They can provide much-needed headroom in many locations, add light to otherwise gloomy space, or provide the perfect nook for a favorite chair or daybed. Although dormers serve practical purposes in terms of interior space, they also have a tremendous impact on a home’s exterior aesthetic. Here’s a look at how some architects and designers have used dormers successfully to delight the eye and to enhance the homes on which they sit.
A curved solution: Dormer design has reached a high level of refinement on Martha’s Vineyard, where John Abrams and the South Mountain Company do most of their building. The gentle curve of this shed dormer gracefully gains extra headroom upstairs without compromising the home’s rambling, low-slung appearance.The porch upstairs: Extending the roof of a doghouse dormer provided the opportunity to duplicate the details and benefits of a main-level porch. This house stands out in the historic Garden District neighborhood of New Orleans, where many other examples of Southern Victorian architecture exist.
A window to watch visitors arrive: This dormer emerged out of a necessity for headroom near the stairwell, and it provided an opportunity to create a sitting nook above the main entry. The roof in front of the dormer is open to the porch providing added daylight. Designed by Eck/MacNeely Architects Inc. of Boston.Doghouse dormers line up: Punctuating the steep roof of the historic Westover mansion in Charles City, Va., this row of dormers provides a massive horizontal building with pleasing vertical energy. In more-practical terms, dormer windows brought light and fresh air to the third floor long before electricity could provide these amenities.
Photos: Brian Vanden Brink
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