Also the floor plan and other details are here:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0921380129436.html

Here is a link that might be useful: floorplan and details

Really nice house. Why do you have the dormer? Have you looked at the elevation without it? If it is necessary, could you put it on the back side if the roof?

I like the look w/o railings on the porch, but don't know if you would pass inspection w/o railings.

I think all the second story single windows make it look more factory like - what would a triple window look like in place of the four singles in the large gable - or two double windows?

Also, don't know if it's just the drawing, or the column placement, or what is going on inside, but the small windows flanking the front door do not appear to be the same distance from the door, nor do they appear to be "hung" from the same height as all the other first floor windows, so they seem not quite right.

Hi RHD, it's really charming!

I do think the elevation could benefit from some tweaking to balance the first and second floors. Take a look at the elevation in the attached link and see how the windows and doors match or are balanced. See how the porch columns align with the gable portion of the second story?

RMSAustin makes a good point about the header height for the first floor windows on the stair landing and in the closet -- those should align with the other windows. You might just bite the bullet and spring for tempered glass in the stairwell so that you can enlarge that landing window.

On the second floor, you might think about losing the bath/closet bump out on the right side so that you could eliminate that upper gable and have the porch roof continue over the guest room downstairs. If you wanted to do that you could repurpose the toy closet to one of the bedrooms and give the corner bedroom a reach-in. I think that would allow you to have a more regular window pattern from the stairs to the right side of the house. I do think you could eliminate a window from the stairs so that more of those windows will be the same size.

In the eagle's nest, consider having the windows wrap the corner?

Will you have an attic room served by the dormer? If it won't be used for anything but storage you might eliminate it. Personally I prefer the elevation without the dormer.

Looks like you are off to a great start.

Here is a link that might be useful: Farmhouse exterior

RMS: Thanks for commenting. Yes, that shed dormer was very much an "add on" that I requested. Not the designers fault. It may be cleaner without it, you are right. I'll see if I can bear to part with it.... or move it to the back. ;)

You know he had double windows in that larger gable to start with and I made him change it to this kind. I'll have him change it back and see what it looks like. It's the main staircase and it lets alot of light into the upstairs hall.

As for the small windows, you are right! The left small window is further forward by about 4 feet, and the right one is right near the door. Those areas were without any windows on the plan and I wanted light there, so he added them for me. They are hung higher, but I think I've seen that in older homes before. Am I remembering wrong?

And good point about the code and railings. I will ask.

Oaktown I see what you mean about the porch columns lining up with the gable! I'd like it to line up too.

I think we are required by fire code to do tempered glass everywhere anyway, so I'll ask about enlarging that window. I love big windows!

Some great ideas about rearranging the right gable area, but I'm not sure we have time for that if we are going to meet our grading permit deadline... it depends on how quick he can turn a draft I suppose. It seems that building is really picking up here and everyone involved is much busier than they were 3 months ago even.

I know that shed dormer does look kind of out of place, huh. But I love it anyway. Maybe I can place it in the back and enjoy it from there...like RMS suggested. We will be using this space and finishing it out eventually... so I'd like to have extra light up there.

Good idea about the eagle's nest... I'll ask my husband what he thinks.

Love your comments Oaktown!

If it's a high fire hazard area, why not use metal roof on the whole house?

A medium grey-blue with pale yellow trim could look awesome.
Barn red with white trim - also awesome.

A red house! How fun. I'll have to think about that one...

I love dormers too... all kinds. What can I say? ;)

What does everyone think about window panes/dividers? I was wanting the 9 light cottagey kind (top and bottom), but would that be out of place on this house?

You asked about authentic details . . . hopefully the pros can give you some answers. My architect once pointed out to me that farmhouses generally did not have features that were not functional -- of course that was not always the case, but if a farmer was building the house himself he probably did not have a lot of extra time or money for major items that were purely decorative. If something was quirky, typically it was for a reason. For example, I've seen some older houses with seemingly "random" window placement, but then you'd realize, oh that one's in the stairway, and if you ignore it the rest follow a pattern. Just something to think about.

Roof: I would be tempted to lose the stone on the mudroom and the dormer in the attic (if not functional) and put the $$ towards having a metal roof for the entire house. That's just me though. :-)

Porch: About the railing, it does look nice without -- from a practical standpoint, how high from grade is the porch? 18"? Are you planning any particular landscaping right along the porch?

Porch ceiling: We also debated about open rafters or a finished ceiling on our porch, and what convinced me was thinking about trying to prevent or clean out nests and cobwebs, much easier to do with a flat ceiling! I might have come out differently if the porch ceiling was relatively low, but we had plenty of height and it looks like you will too?

Finally, you might be too far along for this, but just to throw a wacky idea out there, would you be at all interested in sharing a bath with your daughter? If so you might be able to simplify the envelope of the second floor significantly. If you do keep the gable on the right, maybe think about eliminating the upper window, to me it looks too "squinched" in there.

Your house will be really lovely!

Also I'm lousy at color, but thought you might like a few pictures:

[Farmhouse Exterior[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/farmhouse-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2114) by Providence Architects & Designers Union Studio, Architecture & Community Design

[Traditional Exterior[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2107) by Wilmington General Contractors S&W Home Builders

[Farmhouse Exterior[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/farmhouse-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2114) by Little Rock General Contractors Bret Franks Construction, Inc.

[Farmhouse Exterior[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/farmhouse-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2114) by Richmond Architects & Designers Birdseye Design

Great pictures, Oaktown!

Red head- Safety first...I would definitely add the railing to the porches. I would always be worried I'd take a wrong step and end up in the shrubs. With kids, it's even more of a concern.

The exterior looks so inviting! The one window I don't like is the big one in the upstairs closet. If you moved the dormer to the back, then I would put a three window (like the eagle's nest) over the front door (for bedroom) and a small, square window in the closet....to match the other closet window.

I like the dormer...are you putting in an attic? That would be great play area, but I'm adding more square footage, right? :)

I can think of no reason to align porch columns with what is above the porch roof unless there is some structural requirement or framing advantage. Since these features are in different planes the only way they would appear aligned is in an elevation drawing. In reality, the closer features would appear larger and farther apart even if viewed from standing directly in front of the house. You would need to walk to each column to see if it aligned with anything above. Your designer got it right.

There should enough room below the windows sills for siding and flashing at the top of the porch roof. There should never be a trim board below a sill of a traditional double-hung window. A sill should extend far enough from the siding for water to drip clear of the siding. On modern windows that is usually only possible with a "sub-sill". The sub-sill also gives the bottom of the jamb trim something to rest on like a real traditional double-hung window. I recommend one of cellular PVC as made by Advanced TrimWright.

If you like large windows, why use such narrow windows? Tempered glass is generally required in forest fire areas, in doors, where adjacent to doors, and when a large glass pane is closer to the floor than 18". In such conditions tempering is not for strength but to avoid breaking into large pieces when accidentally hit.

Old farmhouses in New England were often formal like this one and usually of the Greek Revival style. For this house to emulate that style it would need a large facia board below the eave and wide classical corner boards.

Here is a link that might be useful: ATW sub sill

This is what historic window trim should look like. It's a Marvin aluminum clad Ultimate DH window with a thick sub-sill added and jamb trim that sits on the sub-sill. An "apron" would only be appropriate below the interior stool trim not below the outside sill because it would interfere with the traditional drip groove under the front edge of the sill and the notch at the rear to receive the top of the beveled clapboard siding.

Renovator8, your posts are very educational as always!

May I ask about this?: "I can think of no reason to align porch columns with what is above the porch roof unless there is some structural requirement or framing advantage. Since these features are in different planes the only way they would appear aligned is in an elevation drawing. In reality, the closer features would appear larger and farther apart even if viewed from standing directly in front of the house. You would need to walk to each column to see if it aligned with anything above. Your designer got it right. "

In the plan, the second floor left gable is bumped out from the front wall of the house, does it have "weight"? I think that is why I might have a feeling that ideally there should be a column at both sides even if it isn't structurally necessary? There was another thread on this recently, linked below. It looks like the second-floor bumpout is only for a ledge in the stairwell, so it could be eliminated, and the gable too, without really altering the floorplan (unless a vaulted ceiling is planned there) -- but that would have a big impact on the exterior. Would a traditional farmhouse have this kind of bumpout gable? Just curious.

Here is a link that might be useful: porch column placement thread

Renovator8: You are a walking house dictionary. :) I could read your posts all day. Not that I'd be able to understand them all, mind you.

Very very interesting about the porch columns. I couldn't seem to find a farmhouse that didn't have them line up under the gable somehow though... but it simplifies things alot if we leave them alone.

We are doing a "cost-saving" farmhouse build. Sort of. But that awesome Greek Revival trimwork around the roofline... ahhh, I doubt that is in the budget. Cool looking though... If we can't do the "full on" Greek Revival, should we simplify the roof style (no returns?). We are not going for formal at all... it's a very rural location.

The window trim is my fault again... we gave him photos of what we liked. I kind of like the way they look. ;) I'm def. going to keep a link to that historic trim and discuss with the builder.

I read somewhere that tall windows let more light in the room than fatter ones... and I think the designer was listening to me.

These are exactly the kinds of comments I was looking for, so thank you so much for taking a look!

Oaktown: Lovely photos, thank you. I've had such a hard time imagining this home as anything except white, so it's very helpful.

This post was edited by redheadeddaughter on Tue, Oct 8, 13 at 16:58

IMO if the left projecting gable element does not continue to the ground, it should be revised to do so.

3 tall windows of a given total width do not let in more light than 2 windows of the same height and total width but they cost more. The narrower windows are more historically accurate but they would not have been paired together until the arrival of the colonial revival styles of the early 20th century.

Just an idea :)
{{gwi:1509601}}From Kitchen plans

One of the things that strikes me as inauthentic is the amount of window area on the second floor of the house, particularly in the front projecting gable and the part to its right, over the front door.

This also complicates bed /furniture placement, and window treatments on the interior.

lavender lass... how do you DO that? :) I haven't even had this elevation for 24 hours. You are so fun... I wish you lived closer.

I like the porch columns in your drawing a lot. Not sure why, but I do. And yay for railings. I think I'm up for a battle on that one, but you are right, safety first.

I also like your closet window idea above the front entry... the house looks "softer" or something. I might need to try something that doesn't involve a cluster of windows because....

The "tripled" up or paired windows are coming off (at my husband's request - and he makes very few of those) except on the 2 areas on the far left side (sunroom and little office area). Can I pretend that those were added on later in the 20th century and the rest was built in 1850? ;)

And that little bump out on the left front gable has an interior staircase ledge in it that worries me for safety reasons. My fear if we get rid of it, is that the gable will end up looking pasted on (not having as much depth), but I will add it to my list for sure to discuss with the designer.

And Renovator8, your window tip sounds like a huge cost saver... thank you.

I'm playing with my cut and paste, on the Paint program. It's a little off, but you get the idea :)

I think you should definitely have a story, for your home. The idea of an 1850s farmhouse with an early 20th century addition is wonderful! I do the same thing, when I'm playing around with my remodel...hopefully it will look like a 1900s farmhouse with an update during the 1920s (porch turned into sun porch). I think having a story will help you decide on interior finishes and furniture, too. Sounds like fun!

You might want to have your husband see the inside of homes with separated windows. They can feel a bit dark and if there's not enough room to put furniture in between...a bit of a wasted space. I always think they look too old, although they look great from the exterior.

You'll be spending more time 'in' your home, so I'd see what you like best, especially for the kids' rooms. A 'double' or 'triple' window makes a wonderful window seat (with a bit of a back for pillows) and room for low bookcases on each side. Perfect for storing books and stuffed animals. Something to think about :)

changed

This post was edited by redheadeddaughter on Wed, Oct 8, 14 at 2:58

When we stayed at Wilderness Lodge at Disney World, they had this great saying. It was something about "The romantic west that never was and always will be".

Your farmhouse is kind of like that. It's a lovely elevation, but it isn't an authentic farmhouse. You probably don't even want an authentic farmhouse. The modern, romanticized farmhouse-inspired concept is much more attractive to our modern eyes.

How do I know? I grew up in the country, the real country. I lived on a farm, still own a farm, as does all my family.

I think you want a farmhouse-inspired house the same way I want a bungalow- inspired house. I want certain elements of that style, but I want the cool details and the charm . . . but made in the modern version. I really suspect you want the same.

This post was edited by MrsPete on Wed, Oct 9, 13 at 20:02

I think it looks great! The garage looks like a barn...so perfect. Your house is going to be wonderful :)

Mrs. Pete: Oh I remember that saying! And it is probably true in my case. ;) My husband is also from the country originally (generations of farmers in the midwest) and he says the right little gable of the house is his "original" farmhouse part... it reminds him of home. The basic shape was inspired by a farm we love in Wisconsin, and I wish I had some photos of it... it was a well loved, rambling farmhouse that would be very expensive to duplicate I imagine. Not your typical farmhouse with tiny windows. But this feels similar to me - a romanticized farmhouse I guess, like you say.

And I do value your practical advice and comments.

Any other tips on the the windows or details though... now that I have my "kind of" farmhouse this far along?

redheadeddaughter, house looks nice and I LOVE the garage. Though, is the center door supposed to function by sliding on the track? I would find it inconvenient that it covers the other door when open.

I'd suggest you have a builder price out a full metal roof and a partial metal roof. It might not be as expensive as you think to do all metal. The roof is a major element of your house.

As for the stone mudroom, it sounds like a nice idea to use stone from your site. Are you planning to use actual stone for the structure? Or are you going to use it just as a cladding? It might be very heavy -- I'd suggest asking your builder/designer about structural requirements, I'd worry that safe engineering would make it very expensive. Are you far enough inland not to have much worry about earthquakes? (I'm a bit paranoid about those)

Wow, I'm in love with your garage! And the stone exterior on the mudroom section!

I think I would keep the railings, and would lean toward the three windows above the front door.

Wow, I'm in love with your garage! And the stone exterior on the mudroom section!

I think I would keep the railings, and would lean toward the three windows above the front door.

Oaktown: some great observations, as usual. I'll have to ask DH about how he plans to use the garage.

And we are surely in earthquake territory! Hadn't even thought about that in relation to the stone. Something to ask our engineer and the builder both.