Take a look a these examples of dormers from different architectural periods throughout history. For centuries, windows have been known as “the eyes” of a dwelling. Like a chimney, roof dormers are not part of the roof but stick through the roof. Some dormers, called wall dormers, stick through the edge of the roof at the cornice. Essentially, dormers are “glazed structures,” meaning they are windows. In fact, they are sometimes called lucarne, a French word for “skylight.” The gable above the dormer is called the dormer head, and it is often in the shape of a pediment. To install a dormer in your home, call a window specialist and master carpenter instead of a roofer. From the outside, a dormer can define certain house styles—Neo-colonial and Colonial Revival, Stick Style, Chateauesque, Second Empire, and the American Foursquare are all house styles that generally include a dormer in their designs. Also, a dormer can give a horizontally-oriented house a sense of height, especially if the house is situated very close to a street. When designed correctly, a dormer can accentuate the architectural details in the body of the house—Victorian scrollwork, pediments, and even window likeness and symmetry can be enhanced by a like-minded dormer.
Read more about our Diversity and Inclusion Pledge to make The Spruce a site where all feel welcome. Thomas Vela / Getty Images Even a more modern building with a Mansard roof likely will have dormers—sometimes both wall dormers (through the cornice) and roof dormers. The elegant and regal Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, exemplifies the 19th-century Mansard roof dormer on a Chateauesque style large home. A more complicated and some would argue a more elegant design is the dormer that is built through the cornice or the roof’s edge. Also called “wall dormers,” these “through-the-cornice” dormers are common in grand mansions and upscale neighborhoods. Karol Franks / Getty Images A good architect will have the education and training to envision design patterns that work for your house.
