I personally like Burgundy color, so that would be my choice.
Also I think Burgundy goes well with your siding.

Your house is very nice and such a lovely porch!

Sorry not much help with landscaping!

Thank you for the nice compliment and reply back Emily. I sure wish someone knew how to photoshop the burgundy color shutters. Hard to imagine until they are up. thank you.

Have you posted on the home decorating forum? Several folks over there will usually photo shop for you if you ask...

Consider getting rid of the useless shutters altogether for a refreshingly modern look. It's a 1970s architectural abomination that has not yet quite gone away.

Here is a photoshopped version with burgundy shutters to help you decide. Personally, I prefer the black.

I would prefer the black also.

Would you consider taking the shutters off the dormers. They look like they are the wrong size. Shutters should cover the entire window when closed, and shutters on dormers are very difficult to get right.

We are considering it but wont it look odd to just have nothing or just have shutters on garage windows? (porch window area they wont fit)

I am struggling with the shutter decision too. It is hard to know where to put them but I have to agree that the shutters on the dormers do seem a little big.

I prefer the look of the black on your house-- very classic.

Thank you for all of these responses. I am confused as ever now. I started with what color and now most are voting for knixing shutters all together. I took pics this am (sorry a little shaded)of the house as it stands. See what I mean if I have nothing on there. Cant imagine how that would look right. PLAIN PLAIN PLAIN. What do you think of adding a white straight eyebrow over garage windows? (not sure formal name)I am also perplexed by what to do on far right of house as far as hiding where garbage cans are stored (short stone wall matching house maybe? something else easier, landscaping like evergreens to hide?) hmmm ok thanks for continued responses. Just click on link to see as it stands now

Here is a link that might be useful: house plain no shutters

I understand your concern, but I think you'll find that it will look far less plain once your landscaping is in. New houses always seem a bit stark at first, especially if they're not in a wooded lot, because the area around them gets scalped by the construction. I think it's the bareness of the landscape that makes the house read as "naked," not the house itself.

I like the shutters on the garage windows, but I don't like them on the dormers. I may be biased in that I grew up in an area of old (for the US, that is!) houses, and there were never shutters on dormer windows. It just somehow doesn't look right to me.

I think it would be fine to have shutters on the garage windows only. Visually, the other windows are served by the porch and dormer eaves, so they don't seem to need framing in the same way.

Another vote for black here...and no shutters on dormers.

:)