If you use the second elevation, is it possible to center the door and porch stairs under the peak?

I prefer it without the double gable.

I think it would also be fine if the door was centered under the middle window of that grouping (where the plant was drawn).

I would try to center the stairs under the peak regardless, while still leading to the door, even if it meant making them wider.

Thank you kellie and palimpsest for the thought and crap...no, I can't. The porch posts are already installed. And, you can't tell because it's a 2-d drawing but the window to the right of the door is actually on a wall set back a few feet. If I moved the stairs, which totally would have made this better, it would look weird because that wall jog would be right in the middle of the stairs.

This whole thing is messing with my mind... I should leave well enough along but I can't! And, my eyes keep seeing different things. I just looked at the clerestory and will it be totally weird off to the left of the main gable without the secondary gable sort of "pointing" to it?

I can also kill the clerestory because it isn't installed yet (shudder) but it does add beautiful natural light into the foyer and second story.

With that being said, I think that perhaps I would stick with the original plan with the double peak. I like the way that the porch stairs are the width of that second peak.

Either way, it is a gorgeous house, I am a sucker for a porch. In my new neighborhood, those that have them are out there all the time and I think I have porch envy. I know how it feels to second guess everything a million times though!

What is behind that iron gate on the right?

Thanks for the input, Kellie. :)

It is hard, we second guess and second guess and second guess. We designed the house from scratch so every mistake I take so personally. Uggh. I'll be so happy when it's all over. I was stressing so much that I actually swore off Gardenweb for a while because there were too many good ideas/opinions/beautiful pictures that clouded my brain!

Hahaha... porch envy! I had porch envy, too, which is how I ended up with a HUGE porch!

Those iron gates are the entrance to a breezeway that leads to the three seasons room at the back of the house. We wanted to be able to get a cross breeze back there and have a secondary entrance that sorta shot straight back to the outdoor living/pool area so family and friends can skip weaving through the maze of a house and just get right out back. It's actually an entrance to the back hall of the house, so it will have exterior double doors as well but you can't really see them since they are really set back.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I appreciate the opinion and kind words!

I would just leave it then. Your house looks really nice, btw!

Yes, leave it. I am not one to require symmetry, but I think in this case, that second peak gives you the "center" for your entry/door. Without it, the true center becomes the main peak (which is true center) but makes your door seem really out of place.

Yeah, I don't insist on symmetry either BUT somehow this seems to demand it? The double-peak seems fussy now that it doesn't serve a purpose. I like the simplicity without it and am longing to go that direction but yet without it, everything seems off.

I was hoping I'd get a resounding "one-way or the other" answer from all the inspired minds here. It seems right now that keeping the double-peak is the consensus. I just wish there was a way to make it work without it... sigh. I should have done this a month ago but it's been so many decisions that I didn't even really notice it until the framing started to go up and now it's too late to change door/stair placement.

Dutty,

This isn't going to helpful in the least but oh well! I like it with only one gable but I don't hate it with two. In fact I am so in love with your elevation that I don't think it matters in the slightest. I do hope you post often as your build progresses. That house is going to look amazing whatever you decide.

Thank you so much, Imccarly.

I'm so glad you like it and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts. I'm so nervous to do the wrong thing that it really helps to get encouraging words!

I figured I'd post a picture of the current state of affairs. The "double-peak" was installed but on the wrong side (poor framers have been through the mill with our job) but you can see the general concept. Before they switch it to the other side, they will leave it down for a few days for us to look at but it's hard to tell without the clerestory up yet.

Bad cell phone pic - sorry.

If it's a double eave on a flush-faced gable (the lower gable does not project out from the upper one) I think I would Definitely take it off. It makes no structural sense. It's like an applique.

Palimpsest - EXACTLY! That's my issue with it. It originally DID house a room and they were vastly different planes but then we made interior changes that put them on the same plane. BUT, the whole elevation was built off that original design so the architect created a false peak in place of the original REAL peak. But it feels soooo weird without it, too. I am so screwed up right now.

I think the clerestory AND the door look strange without the false peak, so I'd keep it (where it's supposed to be on the left).

Anne

I would keep the double peak, even if it is a "false" architectural element with the changes that you have implemented to the inside. Despite this it does tie in the other features on the exterior so it certainly doesn't feel extraneous to my (admittedly nonprofessional) eye.

I am very intrigued by your iron gates connecting the breezeway, so like a courtyard?

I'm looking forward to seeing your progress! No matter which direction you go, it is a beautiful house.

Thanks Anne and Kellie!

I took a snip of the back hallway for you, Kellie, so you can see what that gate is. :) You can see that if we open the two sets of double doors, we get a cross-breeze into that back outdoor room; Not huge but enough.The iron gates allow me to keep those doors open during the day and not worry about critters or people easily waltzing into the home. Can they? Yes, but it'll be more difficult.

Wondering if you have any updates photos of your home? I feel in love with the pics you have of it during constructions. Thanks :)

What a perfect illustration of the problems of re-designing on the fly as the construction proceeds.

I like it without, and the offset door will look darling with the plant/a hanging "welcome" sign, etc beside it. I think the windows will look fine, esp. with the little truss detail in the eve. I'd love to see an update, too!

Just for the record the "peak" is actually a gable. And the "double peak" are "stacked gables". The problem as I see it is the very large and ill-proportioned large gable. There is just so much blank wall space above the head of the windows. And all the windows appear to be the same size and are all spaced equally. Thus it gets pretty boring in that part of the house. As much as I dislike stacked gables, in this case the smaller gable helps to break up the large wall mass and give some visual variety and relief. My suggestion for the smaller gable is to leave it.

Why in the world is there such a huge, yet apparently unusable roof gable on the front of the house?

Um you all do realize this thread is 3 years old?

Oh yuk! Thanks!

Yes, it's 3 years old but more importantly, the reason there's "such a huge, yet apparently unusable roof gable on the front of the house?" is because it's flippin' gorgeous! JMHO but seems a lot of people agree with me - Dutty's house has been saved many times.

Which doesn't take away from the expert commentary! (And whatever I said as well.)

odd narrow windows

Of course they're odd, there's three of them.

You all crack me up. Plus I learn something too. I love this place. :)

We're funny, how? Funny like a clown? We amuse you? We make you laugh? We're here to f***in' amuse you?

Yes to all the above. Once in awhile I throw in a useful comment . . . just to keep everyone on their toes.

worthy - did you happen to hear the recent NPR interview with Ray Liotta? He referenced that scene and that Joe Pesci was telling a story about how that actually happened to him - it hadn't been part of the script before that but Liotta and Pesci worked it in.

Grazie! Here. Asked about his character's relief at the end, Liotta says, "that's how I laugh!"