I love the grid pattern (the last one). It's really cool and works with the 60's style.

I disagree - this is a classic brick cottage that has no mid century elements that you need to rock the horizontal grids. Since your windows are in pairs or trios, and are a little squat, go for the single vertical muntin on pattern four - it will elongate the windows visually and read classic cottage.

Also, if you are replacing windows, pull the skinny shutters and request the widest available brick mould trim from your window installer. Don't let them install as a picture frame, but require top and bottom extend past the sides. Then, consider painting the lower part of the siding to match the brick - bm cottage red is a good place to start. You might like to put window boxes under the two shorter windows to add more cottage charm and help enhance them without shutters (shutters should be wide enough to close over the windows fully). Not sure you want to cover the pretty brick for that - not necessary for double windows like this and not good with triples ..

Also - think about the taupe - yes it is neutral, but everything else is WHITE - white gable, posts, trim, garage door. I have colored windows and love them - if you are buying good windows that come in colors, you might want to consider red sashes and white trim - or dark green sashes / windows with white trim - amp up the cottage factor if you add color, in other words. Black is now popular as a window choice with white trim too . . don't think I could recommend that with red brick though . . missing an opportunity. Unless you plan on painting the brick, I can't recommend the taupe outside.

White is always right with red brick. Very classic and cottagey. See if they have a dark white / sailcloth white rather than the standard white.

Oh, and if you like it better, six over one or four over one is perfectly okay here - the single vertical muntin / grid gives you a sort of more custom cottage look that won't be repeated everywhere but is perfectly suited here.

For my sketch, I used an image from a post Ashley made earlier this year before her plants grew. You can see the style of house a bit more.

Thanks so much for the input so far!
I would say my house is a ranch, not a cottage. I agree painting the big white elements a taupe or neutral will help a lot to also steer away from colonial.

About the horizontal windows, Cynthia, do you think I should
have one horizontal grill in the top and bottom pane.

Paige, your sketch is fantastic, I'm loving the dark windows here and I have to say, it's not colonial anymore!

I do wonder if the bottom pane will look naked without something.

These windows are actually large, the front window is almost
10ft long.

If you want truly modern, even atomic ranch, think about all the elements that would flow throughout your home to make that cohesive . .. search the atomic ranch website .. to pull that off I think you are into painting or staining the brick and you will always be fighting some of the greek temple gable architecture.

The combination of the gable and the red brick is classic - I see that you don't want colonial, and I understand you don't want to play up a traditional cottage with colonial grids. Of course it is a ranch. But ranch can play so many ways. Before you decide, do some research and think about your house inside. Copy your house picture / print out several - draw different window profiles on it with a black sharpie. That will tell you what you like best.

If you decide to stay more traditional... this gives you an idea of the effect of removing the shutters, painting out the pediment/gable and garage door in a taupe tone from the roof... not modern but definitely an updated look.

Playing with photoshop a bit I came up with this....

Still need to address the white trim, it would likely be a lighter taupe much like the grout or the roof.

Grid style on left and 2x1 on right

What did you end up doing? Researching the same sort ot thing for my brick veneer ranch,