I dont think I'd do any.... But I do go for an uncluttered look and not necessarily the 'correct' look.

I prefer it without the shutters.

I like the louvered. Gorgeous house !!!!

I like it as is. But I'm sure it would look great with shutters too. Nice house.

Definitely get the shutters. The louvered will look great. If you're prone to Atlantic storms, don't these provide some protection? They're operable?

High quality louvered shutters that can actually be closed.

Just be sure that the shutters are of the proper dimension so that one pair, if closed, would actually cover the width of the window. As for the type of shutter, what does your architect recommend?

I have some questions.

1. Are you getting operable real shutters or purely ornamental fake shutters? If fake, save your money and do not put any shutters at all.
2. The difference between raised panel and louvered to me would come down to maintenance - raised panel are easier to clean.

Many thanks for all the input and advice. The shutters will be working shutters, properly sized.

Cleaning the shutters was what I thought of first. Lol! Seems like raised panels will collect less sand and salt and will be easier to repaint when needed. But louvers are probably the right look for a beach house.

DH and I looked at the house today and were of two minds. It could look good without the shutters, kind of a Quaker aesthetic, but because the trim and siding will be the same color white and there aren't many decorative flourishes, we might really need the shutters for color if nothing else. Maybe we'll wait until all the siding is on and the door is installed before we put in the order, just to be sure.

I'd love to save the money by not having them but my guess is, the house will need them. As always the bottom line moves in one direction only, cha-ching! :)

Thanks, again.

At the beach? Atlantic?

We did no shutters because they are just weapons in a storm. Protective shutters are not decorative at all - at least what count as protective to the insurance companies.

The beach is obviously a big place and NE is different from SE different from FL (and it doesn't look like anywhere on the West coast). I don't understand the elevation so I am going to assume NE away from real storms - or at least they think they are.

Beach in my mind requires some height as the ocean likes to rise up from time to time....

This is a BEACH HOUSE? Where? It does not look at all like a beach house!

Margate NJ, 5 miles south of Atlantic City on Absecon Island. It's not on the beach nor is it beach block. We are 3 feet above the BFE. The original house was a foot off the ground and got no water during Sandy. While it's not a typical Atlantic county style, it does fit in with the houses in the "parkway section" that were built in the 1920s and '30s. I really didn't want the shingle style "Hamptons" house that's going up everywhere nor the one of the ones with decks coming out from every bedroom. Not sure this was the right choice either, as I had in mind a four square with a hip roof and wrap around porch, typical of Wildwood back in the day. We wanted more space on the 3rd floor and we have a 30' height restriction and square footage up there is also restricted by code so the hip roof was out. We aren't front porch sitters and have no views so instead we have a large outdoor living/dining porch in the back which will suit us just fine. The house was built for family reunions.

A true beach house style would not look at home on this island.

I would love to have done rolladens but they were so expensive. Many homes on the island have working shutters that are really for decoration. I've never seen any of them flapping in the wind, even in the worst storms. I'm going to wait though and see how the house looks without them before I commit. I like the austere look in Nantucket, but without the cedar shingles, I'm dont think I can pull off that look.

We're fully aware of the flood risks, especially as sea levels rise. If it lasts the 20 good years we're hoping we have left, we'll be happy. :)

Got no water but didn't survive? You should know that many of us who pay federal taxes and understand the coast laugh and cry at NJ construction and are disgusted where our money went. Sorry, that is mean. It is just a really really sore subject.

And what is wrong with NJ construction compared to construction elsewhere in the country. And why pick on them? How about no one building in a tornado area? Or an earthquake area?

It didn't survive because it was old and beat up and the land was significantly more valuable than the building. But it wasn't wet. Lol! If you have a problem with that, you're entitled to your opinion. Flood insurance in vacation towns like ours is cheaper than it should be and covers almost nothing. I agree that FEMA shouldn't subsidize insurance for second homes but the max we can buy is $250K of coverage. So for us, it's pretty meaningless. For people who need to live on a flood plain to be close to work, that's another story. They should have subsidized coverage and it should be as generous as it needs to be and the claims should be paid!!!!.

Sandy was a profound storm and the destruction wasn't related to poor construction.

Maybe I should complain about paying for people who smoke or have diabetes as a result of a poor diet and lack of exercise. However, I don't mind paying taxes to help others. Sheesh!

Back to shutters: any review of Georgian style houses in the early U.S. will show that some have shutters and some do not. So that's the historical precedent. I'll ask again: what does your architect recommend?

Architect recommends louvered and I do trust their aesthetic. I'm second guessing mostly from a maintenance perspective. It will cost me nothing to wait until the siding and front door are installed to make a decision.

Most of the Georgian houses I looked at online are brick with stone cornerstones both of which are fairly decorative. The white lap siding with white trim board are what make me think we need the shutters. I'll report back once the front is finished, with a picture, so you'll all have a better idea of how it all fits together.

Thank you to everyone who responded!

Many Georgian homes are quite austere or rather plain, almost like a child drew a picture of a house. They have no ornamentation other than blissful symmetry of their features. Look at the source - Georgian houses in England. I would also suggest one more thing to consider. If the shutters are in fact protective in the storms, go for them. If not, consider interior shutters that will be WAY more practical for utilitarian reasons.

You're right Natalie. The difference though, is that the stone lintels of the windows and the cornerstones are different from the material used for the exterior walls, usually brick, providing an important contrast. Currently, we're planning to paint the siding and the trim the same color white. American Georgian revival homes almost always have shutters.

Although the shutters would be working shutters, I hadn't anticipated using them in the event of a storm. I don't know that they would provide much protection, especially since there won't be any on the NE side of the house, which is the direction of our worst storms.

But you've given me something to think about regarding painting the trim a contrasting color, some kind of off white. My builder has been trying to talk be into that for a while. I'll have to wait until the siding is complete on the front and the door is installed before I decide.

Interior shutters are nice if you have deep walls to fold them out of the way against the window casing. I'm not sure how I feel about them opening onto the interior walls. I'll have to take a look at some online. :)

Cheri127- I had to respond as we live in Longport (for those on the forum who aren't familiar- we're on the same barrier island as Margate). I LOVE the home you're building and it is totally in keeping with the 'Parkway'. We built in Longport and finished about 1 year ago. Like you, we have very limited views & therefore, opted for no front porch in lieu of a private side/rear porch. We are very happy with that choice. There is a home that looks to be similar to yours on the corner of Clermont & Atlantic. It is a very recent renovation & my husband & I think they did an amazing job. Maybe you can get an idea of a finished look from that home. Best of luck!

Just bc I am nosy and really do love your house....are the three large upstairs windows over the front door a stair landing/upper hall or all in the same glorious room or something else my brain hasn't considered??

Prepmom-thanks for the kind words. We have a house in Longport now and I really wanted to stay in Longport, but we couldn't find a lot. Oasis seems to have bought them all! I know your house from this forum. It's lovely!

Nini804-the windows are in the second floor hall. I'm not a lover of two story entrances. I struggled forever with whether to make the front porch wider with a deck above but a neighbor's pine tree blocks the view of the sea so why bother. Lol.

Here's the layout. Ignore the kitchen, it's completely different. And changes were made on the third floor to open the dormer spaces to those rooms. I'm not sure why the architect originally had them as dead space.

cheri- small world! yes, Oasis does seem to be buying everything! To answer your original question- I think that I would either leave the home with no shutters or go with the louvered shutters recommended by your architect. For some reason, the louvered shutters do appear to have a more relaxed look to them. I like your idea of waiting until the siding is complete & then deciding. Thanks for the nice compliment on our home. There are so many beautiful houses on the island- it really is tough to keep from second guessing our choices!

Prepmom-I'd been watching the build on Atlantic for a while but haven't seen it since they finished. Drove by yesterday. It looks really nice! Love the colors. It's like a smaller version of ours. (Makes me ever sorrier I didn't extend the front porch to over a window on each side). From the street, they looked like flat panel, which isn't something I'd considered at all.

I don't think I've ever seen flat panel shutters and I liked them a lot. Does anyone have any opinions about them on my house?

Shutters or no shutters your house is beautiful!