Dormer Dilemma.

What a day! While I sit on edge through tonight's tornado warning wondering if I should wake my sleeping children to head to the basement, I can't help but wonder about a particular dormer dilemma. Yes, tornadoes and dormers are on the same level for me and leave me with a similar pondering mentality. So while I monitor the whirling sky out my window, allow me to elaborate on the dormer conundrum.

As always, our exterior crew was here bright and early this morning with a skip in their step and a smile on their face. Their first item of business was wrapping up the front of the house and fine tuning the details of the perfectly dressed dormers. I stepped outside to take in the completed front facade and something was not jiving. I looked at it again and again trying to get everything to settle in, but something still wasn't right. But what? Here's what my eyes were assessing...

So, what does one do when something isn't feeling quite right? How about survey every person within arm's reach. The verdict? "You're OVER THINKING IT." Oh silly you...I over think everything, it's practically my middle name. Sure, some might call it O.C.D., but whatever your diagnosis, it doesn't change the fact that every time I look at my home that has nearly killed me via remodel, I can't help but hear my conscience telling me I should have questioned if this was the best possible presentation.

So I did what I learned from the very best and snapped a quick pic with my phone and emailed it off to my co-over-thinking therapist/architect, Susan who was quick to affirm my hesitations. She agreed that things weren't quite gelling and that a few simple adjustments would make all the difference. She whipped up one of her infamous sketches that was beneath my touchscreen fingertips in a matter of moments. Here's what she sketched...

The header that we created for the window using a few miscellaneous trim pieces is too large - not only in terms of width of the window but also in terms of height. It's really making the dormer feel choppy and the window feel like a separate entity. By cutting down the width and bulkiness of the header piece, the window is suddenly less of the focal point and more of a backup dancer to the bigger dormer star. In constellation terms, we are talking more big dipper than little even though all constellations are pretty. Do all writers laugh at their own jokes while writing them?

So, that's the story of the most beautiful dormer I know. Yes, there is SO much more to share with you about today like the gorgeous cabinets that now line the barren walls and the delicately trimmed windows that have replaced the scraggly edged drywall. But alas, it's time for me to retire for the day and recharge my mental battery for tomorrow. Just a final note that our exterior crew was happy to accommodate the changes, however, no change comes without a price tag. In the end, having our remodel planned to a T down to the tiniest trim trinket before even starting has saved us oodles in day-to-day altercations and being happy with the finished product remains priority numero uno. More to come tomorrow!