recommend anything Jeldwen, and NorthStar is builder grade from what I know as well.

I have talked to many people in my area that like Northstar windows and I like the fact they are made in Canada.

As if being Canadian exempts them from building poor quality. 🤦🏽🤦🏽🤦🏽 You're not buying their citizenship. You're buying something to physically use for 40 years, you hope. Not 10, if you're lucky.

Mark - thank you for the comment on the fridge. I just spent an hour and half at a kitchen design Center and the designer had a fantastic idea how to place the fridge in the kitchen. One less stress . Thank you for mentioning that.

Res2- Thank you for that 3 D. I prefer with garage gable think it makes the house more proportionate

Mark - thank you for the comment on the fridge. I just spent an hour and half at a kitchen design Center and the designer had a fantastic idea how to place the fridge in the kitchen. One less stress . Thank you for mentioning that.

All her comments plus this one shows that the OP has no intention of doing anything designwise to change the house. Well at least her front porch will get the best light for passive solar heating/cooling.

OP good luck on your build.

I always thought this house looked like a cottage!

Exterior · More Info

"remember she came asking for help with windows and siding, not for help with changing her building plans."

The OP's clear purpose in asking for help was to make her house look more like a cottage (ie "cottagy"),

What should be obvious is that alternate window and siding choices will never make a 2 story "garage with house attached" look like a cottage without some exterior design changes.

Integrating the prominent front facing garage under a 1 1/2 story roof is the simplest and most obvious soution. KH's suggestion does that quite well but it changes the floor plan. My sketch does it without changing the floor plan. I'm sure there are other better ways of doing that.

The first step in problem solving is to define the problem well.

If the OP doesn't like the 1 1/2 story roof over the garage approach, she should consider restating the purpose of her original request because, otherwise, she will contine to get cottage design advice.

RES2 Good morning. I’m going to take the word “cottage look “ away from my statement. My mistake with a 2 storey house and this roof line. I know cottages have many gables. I have hired 2 architects below is my first architects drawing which I took to a builder and they said too many gables, lots of wasted space up and down. Not to mention cost of roof and roof leakage in the future. Bonus room upstairs was only the size of a rug but had this huge massive roof. Plumbing would have been a nightmare I was told too. I put my first plan on houzz and it got torn to pieces with negative comments on all the gables and room layouts. But it was the builder’s comments not houzz comments that I decided to hired another architect which said a 2 story more economical because less roof and foundation. 1 1/2 story most have slanted ceilings and I don’t really want slanted ceilings .
I really love the layout of this 2 story. Entertaining down sleeping up. Love the openness down stairs and love I can see green out of every window except the north. Junky neighbours on the north side and no sun. I planted 45 black cedars for a cedar hedge. Reason I put the garage on that side too - no sun. No one will really see the sides of this house because Bush or hedge on both sides. This house in person looks better then from the picture. I think myself the porch and garage take away from the height of the 2 story house and you don’t see a 2 story from the front facing. Just my opinion.
I am thinking grey shingles maybe some grey siding too. White square pillars with stone at the bottom, stone maybe elsewhere on the front, white garage door, white windows with thick trim. Can’t decide if should have grills in the windows . I appreciate all of you who responded even all the negative.

Thinking colours like this

Whether or not you want a cottage style, you should not allow the garage to be maximized and the house minimized. That's what happens with a front facing gable on the garage and a hipped roof on rhe house .... the garage is essentially upstaging the house.

There are other options but your architects and builders seem to want to stick with the current unimaginative developer/builder formula. I just hate to see it.

Are you sure you hired LICENSED architects and not designers? Big difference.

Yes I’m sure

The first house drawings just the sketches cost me $7000. That was just what I posted no finally specs. I got rid of them would have cost me another $5000 for the finished drawings. I feel I was taken. Reason I’m on here asking for advice. I don’t mind paying for good drawings but I got taken with first architect. And I say again I really like my floor plans with my second architect. I picked the outside of the house. I know the garage is focal point and can totally see what your saying house should be focal point. But at this point I don’t want to change my inside floor plan. I like that there is a bonus room ( storage ) upstairs too.

I think adding these curves would add a little charm

There is no reason to change the floor plan and the bonus room could have real windows if it wasn't hidden behind the garage.

Get the massing of the house right before trying to add charm.

@P M I vote for the divided window grilles. Be sure to get the ones outside of the glass (often called SDLs-Simulated divided lites). The ones inside/between the glass can't really be seen from the exterior. The SDLs give the house more character and will give you the traditional look you are after. I love your second inspirational photo of the subdued gray/biege color, with white trim, windows and light colored stone. That will be very pretty.

KH thank you for the grill advice . I think the middle window needs to be taller rather then wider too as like in my inspirational photo

RES2 can you give some suggestions on the massing of the house. I appreciate your photos you posted yesterday but I am not a fan of that roof line. Plus the snow I feel would just slide right down and off onto the driveway. I am from Ontario and we get a lot of snow. To me it looks like a long ski hill. I’m not trying to be rude but that’s all I see. Thank You

You didn't get taken by the 1st architect. He was at about 4% of construction cost. It was a no frills plan and fairly efficient to build (for the level of house), the money would have been spent on the facades and roof giving you the extra interest in your aesthetic criteria.

The builder is a smart cookie giving you all those scare tactics, it looks like he upped your budget 1/3-1/2, bigger payout for him.

FWIW, a completely flat roof can have leaks too.

We were told opposite by the builder regarding 2 nd plan. Less foundation, less roof, less distance utilities travel plumbing and wiring.

I must have missed your location in your comments. Your current design will have a snow accuimulation problem in the wedgie where the garage roof meets the porch roof.

Here is a simple house ready for some fancy details. Maybe some wavy or ribbon coursing.

I would use double-hung windows with divided lights in the upper sash and shingles on all walls.

A 3D sketch is not a complete design; its just some ideas to be studied and used or rejected. The final elevation drawings will be for the contractor.

If you want old-world flared eaves you'll need a much steeper roof slope.

I thought the cottage idea was a good one but if you're looking for something more ornimental I'll leave you to it.

This image from RES is lovely. Really beautiful and simple.

RES2 wow that looks good. Will show to husband Thank you!

That doesn't look "cottagy". Still looks like a typical tract home.

Here is another beautiful two story home, with traditional look. This garage would have a bonus room. I think it is attached with a covered enclosed sunroom/4 seasons room maybe?

KH, that's the best tract house I've seen in a long time. Can't wait to see Dragon's design.

I like your second design better than the first. With a few small tweaks, inside and out, you will have a lovely home. I’m not a big fan of the garage gable and the ski slope roof is even less desirable. RES2 last solution looks a little better, but I’m not sold on the second floor single gable with two different sized windows. I think most houses lack the details to make them really special; frieze boards, brackets, windows that are not just picture framed, eyebrows and gable eave returns. Look back at the pictures you like and notice the details, not the siding or stone. Get the details right and the siding will be easy. I’d go light on stone, maybe along the base of the porch or foundation and use real stone so it’s not suspended above the grade. Don’t consider the money spent on the first design as wasted, look how it helped you get to a better design.

Again, these sketches are not intended to be completed designs; I'm only trying to find a simpler more balanced shape and massing. There's a limit to what I can do for free even though I'm retired.

There's no particular reason to make the window small in the cross gable but I would need the actual room dimensions to be sure 3 large windows would align properly in their spaces so I put it off.

I would not use a formal classical cornce return on a house of this informal vernacular nature and informal returns (if they can be called that) can look pretty sloppy, however, the popular bell-bottomed things might work if the house continues to develop a Shingle Style character but first the owner needs to buy into the conceptual massing. Pethaps I should have left the materials off.

Julie what are the few small tweaks you would suggest inside and out. Would love to hear your inside tweak. The kitchen designer suggested not having a corner in the kitchen and then building in the fridge in same spot it is in. He showed me some great pictures and I know it will work beautifully. Would love any suggestions you may have.

PM, these are the suggestions I would make, however, not knowing much about you and your family, adjust accordingly. Same with room sizes, I can’t read the dimensions from the plans.
*move second floor main bath to the hallway space directly above the foyer with the door near the top of the stairs.
*move the first floor laundry to the vacated second floor bath area.
*move the master bedroom door down the hallway, enter near the closets.
*make one large master closet and move the door to the hallway to the bathroom.
*group master bedroom windows together.
*add a trellis eyebrow with brackets over the garage door(s) and reduce the overhead doors to one 18’ door.
*no hip roof on the front porch.
*add frieze boards, deeper overhangs(18” min.) band board above windows in second floor gable (with smaller square windows in new bath space) plus any other details you like from all the pictures posted.

Julie. Thank you for the ideas. We are going to use a few of your suggestions. We will move the master bedroom door and have one big window like you suggested adding more light. I had 2 windows because I thought I’d put the bed on that wall between the windows. We will add frieze boards, deeper overhangs too. Thank you. You have very good ideas about the laundry and bath but I think I will leave. The house faces SE and I wanted that front upstairs window to bring in some light to the hallway. The window was made bigger than the original house it’s 5’ 4’6”. But I think now I will see if she can make taller not wider. As per my inspiration house. It won’t be used as a sitting area like marked in drawing too small, more I guess to add light. I really like the porch think it makes the house look smaller and cozy. The only thing about porch I worry about is how much light it blocks. I will have a solid main front door with clear glass all around. The windows on the SW side are 7’ long x 5’6”. Windows at the back are the same size . Windows on each side of fireplace SW are 4’ wide x 5’6”. Downstairs ceilings 9’. I’m pretty sure will only add grids to top of these window so fire place is main focus in room facing that direction. See pic attached. The small porch on the back of living room is only 5’9” and I though of eliminating all together. We are empty nesters and entertain a lot so we wanted no bedrooms downstairs and upstairs the 2 bedroom will be used for grandchildren, visitors or office. The attic space will be a tv room and the main living room will not have a tv. The house would look totally different without the hip porch and the windows would pop out. That’s a very good idea too. Thanks for your suggestions. I appreciate it. We have a future elevator drawn in if ever need be.

Julie- one big walk in closet I did have but changed because hate how my husband hangs his clothes not as neat as me😀. I would be organizing his side.

PM, I didn’t explain the porch roof very well. I wouldn’t remove it, I would just change it from a hip to a gable. I don’t like the clipped end with the bedroom window above. I’m not sure you can eliminate the rear porch, it looks like the second floor extends over that area. Good luck with your new home!

I'm enjoying this thread. Back to the upstairs hall bath for a second, you explained why there fixtures are laid out as they are. But, to solve the light switch problem, youmight hinge the door on the tub side instead of the wall side. The switch can then be on the wall as you come in. Bonus, you don't see the soap and shampoo in the tub from the hall.

Bpath thank you that suggestion. Architect on holidays for a week but going to ask her when she’s back why can’t she just adjust the main walls a few inches to add light switch. I’m sure she will be able to do this . Thankful for this thread for people pointing out things to me. Thank you again.

Julie - I am google pictures to find a gable porch. I just can’t picture it in my mind with a gable window above. Thanks again

Julie is this want you are meaning by “clipped end “ I see what you mean. It would look better being a straight line under that window. I’m going to ask architect if there is a way to change that. Thanks for pointing that out.

@P M I think that is exactly what Julie means. I still think you should have a gable roof over the main house too not just the porch. I just pulled this from one of your inspiration photos from above. These are the things I would change on yours. I tried to match the arrows. Gable both main roof and porch. Make the returns larger on the main dormer. That will help you get closer to the inspiration photo.

KH thanks I totally see what your saying. Going to speak architect when she returns in a week. Thank you everyone

Check out Res’ updates...swooning over that main gable with the three windows!