BSD, you have a lovely house, but without color samples it would be impossible to do a Photoshop for you. Can you find them online and link them?

Why do you want to get rid of the shutters?

I find them very attractive.

If you take off the shutters and fan your house will look boxy. Are you planning an overhang over the front door? That would help a lot and be functional.

I wouldn't do anything until you get the roof. Roofing can be like wallpaper - different 'lots' can have slight shifts in color. So, YOUR roof might not exactly match the sample you used to place the order -- and perhaps that's what you're using to base paint color decisions.

I'd leave the shutters - but maybe purchase a top quality shutter in a different style. The louvres compete a bit with siding. I'd also leave the fan detail - that could actually be very cool. The fence, however, would be at the top of the list to go.

I did a house very similar to yours - granted this one is brick, but the fan detail is very nice IMHO. Shutters are paneled. (I know they have a fence too!)

Just for fun, here it before the virtual changes:

Where is your colonial home located? I am in New England, I cannot imagine a colonial home without shutters. I think it would look like someone left something off by accident. In my area, no shutters on a colonial home would stick out like a sore thumb. I do think you need some wider shutters though.

I'd do black shutters regardless of whether you go with white or the sage color on your home. Between a white home or sage home, I'd opt for the sage color, white trim including the crossheads and black shutters, but that all depends of course on what color your roof ends up being.

I wouldn't go without the crosshead either, but that is me. However, your crosshead does not match the style of your window crossheads though, I would replace one or the other so the styles match. You can check out Accent Building Products, they have Fypon door and window crossheads that match your current ones.

Many colonial homes in New England have no shutters. Here are some samples from Litchfield, CT:

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This is the sample color from online of pettingill sage

Here is a link that might be useful: pettingill sage paint sample

idrive65 you hit the nail on the head with those pics. I love the simple elegance of the New England saltbox style homes and it's exactly the look we're after. Just don't know if the spacing between our windows would give us that look or not. We are absolutely itching to get the shutters off the front of this house! But unfortunately the siding has faded so much from the sun we will need to paint right away. We're not going to spend the big extra $$ to have the replacment windows done in a tan or dark color and I'm not a fan of the windows looking like eyeballs sticking out from the painted siding, but this pettingill sage has a nice balance with the white. I'm just a very visual person and need to see it before I'm comfortable ordering the paint.
We're in Medina Ohio by the way. But I think my husband and I should have been born in the late 1700's!!

Here is a link that might be useful: online house painted in pettingill sage

We are also in New England (North Shore of Massachusetts) living in an antique home. I'll try to grab a picture of our windows later today, but we have 12 over 12 Green Mountain with no shutters. I know you said white windows, but what about the grilles? Are you doing the snap-in or true divided light? How many panes will the windows have? One of the reasons those homes all look so fantastic without the shutters is because of the window grills (a combo of the size and being True Divided Light). 12 over 12 looks fantastic without shutters. A window with larger panes and less grills isn't going to have the same effect, and the snap in grills won't come even close to having the effect those have because they tend to fade into the windows. So I'd make sure you're doing True Divided Light and a smaller pane size.

Not the best and I forgot all about the red door, but I need to get up and move around for I pulled a muscle in my back when moving furniture yesterday and if I don't get up and move around it will just get worse. Someone else might be able to add the red door for you. So sorry I forgot.

re snap ins vs. true divided light windows: Most window manufacturers offer a third kind of window that looks like a true divided light but isn't: The muntins (the divider thingies) are on the inside & the outside of the glass with a filler in between. You'd have to look really close to tell that the windows aren't true divided lights (t.d.l. = lots of little glass panes separated by muntins). We got the faux muntin type when we replaced our windows. Much cheaper than true divided lights yet it retains the authentic look. We got Marvin wood windows clad in aluminum, btw.

We will be doing dividers in the windows between the panes of glass to simulate the divided light, but much easier to clean and not nearly the cost. The downstairs windows are called reverse oriel (sp?) with 6 panes in the top and 9 in the bottom. The upstairs will be 6 over 6. We were also thinking of adding the white border on the sides of the house like the picture I had posted had.

Now in seeing the picture, I think we would likely also remove that white pieces over each of the downstairs windows, leaving the detail only over the front door. WOW!! Thanks justgottabme, great start and a real help in our decision making process...

How talented you all are, would love to see it with the window grids and with those window toppers gone. Thank you!!

Red door, weathered wood shingles:

I love those old shutterless colonial beauties too, btw. We opted for no shutters for our remodel two years ago.

Wow, from the pictures, I can't get over how the plain windows seem to make a difference. I would love to see a mock up with the window grids. Hope your back is feeling better!!

I'm thinking the garage door needs to be painted the same as the body of the house too. What's your thoughts??

Ooooh, look what's in Renovation Style magazine this season:

Weathered wood shingles, white clapboard & no shutters ("for the farmhouse look," it says). I pointed out the trim banding for you, though it's hard to see the band underneath the eaves. Interesting that the trim around the windows is kept so simple. There's a bit of molding trim above the bottom windows, but it's pretty subtle.

Depending on what type of colonial, you will find the shutter-less variety also. Having lived in SW CT, there were plenty of shutter-less colonial's. Here are a few more. Notice on some the painted window trim, also very common.
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Wow... Making me wonder now about the house in white. Even with the dark color body - looks like many do the accent color on a strip down the sides. Wondering how that would look with the garage set forward...

Here's our shutterless, green/gray with red door 1780 colonial. Our garage doors are also painted red, but I would prefer they be the same color as the body of the house so they aren't the focal point. Since they are around in the back I haven't made it a priority to repaint them. We bought this house a year ago and will repaint it the same color with the same darker green trim. I want to change the red door (there is also another entrance around the side off the driveway and it also has a red door).

Absolutely gorgeous rafor. Would you mind sharing the colors of the body of the house and the darker accent around the door frame? Really really pretty. Enjoying the confirming pics sans shutters...

These homes are gorgeous! I love the hyper simple look of the farmhouse - that so speaks to me. I too would do the garage doors the same color as the body of the house since they are not really an architectural feature. We don't have a traditional colonial (our windows break the roof line) but removed our shutters and painted and I am happy with the result. I used the paint consulting services by Certa Pro - they have an online forum with a color consultant who provided (free!) color suggestions for body color and trim - she is awesome (and did I mention Free? :-)

before
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after

I live in a shutter-less colonial in the DC burbs. There's a pic in my "yellow front door" thread. We're circa 1984, my house is totally typical in this area. Some have shutters, some don't.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shutter-less colonial

Oh, I should add that you do not have to have Certa Pro paint your house to get the free color consultation - Shannon does the paint recommendations regardless :)

At first I was thinking you need the shutters, but I love how the molding above the first floor windows pops with the shutters gone and the new paint color (in the mockups.) I didn't even notice the molding in your original picture with the shutters. I also like how amw mocked up the same kind of trim over the door; like Rafor's home with the great trim above the doors and windows.

I agree that it would look nicer without the fence. If you took down the fence and added some more plantings it would really shine.

Very pretty inspirations. Since you are painting the siding, it would seem most likely wood but hard to tell. It does kind of look like vinyl from here. I think this style would be hard to pull off in vinyl. When going for an authentic, old-fashioned and simplistic style like that, real materials and appropriate details are essential and will have a big impact on how well it reads in the end. They will really stand out. I would also be sure to use wood windows rather than vinyl.

Other things to consider is the basic structure of your home as it compares to what you are longing for. One thing that stands out to me is the entry's styling and the sidelights. I think you might need to make some changes there (other than removing the fan). I notice tall headers on many examples. Also notice the shape and layout of the home. Most but not all of the examples are symmetrical with five windows across the front (noted as Georgian Colonial in the linked article). Also notice the steep pitched roofs on the New England Colonials. Chimney placement is another detail that marks that look. I'm not an expert on architectural styles by any stretch but strongly suggest researching these types of things so your house doesn't end up looking odd in the end due to basic conflicts in style and details. You might not be able to pinpoint exactly what's wrong when it's finished but you'll likely know that something is off simply from your visual memory.

Have linked a few examples with sidelights which look great but their styling is different.

Here's another beauty but not with the sidelights:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7597456@N07/1486258900

http://www.cooksroofing.com/photo11.shtml

http://www.imagestate.com/Preview/PreviewPage.aspx?id=1852497

Here is a link that might be useful: About Architecture

Boo, so many want to take out my fence I worked so hard on!!! LOL!!!... It's okay... Everybody has different tastes. This website makes that okay!! LOL!!
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f8/gigi4224/?action=viewät=100_0713.jpg

Here is a link that might be useful:

Brick walkway is a work in process.

I am so glad you posted this. I have been thinking of doing the same thing at some point. Now that I see this, I am thinking it won't work for me though. Bummer.

I think your walk way area looks lovely. Are you putting the brick right over the concrete? How is it staying in place? I love it and have similar concrete at my house too.

Darn, why won't it work for you?? I love it. In the winter I wind big branches of evergreen boughs thru the top of the pickets, I put pineapples on the posts and then hang garlands of whole apples and oranges between the posts. Some years I wind white lights within the evergreens for a different look. One year I found deer eating from the apples in the front yard!

chicagoans, it was justgotabme that did the initial (and excellent) photoshop. Knowing how much time & effort it takes to do these mock-ups, I couldn't let your comment slide without giving credit where credit is due.

I think we need to be careful about being a stickler for authentic (wood) materials here. Bittersweetdreams may have already invested in the windows (and I do mean invested; replacement windows cost a bundle and then some) or she may not be able to afford wood ones no matter how much she'd like to strive for authenticity. No point in making someone feel bad for choosing what fits the budget.

As for siding, if bsd is painting it, then the original material will be masked. Who's to tell if it's vinyl or wood?

Good points, spring-meadow, about scale, proportion & symmetry. But still, one can nudge a house towards a certain style. No one will mistake it for an original, but the house will still look much nicer than it did before. The taste police won't arrest anyone because the house isn't an exact replica of a historic design. Ask me how I know this :)

Thanks for the comments awm03. More even than the affordability of 'authentic' can also be whether something is practical. I live in a wonderful family neighborhood with homes that were built in the late 1980s. I LOVE the look of a 1700's home, but have no desire to live in the country where I might be able to find that type of house. Not to even mention the amount of maintenance that goes along with it. I like the idea that I can take a 80's tract house, and with my own tweeking, can turn back the time a bit to an era that suits my own sense of style.

I like the idea that I will be the only house on my street, (not to mention the entire neighborhood) that has chosen to go "sans shutters"...!! How daring of us!! LOL!!

I didn't mean something has to be an exact authentic replica, awm. Few people can do that. Just that one needs to be careful how far to push the envelope. I think that particular style shown in the examples has a certain quality about it which is what makes it special, so that you might want to be careful how you go about changing your home. Maybe she's not that particular or clear on what she wants, who knows. Or maybe she never thought about some of the details or distinct features. The point certainly isn't to make someone feel bad but to point things out as they plan. It's a very expensive undertaking. Most people want honest opinions and information when they come to a forum like this, I think. Or why bother.

I think what she's already proud of is her fence and garden project which took a few blows. Told to remove, I think. The other hasn't even been done yet.

Oh bsd! We are soul sisters! Here is my 60s tract home. Before, it was a phony colonial. Now it's a phony 19th century farmhouse, lol! I look at it and see all the shortcomings, of course, but I'm much happier with it now. And the neighbors like it too, which is nice. It's the only house in the development "sans shutters."

Before, spiffed up for sale in 1996. Landscaping died, roof & siding deteriorated rapidly after we bought it. I hated the triple track aluminum storm windows most of all:

Here's after. We couldn't do anything about the asymmetrical windows. The pediment over the door could have been done better. And we still need to fix the landscaping and add a railing to meet code, but that's for another day. Other than that, I'm happy with it. No one will mistake it for the genuine article, but I don't care.

bittersweet, the back is feeling a bit better now, but I know when I get back up I'll be walking bent over. LOL. That's what I get for moving furniture when I could have waited until my hubby woke up to help. (I went to be way early on Saturday and woke at 2:30 am and decided to finish moving things around in in my "den".)
awm, thanks for the complement. They took take a bit of time,but I do enjoy doing them when I have the time. Also thanks for taking over for me and adding the red door and window grids.
Okay it's Ben Gay time!

You've given your home a very distinct look with a modern twist. I like it very much. Not really what I was talking about ; ) Didn't sound like where bsd was hoping to go.

amw03 what a great after pic! How fun! I am so looking forward to having 'after' pics. Your rock wall is stunning. justgotabme, thanks for doing the photoshopping for me! Really helped make up our minds that the shutters can GO.

People getting wayyyy too serious. Everybody has different tastes. What we do to our houses is supposed to make 'us' happy. And if everything had to be pristine and/or authentic, there wouldn't be the market there is for anything 'faux' would there. Funny though, even 200 years ago our ansisters were creating faux woodgrain and stamping walls with potatoes to create the 'look' of the expensive wallpapers from the 'city' people.

I'm just going the other direction. I love the simple clean lines of the primitive New England farm homes. I love their philosophy on life and family and faith. I know I'm not 'fooling' anyone but myself when I pull up to the front door of my 1980's tract home and feel filled with 'peace'. I hook primitive wool rugs one strip at a time, I love to make my own soap and candles and prefer to stencil my walls rather than put up wallpaper... But I still have a dishwasher, fridge and microwave... There's a difference between going after a look, and feel and being 'authentic'.

I think that if you look back at the best shutterless pix above, they have some architectural detail to compensate such as balconies, an overhang, flower boxes, an angled roof, etc....
By removing the shutters, you will take away some of the look and it would balance to add something else if you don't like the shutters.
As for real wood windows, mine are killing me with having to finish the wood myself. it does not sound like much but all the nooks and crannies need a coat of primer and 2 coats of paint with sanding in between. Some parts can't be reached while other parts are wet and it is hard to keep track which coat I am at on each window and each part of a window. There is a lot of labor to get new wood windows to be finished and I dread the day I will have to re-do these down the road. I never discussed window materials with our gc, just sizes, styles and brands. I had no idea I would have so much finish work with them all. It does not help that I am doing all the other painting myself in our project and that our old windows and moldings were stained wood, so I had to sand them first and then do the same process to them. There seem to be miles of molding and window parts to paint. I am exhausted.

awm we were posting at the same time. I actually really like both versions of your home as I do of bittersweet's. You can count me in with the home owners with "fake" style homes. Ours is a Queen Anne Victorian wanna be and everyone that has seen it, even strangers that find out I live in "that house" tell me they love it. We even had one couple come snooping in our windows when we were obviously here working on our home during finishing (ha! like it'll ever be finished) construction. Two vehicles in the driveway and their walking around with their noses to the windows. LOL. When I saw them I told Darrell and we both went outside to meet them. They were a very nice couple and we invited them in to get a better look. Ha! They said they'd been watching it from ground up and was thrilled to get a look inside.
Here it is last fall. We've yet to finish the sleeping porch railings. Took down the temp to be able to move in awhile ago and are now thinking of closing it in as a three season porch since we love the screen porch we closed in a couple years ago.

And here's my idea of gingerbread and shutters that hubby really wants. I'd like other trim too, but it all adds up when you are doing it all with cash....

Justgotabme, what a great home! As a child, I would have loved to live in a home like that -- secret hiding places, nooks & crannies, cozy reading spots, and lots of 2nd storey windows to gaze out of. Your sleeping porch will be wonderful in whatever form it takes. If you have a laptop, I know where you'll be posting from some nice day in the future, ha! I love the gable decorations too.

"even 200 years ago our ansisters were creating faux woodgrain and stamping walls with potatoes to create the 'look' of the expensive wallpapers from the 'city' people. "
Good point. Fascinating too. It's human nature to want to fancy up.

spring-meadow, others had mentioned wood windows too or true divided lights. I confess to being guilty of recommending the expensive fix more often than not in this fantasy forum of ours :)

Thank you Awm. We love it, but gosh there's still so much to do to get it where we want it to be.
I did have a mini laptop, my main computer is a desk top, but our son is using it since his laptop went kapoot. Not sure what he does to them, we thought the first died early because it spent a year in the "sand box" if you know what I mean. But his new one only lasted about a couple years and it was an HP. Otherwise our family has always had great luck with HPs. Most of our desk tops were HPs and they were just fine.
Anyway, back to the mini laptop. When I did have it I'd take it out to the screened in porch where my kitties (four) and I would enjoy the "outdoors". I'm sure I'll do the same when we finish the sleeping porch too. This evening I'll be moving my computer back upstairs between the two windows at the front of house. It will be so nice to have that view again. I'm moved to the Ladies Parlor when I babysat our now three year old grandson where I could keep a better eye on him. Gosh I miss that little guy, but he needed to be around children his own age more often so he's not win day care three days a week and at home with Mom or Dad the rest of the time. He does miss his Grammy though. :^D

Thought I would post a link to our AFTER. We are nearly done now. Gutters and downspouts left and painting the surround and door. But the look is exactly what we were going for. Before anyone puts new siding on their house, really stop to think about the corners on your garage. We added dutch corners and it really made a nice difference and accent.

Here is a link that might be useful: before and after pics