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Off-Center Front Door

7 years ago

i love the inside layout of our house design, but I am not totally satisfied with the front elevation and I’m not sure what to do.

It bothers me that the front door is off-center. And I just feel like something is missing. Even the former above it is not centered with the front door.

i would rather have one large “dorner” or gable. But without having to change the inside layout. I’m not not sure how to do this, and an just looking for some opinions of what you think would look good to spice up this front elevation.

Thanks!



Comments (19)

  • 7 years ago

    Sorry about that. I’m new here. I’m just panicking because we are getting close to breaking ground and I decided I’m just not totally happy with how the front exterior looks.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    If you’re referring to something like this pic why not just ask your architect to change the front elevation. I don’t think it would be that much of a change to your exterior.


    Hannah Hester thanked User
  • 7 years ago

    @Claire Larece I am not worried about changing the exterior im worried about how it will affect the interior. One of the dormers Is stairs and the other one is a bedroom. And there can’t be a window in the center because it is a bathrooM vanity.

    I wish it were that simple, but im afraid it’s going to affect the entire layout.

  • 7 years ago

    @PPF I can post larger plans I’m just not sure how to. i have never posted here before and I don’t see where I could just add an attachment.

  • 7 years ago


    This is the main level

  • 7 years ago


    Here is the upstairs

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    Much better.

    I'll suggest the plan could use some refinement, with the changes having a positive impact on the exterior.

    Are you able to make structural changes like moving walls -- changing the shape of the house, including the roof?

    As is, this looks like the design was done from the inside out, with little thought given to the exterior.

    If the office matched the dining in width and used the same windows, then the door could be centered between them, and the dormer above could be centered as well.

    Here is a really simple idea that moves the master closet. you can now have windows on 2 walls.



    This shows a revised front that would require changes inside.


  • PRO
    7 years ago

    The exterior cannot be changed without affecting the interior and vice versa.


    Or verse vicea.

  • 7 years ago

    Changes by PPF feel so much better with the door centered. Not a professional, but trust yourself when you know it’s wrong. We were going with a builder that thought he could design and I posted my plans and it was chewed up on here. (I had felt like you did) They were right and we ended up starting over with an architect and new builder and it turned out much better.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    On my way out the door to Maine for the weekend. This requires the dormer to be wider than the stairway. I'll look at that Monday. Maybe the dormers could have only one wide window. Of course, it needs to be proven in a scaled drawing.



  • 7 years ago

    Richard...Did you see the other thread? OP's gone, account canceled. Free design work by professionals there too.

  • 7 years ago

    Are you saying I need to find another way to waste time Monday?

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    I wish I had a nickel for every early design sketch which got tossed in the waste basket.

  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    It seems like there's plenty of opportunity to waste time here on Houzz. Good advice (as my mother use to say) "goes in one ear and out the other" in many of these discussions.

    Nice solution and sketch though.

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    I hope the OP has checked back to the see RES's sketch and glean some of the fruit from the chaff from other comments. I tend to speak frankly, but I feel I should when there are hundreds of thousands of dollars being invested in peoples lives and finances. There are some harsh realities to come to grips with when building a house, and the better the house design is, the less harsh the realities are. Good luck OP where ever you are.

  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Yes, Mark, I agree. There's very sound advice in this and the other thread by the OP.

    It likely was not what she wanted to hear, but it was the only sound, professional advice possible.

    I think the professionals and some others tend to write and post without a lot of adjectives, adverbs and ifs, ands or buts. This sort of direct communication may be surprising, unexpected and/or upsetting to some posters, especially those who may have worked on their own designs and think highly of what they may have created.

    But with large amounts of time and money involved speaking clearly and directly is only professional and sensible.


  • 7 years ago

    I read the other thread and was disappointed by the mean condescending comments. If I had known someone had used words like cockeyed, mis-fenestrated and abortion, I would have expected the OP to leave and would not have wasted my time offering a solution.