for that very reason- the scale of the room with the new expansive fireplace - I suggest you order taller windows.
Take a look at the photos you just uploaded of the new fireplace- the windows are now out of scale.
No one is going to note or care that they match the grid windows in another room. They are jarringly out of scale in the now remodeled, revitalized LR… And since you are planning soaring ceilings in the adjacent kitchen, those original sized small windows now just dont make sense. They disrupt the visual flow of the view buyers will see- Kitchen/DR/ LR/ outdoors…
That’s what jumped out at me .
There is going to be a set of built ins on each side of the fireplace that will balance the windows, or at least that’s what I’m hoping the built ins will be a simple white to blend into walls
The first draft of the plans are ready with 3D images! However, the plans and images are in Adobe pdf and I cannot get them changed to a jpg photo file. So, I cannot get them loaded up to Flickr… Dang It!!
The 2nd story looks like an abomination on top of the house - thank goodness they got into CAD so I could see 3D images I’ll be going into the office this afternoon and try to make some tweeks
I was able to get the 3D images loaded (but not the floor plans) by changing to bmp files. They are in the Flickr group… I’m ready for the peanut gallery comments
The second floor addition does look a little odd, and the roof line in front of the addition doesn’t seem to be correct in the front view - it looks like it rises above the level of the deck, and all the way up to the window.
But consider that the angle of that view is something that no one will ever see, unless you are Superman - it looks like the camera “eye” is 20 or 30 feet above the ground.
The pitch of the roof is a problem i knew we were going to have. The steep pitch of original house has 7’ in attic to center ridge. Because i want to get as high as possible to gain view, the 2nd story has tohave a low pitch. View trumps roof style.
My issue is all the angles. It looks contemporary on top of old. Unfortunately it is a result of having to bump staircase ceiling up for headroom.
I have to agree with @menloparkmom about the windows. I’ve been assuming all along that you were replacing them with something taller. (I see that the fireplace is shaped to coincide with the top of the window frame, but I don’t think that would be a visual problem.)
I like the addition. It has a sort of yacht look from the back and a cupola look from the front. High and airy in both cases.
I was able to take cell phone pictures of the floor plans so they are loaded to flickr group now.
I see what you are all saying… I thought you meant to take the windows taller down to the ground. But, you are suggesting taking them taller/higher. Unfortunately I already ordered the grid windows in that size, but maybe they could be used somewhere else. I have a confusing mess of trying to re-use some of the newer vinyl dual pane in all kinds of new locations. I can always design some windows upstairs to use these size windows and then order some taller ones.
I’ll talk to my carpenter and see how much work it will be to open up the windows taller. Probably about double the current height, but bottom of window stays in same location (so they are above the built ins)
In looking at the structure… I think I can only get those windows about 1 ft higher because there is probably some structure running inside those walls at the height of the side wall ceilings. So I can only get those windows up to height of side wall. May not be worth all the effort -
"I think I can only get those windows about 1 ft higher "
So may I suggest you lower the bookcases by one shelf [ they are going to built on site, correct?] and make the windows as tall as possible overall?
Having the bottom of the windows “stepped down” from the height of the mantle, instead of starting at the same height , will add additional architectural “interest” to the room and will make them more pleasing to the eye as well as bringing in more light and views.
No one will mourn the loss of shelf space if the bookcases are shorter.
The windows as you ordered them - if they were two columns of window panes per window then each pane would be horizontally a rectangle rather than vertically. We are all very used to seeing vertical panes.
If you can’t go up very high, you could go up as high as possible and also make the windows a bit narrower to get the right proportion. The fireplace is the focal point of that wall, not the views out the window.
Also, you can usually see a face in an arrangement like this with a fireplace in the center forming the mouth and nose. I like the face as it is now with the top of the windows aligning with the place on the fireplace where it gets narrower. Right now there seems to be more space between the windows and the fireplace than between the windows and the outside walls. What if you made the windows a bit narrower to equalize that distance? Would that be enough for a better window proportion?
the built ins will be a simple white to blend into walls
the last picture I see is the outlet over the fire place. Am I looking in the wrong place?