We also have a center entrance colonial and are residing. Do you have wood trim around your windows or just the vinyl end strips? We have an old house (1936) that has nice wood trim around the windows but there's an addition that only had the vinyl. As the siding is removed, we are putting up new window trim on the addition to match the original on the front of the house - makes a huge difference. If you have nice wood trim you may not feel you need shutters. I'm still debating whether or not to put our shutters back up. And BTW, they are also vinyl. The trick is to get them sized appropriately for the windows and not to use skimpy ones. Also buy paintable vinyl ones and use a custom color that works for your house. Here are some pictures to show you what I mean. This is the back of our house - see the upper window doesn't have wood casing? But the lower window has had the new casing installed. Here's the front of the house a few days ago - I can get a better picture if you need it, most of the scaffolding is gone now. When there's substantial window trim your house may not need shutters. As I said, I'm still deciding. And here is how the house used to look with the shutters. Hope this helps.

First, emails: Here's a post I copied from the "read me if you're new to GW Kitchens" thread on the kitchen forum. It's very helpful in many ways. "Here's how to get GW emails when someone posts to your thread: "Getting Emails Sent To You...3-step Process There are three things you have to do to get emails sent to you when someone posts to a thread you started: "Be sure you have a valid/current email address in your profile "Again in your profile, be sure you have the "Allow other users to send you email via forms at our site." box checked (at the bottom of the profile page) "Be sure to check the box labeled "Check here if you would like copies of follow-ups to your message emailed to you" when you submit your post. (Below the "Message" box) Hmmm...maybe a 4th step...don't forget to "Save Your Member Profile" when you make changes! (button at bottom of profile page) "If you do all 3 (or 4!) things, you should get an email when someone posts to your message. "Note: Some members have said they still have problems getting emails. I seem to always get emails, but I have noticed that occassionally there will be a several hour delay and once there was a several day delay...I don't know why. "Also, check your Junk Mail, sometimes the emails end up there. Add "gardenweb_user@gardenweb.com" to your "safe senders" list as well. "If you still don't get emails, check with your internet service provider and be sure emails from GW are not being filtered out as junk." --- Those black shutters really give your house a crisp look, don't they? How about spicing it up with something in the red family, like SW Sequoia, Cheyenne Red, or even Cape Cod Red! I like your diagonal trim and don't think it detracts from anything; it adds interest. Don't forget to post finished photos! Wish I knew how to photoshop!

Wow! Sorry I've been away - had a surprising week. Just found out we're going to have a third baby, and that made me forget all about this post :) Thanks so much for all those photoshops, Squirrel! Honestly, your photoshops really sell the yellow for me. I know so many people don't like painted brick, and if our brick wasn't an orange brick I might like it a little better. We do plan to build a portico over the front door (though now with another baby that project might get pushed WAY back). And funny enough we have planted a crepe myrtle in the front. I do agree that a darker roof would look better, but the sellers replaced it not long before we bought it two years ago. KSWL - we thought Hawthorne Yellow was going to be too loud too, but after painting giant swatches of several colors and putting them outside in the light, it gets really washed out. Some of the paler yellows actually looked cream. I'll check out Essex Green, too. Thanks Molly!

Thanks Cara. I also agree that if we have shutters they should be on all of the windows. Our elevation only had the 3 windows that we have with shutters and the builder would not add shutters to the two windows on the left. I also agree with the front steps. In hind-sight I wish we would have had them done in brick. We still may have the fronts veneered in the brick. The only issue I have with doing stained wood shutters is the up-keep. From others I have seen, they start to show signs of weathering quite quickly.