Maybe think of doing a metal roof over the whole home, and in an actual color. Get rid of the vinyl shakes, They don't belong with the rest of the materials. They make cement shakes, or just do horizontal cement siding for the whole home. It would better suit the simplicity of the home's style. Underwhelming isn't a bad thing in these days of completely over decorated exteriors. It doesn't need all the jewelry in the jewelry box to look appropriate.

thanks lwo. couple questions:

when you say do horizontal cement siding on the whole home, do you mean in the gable areas also? Do you think the horizontal will look better than the vertical?

I love the idea of the metal roof over everything but I doubt that will be in budget (even though I think we have a healthy budget we still have a budget). Just for discussion sake though what colors do you think would look good?

Our exterior color choice isn't firmed up but we were thinking of a blue, either the lighter (baybooth) or the darker (evening) blue that hardi offers. I'm pretty sure that the cement fiber board in our budget is the prepainted one- not sure how the price changes (painting labor) on the unfinished one to pick a custom color. Anyways, blue siding, white trim, barn red door. pretty classic color combination (I think). My husband is wanting the exterior windows to be black but I'm not so sure about that.

Thanks for the insights. It's possible we can get the cement shakes in the budget instead of vinyl but we figured the vinyl shakes would look the same (as compared to siding where I think it's pretty easy to tell a difference).

I do think horizontal lap siding would look better.

Vertical siding tends to look cheap to me but maybe that is because the only place one ever sees it used in myarea is on tract homes and oftentimes it seems to be made of some material that seems to start rotting as soon as the stuff needs painting. So around here, you notice it a lot on rather run-down tract houses. Can't say I've ever seen it used on a higher end custom or semi-custom home in my area - but maybe I just haven't noticed it.

In any case, I think horizontal would fit your design better.
And, even better would be to do the entire house in brick - except for shakes in the eaves. If you used brick or horizontal lap siding, your porch columns would show up a lot better as a design feature especially if they're in a color that contrasts strongly with the brick/horizontal siding. Right now the porch columns are being totally lost against the vertical lap siding.

BTW - it looks like you have a porch column that doesn't appear to be holding up any porch roof! The one directly below the dormer just seems to be sitting out in front of the house. But perhaps I am misreading your elevation drawing.

If you can spring for it, I agree that a standing seam metal roof would look fantastic and it would be a great long term investment. Otherwise, I'd go with architectural shingles or simple 3-tab shingles.

Do resist the urge to use too many elements in an attempt to gussy up the house. Ask your designer to show you the elevation with brick and with horizontal lap siding. And then take it to photoshop and layer a bit of color on so the various elements you already have show up a bit better. I think your husband will find he likes it a lot better than he currently thinks.

thanks bevangel. My husband dislikes the vertical siding also. I will have them work up a lap siding elevation. I think I would like the lap siding more if it wasn't too narrow. Do you guys think a bit wider lap siding would still look good?

Brick is out of the question for budget reasons. Same for an entire roof of metal, though I would choose that in an instant if I could.

The porch is an L shaped. the short part of the L being under the small gable, then the long part going left, so there are actually 4 columns, one you can't see behind the one that you can see on the left side of the door. They are all holding up actual porch roof.

I can not believe how many houses are being designed these days without the use of 3D rendering that can show the house very close to what it will actually be like.

I do not understand the far left column which looks to be a porch but lacks a porch roof over it. I think the arch needs to be a little more pronounced and the columns need to be detailed better -craftsman style may work better for your design or a double column.

I personally like board and baton siding and here it would be considered an upgrade.

See this example link below.

Why does the header height change on the left window? Why is the gable not treated the same as the other large gable with the offset and corbels?

If you wanted a bit more detail than you could use awnings over those two double windows. Use divided lights on the front door sidelights.

Here is a link that might be useful: Simply Elegant blog

Is it board and batten right now? If so, I think board and batten on the whole house would look great!

The only other type of vertical siding ive seen, at least around here, is t1 11 panels and I highly doubt thats what would be used on a custom home!

Chris,
I'm not sure what you mean about the window header changing. I could ask about the gable treatment, but it will be uneven because the window height is taller on that gable- will it still look ok if the offset and corbel treatment on that gable is smaller?

here is a blown up section of the porch from overhead to show better:
[/img]

i agree about the columns. I prefer a more detailed column than a double column. maybe like this:
[img]

The 3D rendering that you refer to Cris is great.

Do most architects use this type of software?

Illinigirl--your house is going to be very nice. I like the board and batten but I would change from vinyl yo fiber cement shakes if the budget allows.

mrs fireman,
yes it is board and batten on the whole house (all 4 sides, not in the eves).

I'm so conflicted.

I love board and batten, im in central California and most homes here are stucco with stone accents on the front of the house only. I would definitely consider a house with all sides covered in board and batten an upgraded custom home. I think its a simple, classic, and beautiful choice:)

You can see that the far left window is shorter than the others.

Oh I see, I understand the porch now. Almost anything would be better than the current columns. I do not think I would use the left one and a decorative railing could add some detail as well.

I think that the left gable is slightly smaller and they do not need to match perfectly.

Yes red lover, most designers and architects are using modern design software. I included a link that shows what can be done -usually for the same cost as some of these other people are charging.

Here is a link that might be useful: My portfolio

I'm going to agree with your husband regarding the windows, I think. Did you mean the entire exterior of the window and the trim would be black? I think that would look very nice if you used the very dark blue siding. I don't know about how black might fade though.

I often wonder why obviously custom homes have white window exteriors when another color could have/should have been used. I associate the white window exteriors with tract homes. White is appropriate for some houses. It's just a pet peeve of mine.

rrah, i think like this:

[img]

[Traditional Exterior[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2107) by Seattle Design-Build Firms RW Anderson Homes[/img]

[Traditional Exterior[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2107) by Seattle Design-Build Firms RW Anderson Homes

Here is a link that might be useful: [blue house black windows[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/green-lake-classic-craftsman-craftsman-exterior-seattle-phvw-vp~334232)

as if on cue I got an email from my builder tonight with some sketchups of the exterior and a couple interior views. here they are. I see that that the far left column kind of seems like it doesn't belong.

[img]

[img]

[img]

Stone on the basement would be nice if the budget allows.
I would probably keep the window grilles consistent on all but the smaller windows.

Does the center dormer go to a room or the attic?

thanks,
center dormer = attic
the only thing on the second floor are 2 bedrooms and a bath over the garage. nothing over the rest of the main floor. These bedrooms are intended primarily for guests for our situation, however a future family could certainly use them for their kids.

the window grills you mention= you mean especially the ones over the garage?

The floorplan and 3d images make the far left porch post "make sense" but I don't think you really need it for support and it does look out of place. I would cut it out completely.

Also, if that front center dormer does not actually serve a purpose (i.e. if there is no room in the attic there that needs a window) then I would also cut that dormer completely. The only reason that dormer seems to be there at all is to provide a "matching dormer" for the one over the garage that, I assume, allows light into the upstairs bathroom. But how often is anyone going to be standing at just the right angle to see both dormers at one time anyway? And besides, I think even from that particular angle, the house looks better without the extraneous dormer.

I've photoshopped two of your 3d images to show the house without the useless dormer and the unnecessary porch post. Don't you agree that the house looks better without both?

MUCH MUCH better without the dormer and post. Add in the horizontal siding, and that's a winner! Although, I think I'd do a gabled dormer on the garage instead of a shed. It will give you more light. Or if that space won't be used by you, omit the dormer at all and let the future owner add one if needed. Of course, if it's needed to satisfy floor space requirements, then now might have to happen.

Yes the window over the garage and the one in the bathroom. I agree the fake dormer does not do anything for me, or at least I would move it over.

I used James Hardie siding, James Hardie shake shingles, and stone on the front of our home we just completed.

thanks for the photoshops bevangel! I definitely agree the porch looks better without the extra post. I'll check whether it's needed for support.

I *think* I like it better without the dormer, BUT I really wanted metal accent roofing which no one will really see just over the garage dormer. If we took off the metal accent roofing over the fake dormer, I may take it off the other dormer too, and put those funds back into some stone somewhere on the house. I don't know. Unless I can come up with another place to add metal accent roofing but not on the whole roof (too costly)

Chris I had noticed the window differences in the room over the garage too and asked my builder about it. He told me it was for looks. Perhaps all the windows should be matching where possible. One thing I was thinking about the lower garage window height being different was that there will be a couple steps up from the garage to the house. How to handle that? Do we adjust the garage window to match the exterior window lines? (I assume the window height on the interior of the garage would seem a little high but I'm not sure that matters because it's the garage)

LOTO,
Your home is beautiful. What colors are your siding/shakes? Standard Hardie options or custom colors?

For those of you that don't like the vertical (board and batten) siding choice, is it because of my home style or do you not like it in any application? What application/style would the vertical be more suited for (aside from a barn, lol).

thanks!

oh, Holly,
yes, we definitely need that dormer over the garage to make a reasonably sized full bath for the bedrooms upstairs. As far as gabled vs shed, it's just a style preference as i love the look of a shed dormer. :)

illinigirl,
The siding is Iron Gray and shakes are Light Mist and both are standard colors.
We added a small area of shakes on the back of our home too...stone color is a little hard to see in the picture above but we used the same for our fireplace.

Here is a link that might be useful: James Hardie

I think that the shed roof is appropriate for your style.

After thinking about it I considered that the garage second floor may have been lowered to create more headroom on the second floor and that was the reason the window was lower. If that is the case than it seems to be a reasonable compromise.

I personally like the look of your home with board & batten. I should mention I have a board & batten and shake house!

I also like the photoshop version Bevangel did without the post and the dormer.

Ultimately, you have to decide about the look of your home. Whatever you like - go with it and don't let our opinions make you disappointed with your choices!

I think you also have factor landscaping into the equation. A great stone walkway, some mature trees and well thought out landscaping with give your house presence and curb appeal.

I'd skip the metal accent roof on the shed dormer in favor of a REALLY nice cupola and a fantastic custom copper or brass weather vane to top off the cupola.

I don't think that anyone will ever really notice a metal roof on the shed dormers...even if you keep both dormers. The slope of the shed roof is probably about 4.5/12 to maybe 6/12. So it mostly is pointed up toward the sky. That means from ground level, you're just not going to see much of the shed roof.

However, a nice cupola (vinyl or painted white so that it stands out against your roof) topped by a gorgeous weather vane done in copper or brass could easily be visible from quite a distance. You could get a customized weather vane with a symbol that is meaningful to you and your family.

Page thru the link below for some cupola ideas and some weather vane ideas. I personally think AZEK vinyl and copper make good sense for a cupola and weather vane. Who wants to be climbing up on a steep roof to repaint the cupola. And copper ages so beautifully! (For some reason, you have to scroll to the bottoms of the pages for cupolas to see any of them.)

Here is a link that might be useful: cupola and weathervane ideas

The first thing I would do to the original design is use real cedar shingles instead of plastic ones. I would also flare the bottom shingle courses just above the horizontal belt line trim, a very nice traditional detail that would dress up your house.

Illinigirl - I love the board and batten look on your home. We looked at this type of siding hoping it would work for us. Why doesn't DH like it? As far as dark windows, I feel they make a statement. We have dark green siding, cedar shakes, cream trim with upper and lower band boards and black windows. In my opinion, the windows make the house.

Another posted suggested adding stone to the lower level/walkout. We did this and it makes all the difference in the world.

Great idea for a cupola! Your home will be a standout.

Another Illini fan.

renovator,
can you post a pic of an example of what you mean:

" flare the bottom shingle courses just above the horizontal belt line trim"

I don't know what this means. thanks!

mother of 3- DH associates vertical siding with warehouses, that's why he doesn't like it. He is being flexible though, he says the exterior isn't as important to him as the interior.....although when I suggested some of the ideas from GW (removing the dormer and post) he said no. If it comes down to getting one of those, I think maybe I can get him to approve removing the post. Taking the dormer out in his eyes makes the house even more plain......

Bev,
we are definitely putting up a weather vane on the cupola. I hadn't thought about the cupola materials but vinyl makes good sense. When I ran it by my husband he asked what happens when (if?) it gets dirty? Someone still needs to go up there to clean it I suppose. Is AZEK vinyl different from PVC vinyl? Do we get paintable vinyl and how does that hold up? That is one thing I never thought about as far as the cupola is the maintenance.

Thanks again for all the input. I do really wish those that suggest vertical siding would chime in again as to why they dislike it (for my home or in general). I do still like it but I'm open to the vertical also.

I do like the vertical siding on the lower level, with the siding above. And I love a shed dormer, and on your house it helps break up the roof expanse (and I'm not usually a fan of fake dormers) but this looks so nice. You could, depending on where it is, open the ceiling up to it so it brings in light, but at least you get some natural light in your attic.

As to windows, on my walk today I looked again at one of my favorite houses, an older (70+) one in my neighborhood. Low, kind of tudor looking maybe, without the tall gables. The trim and windows, including the mullions, are brown. It looks so tranquil and, well, established.

The post, well, my initial thought was, why not have the porch go the same depth all the way across to the garage; you'd have another post, and you could put wicker settee there, with Adirondack chairs on the lawn. And when it rains, guests parking in the driveway can reach shelter more quickly.

But, I'm an Illinois girl (though not an Illini lol!) so maybe it's something in the lake water that makes us like this style :)

Whatever you decide to do, landscaping will make a huge difference, too. It's a lovely house, and looks like a lovely site, too!

I think that vertical vs. horizontal is entirely a personal taste issue and what people are use to seeing. As I showed with the link to Ron Brenner Architects -board and baton is very nice but either are appropriate.

I think that you already have enough porch depth to have chairs but extending the porch would be another way to add metal (not a style element that I personally like -but it is a current fad)

Really it comes down to costs. I think the simplicity of bevangel's is good and if that would allow you to put stone on the basement even better.

I included a link to flared shingles.

Here is a link that might be useful: [shingle flare[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/shingle-flare-phbr0lbl-bl~l_78132)

I had a couple of pics that have some aspects that are similar to your elevation.

I thought they might be helpful. One shows the board and batten and the other is horizontal siding. They both have the shed dormer and one has the shed also on the garage.

This was a GR parade home last year, I included the link to their website as it has more pics than just this one that I attached.

Here is a link that might be useful: Celebrity Builders 2012 parade home

I like the dormer on the front. But if you get rid of it, maybe see what it would look like to do the metal roof on the section of the house on the far right.