Is there habitable space on the interior in this area? If so, why wouldn't a window be installed there?

"Faux" features and decorations on the exterior of a house simply detract and cheapen the overall quality of the house, IMO.

I wouldn't put anything there, if a window cannot be installed.

Honestly, I think it would look great as blank space.

:-)

Thank you for the reply!
The kids closets are right behind there. When the architect first drew the design I don't think she anticipated such a large flat area at the front of the house.
The city won't allow a window there now since it wasn't requested earlier.
Asking for a permit now would require an inspection and engineer from the city which would be a cost and delay the project.

So to clarify, are those wooden grid lines considered decor? what do you think goes best there?
if I can't get a real window how about faux windows with glass?

thank you!

Just say NO to FAUX (anything)

I agree that I would leave it blank.

I have no idea why someone would suggest painting the grid lines black unless there was paintball and a big tic-tac-toe board involved.

If you have to do something - maybe the gridlines painted in your trim color or even the same color as the house - but less is more here, IMO.

When the architect first drew the design I don't think she anticipated such a large flat area at the front of the house.

It's not that big, really!!! :-DI don't find anything at all wrong with the space.

So to clarify, are those wooden grid lines considered decor?

Yes.

what do you think goes best there?

Nothing. Not even the grids.

if I can't get a real window how about faux windows with glass?

Nope. lol

When your door is on, and you have steps and landscaping, I doubt that area will be bothersome. If I'm wrong and you move in and just can't stand it, you can always put something up there (I'd opt for an outdoor crucifix, but you may not even be Catholic, and if your HOA is like mine, they've specifically outlawed religious stuff over 12" tall or something idiotic like that).

Hi all!
haha love the tic tac toe comment...

So it seems the general consensus is to take off those grid lines and just have the shingles there as with the rest of the house.

Yes. Would leave it blank -- leaving your options open for a future alteration.

… or you could go back to the city now and ask for an okay to put a window there, perhaps an uncommon, decorative one, or, perhaps a Juliet balcony … sell the "need" for it to them as a potential fire escape route.

It's fine without a window...and without the 'decorative' panels. (I don't want a window in a closet, anyway; just fades the clothes.)

Because there is so much scaffolding all over the place and painting yet to be done it looks very busy and “filled in”. One would have to be able to see past all of that to know for sure that it wouldn’t look too blank and empty. If it were my home, I’m pretty sure I would want something there and most likely would push for a window. That being said, it’s easy enough to add something decorative later if you feel it’s too much blank space.

Backlit photo and too little information. Its not clear what the materials are or will be on the house. Are the dark areas building paper or dark shingles?

Light trim might work against a dark background but not painted black. Any centered feature will emphasize the off-center entry portico.

Take another photo with the sun behind you.

hi! ok will attach a new pic soon.
the black is building paper.
the house will be covered with some shade of light grey shingles.
nothing has been painted yet.
window frames are black just covered by white paper right now.

I would not want a window into a closet.

Not in a million years.

The light will cause fading of the clothing.

And a children's closet?

They might forget to close the window if it is operable, and it might rain in there. or you could get bugs.

Forget it!

You already have a lot of lines going on with the design. You want the front entry to predominant. The area in the middle above should just recede. From an aesthetic point of view, I would make simplicity my goal. That means a flat surface with no windows or embellishments. Shingle it like the rest of the house. This has the added advantage of saving money and allowing he closets to be more functional.

Bottom line, keep it simple.

It will look great empty. Paint same as rest of house. No grid.

thank you so much everyone! I'll post pics after it's all done.

Remove the grid the contractor put in and install the same siding that you have at the bottom. That grid just calls attention to the sorta odd space. Horizontal boards are what you need

I don't think it is a big empty space at all, and I would not want a window in a closet where it can fade clothes and bags, etc. Keep it simple. Remove the grid lines and do the same siding you are doing at the bottom/sides there.

thanks everyone. the middle has been shingled.
looks great! I love it.
thanks for the advice !!

So much nicer without those trim pieces.

Id paint it the color of the lower part of the house and paint the wood the trim color

I like it. Much better without the cross trim pieces. Good choice.

These shingles appear to be pre-stained (dipped) white cedar so they need no additional finish and even if they had been unfinished, they should not be painted.

The asymmetrical lower floor and the symmetrical upper floor are connected by the overlap of the strong portico roof. The blank wall above the portico is what allows the upper and lower parts to work together. Any additional upper symmetrical trim would have prevented that result. The wrapped corners and colors soften the bold facade. A rare nicely balanced design.

It looked pretty scary with the scaffolding up but the final result is great. You'll need a car - "something very fast" (Ronin, 1998).

Beautiful!!

Please post some more photos when you have landscaped it!

Also, curious about the inside as well.

That looks to be a very large house from what is visible. Is it?

hi!
thanks I hope it will look good in the end.
the house is wide but it's very short.
total about 2700 sq feet over 3 floors.

will definitely post some pics of landscape and inside later.

thanks!!

Fun house!

Oh my. I’d forgotten about this post and had to go back and read my own comment. Glad t see I feel the same after a year, and am glad to see it. Beautiful home. Enjoy!!!

Here's the house with paint completed. just gotta wait for the plants to grow. Thanks again!

It's beautiful. Congratulations!

What a pretty house!

So pretty....it turned out great!

It looks great and so glad you left it without anything in the middle but the shingles.

Very charming house with beautiful details.