I generally prefer minimal or no window coverings (except in the bedroom and my woman cave), but I live close to a street and neighbors, so I have flat panels on the lower half of my double living room windows. I love them! This is my second set. Someone might come up with a more elegant solution, but I wanted to be able to open mine on sunny days so I have them hanging from rings sewn into each upper corner, and when I open them I let them hang in folds on the outside (since there are 2 windows in each unit there is an outside.) I made mine, and this set I smartened up and lined them (just attaching the lining at the top.) The sun really fades! Kathy

All of the siding changes are worse, not better, but I do really like the Craftsman windows throughout with two caveats. First, the sidelite next to the door looks silly like that. Leave it or change to a Craftsman/prairie strained glass. Second, the windows above the garage need to change to casement/fixed units instead of sliders. Sliders don’t work with Craftsman.

Exactly. The specs should have been completed at the plan or proposal stage. The more decisions are made prior to construction the faster & easier it goes, the more time the homeowner has to focus on bigger picture. That's the value of Architects, Interior Designers, contractors with detailed proposals, etc. As a homeowner, there is an infinite level of detail you can explore, but do you have the time? cpartist - most "affordable" wood or composite windows need extension jambs... and they are not sent to be flush. That is uber high end custom work. Not all clients plan to case wrap the inside. Some are drywalled. It depends on the look desired. Managing a clients expectations is a growing & moving target. I prefer walking clients through an existing build to discuss similarities and changes. My favorite proposals are …"like the home at xxx street with the following changes..." With the advent of Houzz, the issues of clients bringing me magazine pictures from a home 2-3x their budget is multiplied, the advice given online is often related to another region, or a bad experience. I think I'm seeing "call a lawyer" in nearly every post.

To me your house looks more modern than craftsman, and I think aluminum windows would be a fine match. That said, I'm a fan of fiberglass, as well (it's what we're using). If you don't like the look of the Marvin, perhaps check out the new Kobe fiberglass option.