Dormer windows are popular here. They stand out. Literally. If you paint them red, they really stand out, as you can see from this neighboring pair of dormers:
The structure has been used in English architecture since at least the 16th century. Its name, “dormer,” comes from the French word for “sleeping room,” which is apt because the design often is used to provide light and air to upstairs bedrooms. Sometimes, the majority of the upstairs is "dormered":
Many New England settlers could not afford homes with dormered bedrooms. Their house of choice was what became known as the Cape Cod style – a simple “saltbox” with plain windows, central heating (fireplace), and a roof that did not slope sharply. As settlers prospered, they could add onto the house “out back,” maybe even put on a porch, a winter vestibule entry, and – for modern settlers – a satellite dish. Here's a neighboring variation on the saltbox theme:
(Brooklin, Maine)