Seven Types of Dormers for Home Remodeling, Madison, WI

Seven Types of Dormers Explained

If you live in a home that is less than two stories high, for example, a Cape Cod or Craftsman style, one way to turn your awkward attic into usable space is by adding dormers. Dormers are like the eyes on top of a house. They rest on the roof and depending on the style you choose, can add additional headroom and floor space to your attic increasing the usable space in your home. They also allow natural light in and can add an interesting architectural element to an otherwise plain roofline.

Dormer styles are named based on the style roof they sport. As home styles and architectural designs have shifted, builders have developed several new styles of dormers to accommodate modern homes. Some are classic and traditional harkening back to Victorian style homes, while others offer modern lines and contemporary flair. Let's take a look at the seven most popular styles of dormers used when remodeling a home today.

Seven Popular Dormer Styles

The style of dormer you choose to incorporate into your home will rely on several factors including the style of your house, your needs, and your budget. Some dormers are more architecturally significant and can be expensive to construct. Others, like shed dormers are extremely functional and can add a significant amount of height and floorspace to your attic.

Here are seven of the most popular styles of dormers used in new construction and home remodeling.

gable dormer on traditional bungalow remodel — a traditional gable dormer was used on this traditional bungalow home

Gable Dormers

The most common style, gable dormers will work on almost any style home. If you look at the side of your home, the area from the peak of your roof to the gutters/eaves is called a gable. These dormers replicate that peak on the front or back of the house, and it's how they got their name. They are popular due to their simplicity and the fact that they add the most vertical headroom to the interior.

Typically, you'll find this style in groups of 2, 3, or 4 across a roof. This design works with a number of home styles including Queen Anne, Victorian, Tudor, Craftsman, Colonial Revival, and Gothic Revival.

Flared Gable

A variation of the gable dormer, the flared gable features a roof that flares out much the same way that the main roof of a house might flare out to accommodate a porch or addition. The flared roof helps to shade the windows. This is a plus if the dormer faces south or west in areas where the summers are hot.

Intricate corbels are often an added architectural element used to support the overhanging roof.

Hipped Dormers

Almost as common as the gable dormer, the hipped roof dormer is one of the defining characteristics of the American Foursquare style home. It typically sits higher up (more towards the peak) on the front of the home.On a hipped dormer the roof slants back as it rises and this occurs on the front as well as the sides.

Hipped Dormers are commonly found on houses in the Prairie, French Eclectic, and Shingle styles.

Eyebrow Dormers

Eyebrow dormers feature gracefully curved roof lines and are a popular addition to homes like the shingle style homes typically found in East Coast shore communities.

They are related to Arched top dormers which are typically associated with architectural styles that originated in France including the Second Empire style (1855 – 1885), Beaux Arts style (1885 – 1930) and the French Eclectic style (1915 – 1945).

Recessed Dormers

Also known as inset dormers, this style has one or more walls that are “set into” the roof rather than placed on it. This style of dormer allows the windows to be deeper than they might otherwise be and can be designed to include a “walk out” balcony adding some exterior space to the home.

the dormer at top left is a pedimented dormer, with small returns coming in toward the dormer window.

Pedimented Dormers

Similar to gabled dormers, pedimented dormers incorporate details rooted in the classical architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. Buildings in ancient Greece and Rome both had rows of columns across the front that supported a horizontal beam that held up a triangular wall called a pediment that was under the roof peak. On pedimented dormers molding is used to emphasize a similar triangular shape. Vertical molding on either side of the windows replace the columns.

Shed Dormer

A shed dormer has a flat roof that slopes in a single direction towards the front. The roofline can be small with one or two windows, or run almost the entire length of the house from just below the peak, to just above the eaves and can add a wall of windows to the attic, and a tremendous amount of interior space.

Shed dormers are typically characteristic of the Dutch Colonial, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival Houses.

Adding a dormer can increase your home's curb appeal, bring natural light into your attic, while raising a low ceiling height, increasing floor space and adding additional usable square footage to your home. Your design build remodeling contractor can help you to create the perfect dormer to meet your families needs and compliment the style of your home. With a number of interesting designs and levels of functionality, with a little planning, you can add this beautiful, functional architectural element to your home.

This blog was updated by Abe Degnan on 10/31/2022.

About Degnan Design Build Remodel
Since 1981 Degnan Design Build Remodel has provided home improvement and construction services to customers throughout Greater Madison, Wisconsin. Our goal is to WOW you with a "Designed For Your Life" solution using a process that will transform your home into a beautiful living space, delivered on time, and on budget. We are known for our communication, respectfulness, and a commitment to our customers and our community. Contact us to speak with one of our designers about your home improvement project.

An Above the Garage Master Suite Addition Remodeling Project

We recently completed an addition for our clients, John and Amy, a professional couple with young children living in the Blooming Meadows neighborhood in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Their home featured three bedrooms on the second floor. The existing master bedroom was outdated and impractical for modern living, and with three young children, two needed to share one of the two remaining bedrooms, and all three kids shared the second-floor bathroom. Another problem the family needed addressed was that John needed a private home office, and the one they currently had was a shared space that did not work well for his job.

Let's take a look at our creative solution for this young family!

A New Private Bathroom for the Adults!

One of the major elements on John and Amy's wish list was a private bathroom space just for them. They wanted plenty of space to get ready in the morning, away from the kids, and we delivered! The bathroom features a handcrafted Amish custom double vanity with a tower cabinet in alder wood, stained Carbon Gray. The contrasting Linnstone Quartz Calcutta pattern countertop brightens the space and ties in visually with the elegant tile work in the spacious walk-in shower. We added custom alder wood framed mirrors stained in the same Carbon Gray as the cabinets to complete the vanity. Over each of the mirrors, we installed Quoizel 2 light vanity fixtures to provide plenty of warm light.

In the shower, the 21st Century Tile 12x24 floor-to-ceiling tiles in Tivoli Silver give the room a bright and modern feel, and the low entry shower makes entering the shower safe and easy for the couple. We included a helpful niche in the shower for shampoo and other toiletries and, for contrast, used a beautiful hexagon mosaic accent tile. The glass doors give the space an open feel, making it bright and inviting. The Arbor Hills luxury vinyl plank flooring in timber adds a warm feel, giving the room a natural look with the benefit of waterproof LVP.

The Result

The final result of this second-floor master suite addition is a home that fits John, Amy, and the kid's needs and lifestyle perfectly. John now has the perfect private office space. Since John and Amy now have their private master suite, and each of the kids has their own bedroom giving them their own space to grow as they grow, their home is more comfortable and functional. And on the exterior, you can't even tell there's been an addition!

Are you considering an addition or other home improvement project? Let us help you design the perfect finished space! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can take your home to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.