Architecture/Front of house

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Expert: - 8/9/2010


Question

Front of the house rem
Here is the photo of the house in San Diego,that is in the country.  Currently we took off the wood siding and are replacing it with hardi plank. But before we can do that I need to decide on the windows/front door and gable.  Will it look right and is it possible (because of the valley on the roof) to put a cricket gable that comes out about 6 ft and then put the front door (no window on the side) so that there is a entry way before you enter the living room. Since the trim will be a dark brown do you think almond windows will be ok?  We are on a budget and white and almond windows are the least expensive color.

Answer
Good morning Nancy - thanks for your question!

The valley shouldn't cause you any significant problems; you just need to make sure you don't have two valleys converging in one spot.  Hold the new roof a few feet from the existing valley.  I assume rainfall isn't a problem in SD, so you shouldn't have to do anything special in that regard, either!

A nice gable over an new entryway will look great...coordinate the size and pitch of the new gable with the existing one so they don't compete visually.  If you have room for a little covered porch before you get to the front door, even better!

Of the two color choice, the almond is best - although I'd rather it be darker.  Maybe you can do lighter trim instead of the dark brown?

Hope this helps,

Richard Taylor, AIA
www.rtastudio.com
www.rtaplans.com
www.rtastudio.blogspot.com
    Questioner's Rating
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    CommentRichard thank you for responding so quickly and for taking the time to help me out. I think I will go with a darker color like bronze or a chocolate window like you preferred. I know I will be a lot happier with the end result and there won't be so many colors going on.


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Richard Taylor, AIA

Expertise

Ask me about all aspects of house, remodeling. , and room addition design and construction. Ask me about historic homes, renovation, and restoration. Ask me about materials and techniques, and about how you can get the best value for your design and construction dollar. Ask me how you can make your home a very special place. I can't, however, answer specific structural engineering questions in this forum - that's something you'll need on-site observation for.

Experience

I own a full-service residential architectural firm, and have been designing custom homes, remodelings, and room additions across the country since 1983. Check us out at Richard Taylor Architects and RTA Plans. I have written and been published extensively on the subject of residential architecture.

Organizations
American Institute of Architects, City of Dublin Architectural Review Board, Vice Chair of City of Dublin Planning and Zoning Commission, American Planning Association, Board Member Historic Dublin Business Association, Past Editor of SPLASH (a software forum), Past Editor of Open Directory Project, Assistant Scoutmaster, Boy Scouts of America

Publications
Business First of Columbus, Suburban New Publications, About.com, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Columbus Dispatch Residential Architect Custom Home Architect Remodeling Architect

Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Environmental Design (Architecture) Miami University 1983
For more about home design, check out my blog at Sense Of Place and join the conversation on our Facebook Page.

Awards and Honors
2010 Dublin Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year

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