It's for me.

I like picture windows. So, casements are the next best thing. In my plan the front lower windows, when they get replaced would be pictures. The front door would be wider with a wider porch. And the uppers would be the last drawing only wider. to give a more modern open feel. All casements in larger sizes around the rest of the house where you're building new.

Start asking about VIG windows. New tech using a vacuum insulated glass almost appearing like a single pane 8mm thick lite with better glass insulation numbers than triple pane.windows. V-Glass is building a pilot plant to bring down the price.

Top grill looks best to me. I am not a fan of grids either.

Unless you are doing all of the labor yourself, you are likely both pricing yourself out of the neighborhood, and pricing yourself higher than a knockdown and rebuild. Which would likely price yourself out of the neighborhood. Additions are more expensive than new constrcution.

Thank you, @Mark Bischak, Architect. I don't need it to read colonial, I just want to 'feel right'. I can't find much online/books on renovations of houses of this type and era, especially with the particular original large front windows we have. I read Get Your House Right and watched a bunch of Brent Hull videos, which is helpful, but not fully applicable to this house. I am confident with the interior side, and enjoy learning on the exterior side :)

I have thought about massing, thank you for bringing that up. There are other two story houses mixed in with the one and a half on our street and adjecent streets and I don't think it feels out of place (some of which are small old farm houses that they developed all around).

Thank you @Minardi. This is not a concern in our particular case/neigbourhood.

Thank you @dan1888. The first floor windows will not change, and we are not allowed to enlarge the stoop, so we need to work with it.

All additions should strive to not look like an addition. They should look like the house was built that way from the beginning. That means matching detailing of more than just the windows.

Thank you @McDonald Enterprises. The entire house will be re-sided. Would you mind sharing more about detailing you are thinking of? I would appreciate it.

Would you mind adding a photo of the house as it currently is (I would include all four exterior elevations)? I think that might help people provide more assistance for you.

I've not come across specific language so restrictive for a porch. I'd like to see the wording. The lower windows are good sized. The uppers can be larger, imo. There may be egress code requiring larger windows for bedrooms

@dan1888 in talking with our town, they explained that because of the set backs, when replacing the stoop/front steps we can only go larger to the point of complying with current code, not any larger than that. We are already too close to the town line, but grandfathered in for current structure.

Thank you for your thoughts on windows. Yes, there is an egress code we are taking into account.

That may mean the lowest step is over the setback. And you can increase the width of the top platform to add safety. A varience may be available if you make a written application. The guys in the building department can be a source of ideas if you have good people. Howing a rendering of what you want to accomplish can help because it gives them a real example of the improvement.

"I don't need it to read colonial, I just want to 'feel right'. I can't find much online/books on renovations of houses of this type and era, especially with the particular original large front windows we have."

You stated you were turning it into a "colonial-ish", and the 'feel right' is for your feelings to determine. Do not cut and paste on details you have seen elsewhere, use your design skills to create your solution.

@Mark Bischak, Architect thanks again for sharing your thoughts. Right, colonial-ish for lack of better word. Being inexperienced on the exterior side, I came here to see what I could learn and to see if perhaps I was 'missing something'. I think what I am learning, and what you are saying, is that I just need to lean on my design skills similarily to how I would design something cohesive and balanced on the interior :)

@dan1888 the entire house is over the setback on the street side, thus not allowing us to add any structure towards the street. They may allow us to increase the width to the point it can be justified as safety-related, I will look into it, thanks!

Good design skills can be applied to designing almost anything; a building, a vase, a painting, a fork, a table, a shoe, a birthday card, a brush, . . . . .

There is composition, perspective, balance, chroma, rhythm, form, pattern, rhyme, reason, all around us that can be used in ways to make "feel right".

@Mark Bischak, Architect I agree with you! However, in my opinion design skills (beyond just recognizing good design) don't automatically transfer from one area to the next, but rather we need to train our eye and gain experience executing within the particular area.

Increasing the width of the door by 4 inches and wanting a out opening storm door could bring the safety factor up as justification.

For consistency's sake, it would look best if the new upper windows were similar to the existing lower ones, especially those on the little side addition. For that reason, I would probably do divided lites on the upper and lower sashes of all the windows.

And I would also love to see a photo of the house as is.

Can you produce better renderings? Always helpful to have a more realistic view of the project.

Here's a rendering of what I was proposing re the windows. I think the upper front windows could be bigger or double windows as shown. I also think a portico on the front would be a nice addition. Disregard the change in the lower front windows, they would remain as is.

+1 to @Diana Bier Interiors, LLC - when we added on to our 1926 colonial (2 story addition) we matched the new SDL windows to the originals (color, scale, muntin layout) you cannot tell them apart unless I pointed out the small differences - this went a long way to make the addition look like it belonged

the architect did a nice job making sure the new window sizes and pane ratios worked for the house

That sounds like it was a very successful addition, lalagirl. I think you are in California? My daughter lives in San Diego, and I have never seen anything like a 1926 Colonial there. Sounds lovely!

As others have requested, photos of the existing house (and neighborhood) would be helpful.