Here is our house.. couldn't figure out how to put it in the same post. Sorry!

Leave well enough alone on that front and concentrate on something that will make more of a difference like eliminating the stone and the mutton chops. Both are out of place. Once that's done, a single door with sidelights would be fine. At the height that currently exists unless you want to order a MUCH shorter window for above. And that's assuming that that is a double height entry.

Thanks so much for your feedback. So you would just put siding on the whole house? Right now it's a combo of brick and siding... And what is a mutton chop?

Get rid of the absurd shutters on the double windows.

Central stone entry bays with traditional clapboard elsewhere are not uncommon. What's jarring about yours is the spacing and placement of the window above the door.

Mutton chops = birdcage eaves? Full eaves returns with a mini roof are a detail often missing in traditional style homes.

Random stone central bay on traditional home.

This post was edited by worthy on Tue, Jan 7, 14 at 17:32

"Get rid of the absurd shutters on the double windows. "

Those jumped out at me too!

hello! So the large ridiculous window is the first thing that we are tackling. We are raising the height of the doors and shortening the window. As well as completely replacing it. Do you think we should do all siding? Or do you like the stone bay? I see that the picture you attached also has stone at the bottom, maybe that would pull it all together.

Beginning to think we should hire an architect in addition to our contractor. Thanks for your help!

Beginning to think we should hire an architect in addition to our contractor.

My thoughts too.

Professional help is likely essential in reconciling the placement of the central bay window as in the pic I posted above with your interior layout.

The first photo is very appealing and well done. If you like that, why don't you just do it as nearly as possible?

Good luck on your project.

Sometimes photoshop can help you visualize possible changes and evaluate whether the improvement would be worth the expense. I played around with some photoshop changes. I'm sorry but my photoshop skills aren't quite good enough to replace the stone with siding or to remove the muttonchops for you. Personally tho, I like the stone and the mutton chops myself. LOL!) Anyway, I hope these images help you visualize some possible changes.

The mutton chops doesn't bother me either.

What does is the window being at a different height than the others on the upper level.

I don't care for the 8ft tall door - I think a normal height door with a transom above would look better and more traditional.

per Lyfia's suggestion...

The last photo's scale is the best of the bunch--much more appealing, IMO! Nice work on the studies.

I think a projecting porch or portico, similar to the first photo at the top of the thread will be an even more attractive addition. It will further change the scale and break up the large, massive and out of place stone cladding shape. Just a thought.

WOW! You just made my day with all those photoshopped photos! Thank you so much!

So we absolutely will be moving that window and taking down the shutters. Will moving the window to a more appropriate height be very expensive?

I am adding a pic of our house as is. The clapboard and stone was my pathetic attempt online to see what we could do to change it up a bit.

Our plan is to eventually add a portico but I am thinking that I am going to need a permit to do that. This is going to be a multi-phase project. LOL

Is there a bigger more appropriate type of shutter for those windows? Or would you just leave it bare?

An appropriate shutter is one wide enough to at least give the illusion of covering the window when closed.
So.... no shutters on your double windows.

Am I understanding you correctly that the first image of your house that you posted had already been photoshopped and that the actual house is MOSTLY brick with a little bit of lap siding rather than mostly siding with one section of stone in the center?

If so, while I personally love the look of lap siding, I'm not at all certain that I would replace brick with hardi lap siding unless the brick siding was in bad shape and needed to come down. Brick should be a "lifetime" siding and should need almost no upkeep while Hardi siding will need periodic repainting and other upkeep. Are you certain you want to go to the expense of taking down the brick to replace it with a very good but less durable siding????

I would still remove the shutters on the double-ganged windows but you might want to consider going all brick instead of a mix of lap siding and stone...especially if you can find matching bricks and mortar.

I'm sorry but I have absolutely no idea what it would cost to raise the header height on that big window. The only way to find out is to get some estimates from renovators in your area. I do know that If the window itself is in good shape and they can salvage it and just replace it set higher in the wall, that will save you a ton because windows that size do not come cheap!

Good luck on your project!