Chocolate brown and robins egg blue are very popular decorating colors right now...I think that would look very nice. Many colors go with tan... In a couple years you could change it again... Even a red would be a good bright color. patti

OP, I live in the South, so I definitely "get" plantation shutters. When we built, I knew I would be using them in most rooms...but our home is a traditional brick 2-story and our home needed SDL windows. Our architect would have had a fit if we had done plain windows. We used the 3.5" wide slats with just one panel over each window...they don't have a center latch, they latch on the side. The only vertical piece is the tilt bar. So basically, they really don't look "busy" with the SDLs... Here is an exterior pic...they are hard to see, but if you zoom in you can see them in the 4 upstairs windows (not the arched.) Here is an interior shot. I love my shutters...they were expensive but in our area they definitely add value. This window is actually a double, so this set DOES latch in the middle, but none of the single windows do...they latch on the side.

Cellwood Vinyl Shutters, find a local LUMBERYARD (not a box store) they should be able to get them for you

Hey you are right I think you should lighten your brick it looks better and is timeless and will bring it more up to date but I think you should lime wash it romabio has many different lime washes and natural masonry paints it allows your brick to breath and looks beautiful and it will age beautiful as well