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Windows Exterior Design Dilemma

Exterior window design

last month

We are in the process of renovating our home and one of the next things on the list is ordering new windows. We are going for a french modern/ colonial bar look. One of the challenges I foresee is the different lengths and the positioning of the current windows. My question is do the squares need to be symmetrical or is it ok if they aren't? Is there anything else I should consider in the window design?

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Comments (11)

kandrewspa
last month
Can you post a picture from further back so we can see the whole front facade? What do you mean by the squares being symmetrical? Are you referring to the muntins? I assume you want to get rid of the diamond grids?
Pam
Original Author
last month
We are going to be installing completely new windows and starting from scratch s there won't be any diamond grids. I'm trying to put together new window frame designs and I'm trying to work out if the new squares as part of the new colonial bars need to be the same dimensions as each other, i.e. the top three windows and the bottom bay windows are different sizes, so I'm struggling with how to make the new windows work.
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Can we see the floor plan too. We need that to see how it relates to the exterior. Unfortunately it appears that you tried to take every single element you liked on each of those houses and incorporate it into your house. However, good design means paring down. Just like when a woman gets dressed to go out to a formal party, she doesn't put on every piece of jewelry she owns and doesn't put on so much makeup you can tell her face is painted, so it is the same with good house design. Note that all your inspiration houses have one roof style, a gable roof style. Note how they all pretty much have one window style. Note how there are not three different materials thrown on willy-nilly without thought to the overall appearance. Instead the materials work as a cohesive whole. May I ask who designed your house? Before you go any further, I highly recommend you read the book What Not To Build. It was extremely helpful when I started my build and I learned a lot from it. Please do yourself a HUGE favor and don't move forward yet.
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PRO
Windows on Washington Ltd
last month
For me, black windows (exterior) and gridless.
millworkman
last month
This ^^^^ is exactly what I was going to say.
Pam
Original Author
last month
I'm worried if we do that we will loose a lot of character from the home. Isn't black frameless too simple given the build?
PRO
Windows on Washington Ltd
last month
Not a designer so I defer to those folks. That is just my gut feel. Although, I am a bit of an "Anti-Grid'ite".
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last month
I also agree but the style you are after is for me confusing. Why post an inspiration pic of the style . I usually am not interested in naming styles just feelings of how i like a home or a space .
Lorraine Leroux
last month
All the uppers will look the same so do not worry about that. The two front bay window however I would want the same. Are they both the same size or can they be? The one on the left-middle window is divided. I would make them both the same and if possible the same size. YES to the grids. I understand the style you are going after. Maybe find a good inspiration picture to post for others to see. Going with no grids will be very modern and probably not the style you are after.
millworkman
last month
Unless you are going with diamond grid (and I dislike them) I would go no grids as rectangular will change the look 180 degrees and not in a good direction in my opinion as the house style does not lend it self to rectangular grids.
Pam
Original Author
last month
These are some inspiration photos of the window look we've been inspired by.
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last month
You can push the style of the home to more modern or more traditional depending on what you select. If you want grids, the bay windows should only have them on the angled windows.

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