I agree that there is too much going on, however some of the suggestions are costly and in my opinion don't completely take care of the problems. I like the design approach it is fresh and updated. I agree that the chimney cap is out of proportion and just needs a simple band at the top. In order to make the exterior remain timeless over the years, Now Sit Down for a minute, I would make all of the exterior the white color. I know you love red however this will tie the different components of the architecture together more than any thing else. You can still have high gloss red doors and red tile pavers on the ground. It would also be very classy the use white tile in place of the brick look. You could even mix gloss white tiles with matt finish tiles to give an interesting sparkle when you ride by. I like the wrought iron upper railing, but the vertical blocking on the right side looks too heavy. So I would continue the same railing around the corner and back toward the house until it connects to the other balcony railing. This also ties the house together. It would look much more classic to not have a grid in the tall window and instead have a solid piece of glass down to the transom and then from there down be solid glass as well. Glass block in the courtyard column sections with back lights would look unbelievable. I would arch the closed in section on the second level as it would show up more there than the window being arched does, so save the money and don't arch that window. I would either hang a long contemporary light on the right elevation to dress it up or insert a long strip of glass block lighted from the interior to achieve the same effect. I charge for renderings, because I list the materials as well. Best, Leo Dowell Interiors.com

There are a number of factors that will dictate the design of your house. The first step is to visit the local building department to find out the restrictions for your lot. Do you need to set back the house from the property lines? Is there a maximum site coverage that the jurisdiction allows? For example, in San Clemente, California you can only cover 50% of your lot with your house. Do you need to include parking on your site? Most cities in the USA require 2 parking spaces on the site. The shape of the lot and the access to the lot as well as any potential views, and even the location of the sun and the prevailing winds will impact your design. Find out the information that I listed above and post it with a dimensioned site plan and you may get some great design suggestions. Another option is to look for a local architect using houzz.com.......... Good luck and have fun........

x2 what Dytecture said, this is not enough to go on. Most important thing before you do anything, is you need to know lot restrictions in that area and what are the zoning requirements, i.e. side, rear,front, set-backs. In addition the size of your house will also depend on the total percentage of a lot that can be covered by impervious surfaces (structures, decks, and surfaces likes asphalt or concrete driveways etc, which reduce natural infiltration, etc and after you obtain that information, only then you can contact a local Architect and you can roughly come up with the size of your house and layout on the lot... until that, the information you get here it will be useless to you in your case and a waste of time for everyone else. With that said, 40x104 is not a confirming lot for most of the area around here and you will need variances because confirming lot sizes usually start at 50x100, unless you in a section where ordinances permit residential cluster development. Good luck.

The house exterior design looks lovely. Congratulations. I am sure the interiors are even better even unfurnished You need to be more specific as to what kind of interior work and decor are you looking for, is it for one room, one floor or the entire house. is your taste Classic, Modern, Minimalistic, Contemporary?? after you have decided then you should take it Further, always happy to guide. .