Garrison colonial - Door and window update advice

gth2011

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Hi, all! Help needed!

We bought this home last year and knew we would have some projects with the doors and windows. Since the home was built in 1974, these fixtures are likely original.

The door:

The current front entry door is four paneled with four gothic-embellished lites up top, but we are not really fans of the style. Everytime we do an internet search, we see farmhouse style doors or craftsman, and all of the design research I've done on my own points to staying with the integrity/design of the home. I'm at a loss for where to go with this! At this time, since windows will also be an expense, we are not looking to invest in adding a porch or portico.

Other considerations:

The door is west-facing, so we get a lot of afternoon sun.
We would like a window to let in some light in the morning/early afternoon; however, one that is not so huge as to eliminate privacy and security. We live in a very walkable and busy neighborhood.

The windows:

For the windows, we have some issues. Some won't open, some some have divided lites/grids (only on the top) and some have none. In the attached photo, you can see that the upstairs windows have nothing, but all of the lower windows only have them on the top. I have seen some homes with no grids, grids on top only, or full. What would you suggest???

Thank you in advance!!!

**Edit: We do currently have a storm door, but we've been told by several contractors that we should consider not replacing due to heat build up. Thoughts on this also?

Featured Answer

decoenthusiaste

7 years ago

Top muntins only

Upper Saddle River Garrison Colonial · More Info

Possibly more authentic to hve full muntins.

CCH Residential Settlement · More Info

CCH Residential Settlement · More Info

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Comments (6)

Anna (6B/7A in MD)
7 years ago
Personally, I like the look of windows with grids. There may be a “correct” window style but I wouldn’t know what that would be.

Regarding the door however, you can glass at the top with either a frosted look (we just had it installed and it WORKS) or you could have a reflective film installed for privacy.
gth2011 thanked Anna (6B/7A in MD)
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
7 years ago
Maybe not white
gth2011 thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
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Focal Point Hardware
7 years ago
keep in mind when putting a lot of windows- its great cause you have a lot of sunlight. but also it can make the house really hot. also you will need window treatment for those windows which can be costly. like you said its also a privacy and safety thing. so I guess you would need to measure out the pros and cons. in regards to the design of the window I like the grid look. it is very popular these days.
gth2011 thanked Focal Point Hardware
chloebud
7 years ago
Lovely home! I happen to like grids and think all your windows would look nice with them, such as the house Beverly posted. I also like the idea of glass panes in your door that mimic the window panes/grids. For your house, my choice would be to just have the glass across the top of the door. Closer to your current door but with panes that match the windows.

Wish I could help with the storm door. We live in Southern CA where they don't exist, but I'm sure someone here can help with that.

BTW, I love that your house does NOT have a front-facing garage. Ours is attached and faces the back...one feature we were looking for when house hunting.
gth2011 thanked chloebud
Anna (6B/7A in MD)
7 years ago
Are non-vinyl windows an option for you? Always nice to be able to paint the muntins and mullions if desired.

Agree that it is refreshing to see a garage not dominating the front facade.

We used to have a storm door and our front door is west facing--and man did it get HOT. Especially with a black front door. The handle would burn you if you held on too long.
gth2011 thanked Anna (6B/7A in MD)