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Exterior Building a Home Windows

New Build - Shutters or No Shutters?

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Help! Shutters or no shutters? The brick and siding will be painted white with black windows. Front door and pillars will be natural white oak. Garage door will be white. I know this is just the front elevation drawings but I’m concerned that adding the shutters will make our home look too traditional. We are going for the modern farmhouse / transitional style. We understand that if we do shutters they should be functional and be able to actually close the window. Thanks in advance for your advice!

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Comments (12)

PRO
PPF.
3 years ago
See: https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/residential-architecture-101-shutters/
Heather Ross
Original Author
3 years ago
So funny - I have actually read that article but none of the styles of those examples are similar to our home. We would have room to do functional shutters I just think it would make our home look too traditional.
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birdie234 You said, "The current plan allows for the old house — which is essentially a knock–down — to eventually be demolished, leaving a new five bedroom house on the lot." What will support the right side of the new house when you tear down the old house? It seems like a ticklish job to reinforce the old structure to support the overlap of the new house. Will you have to support the new house while a new foundation is constructed or will you demolish part of the new house and then build it back? Will you build a new foundation inside the old house? I would expect a wall section of that construction and a written construction sequence from your designer before trying to design the facade. You also said, "The second floor is attached because we are using the space between the dormer and the new house." That doesn't require the houses to overlap; the houses could share a foundation and the old dormer could be extended to meet the new house. The overlap makes no sense unless there is a zoning restriction. If the side yard setbacks don't limits the width of the house, you should pull the houses apart and save yourself a lot of headaches as well as improve the appearance of the house.. You have asked if the left gable could be eliminated. That might make sense but not if you intend to eventually tear down the old house. Your designer should be designing two projects: one with two attached houses and one with just the new house. Or do you intend to build a new wing in place of the old house? But first find out if the width of the houses can be increased. Whether it does or not, you have a tough design task ahead of you.
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to paint the door, (the fiberglass) it's a lot like painting a laminate surface. that's why they said it wouldn't last. It has to be properly prepped. you could degloss it w/a liquid, or lightly sand down the glossy finish w/sandpaper. (go easy. u just want to scuff it a bit) then apply a good bonding primer (and you can get this tinted to any color. if going dark, get it tinted to a dark gray or whatever color you're using) for the paint, you'd choose a good exterior paint. that's it some color options. maybe new lights. (or spray what you have) Oh, no shutters change out those posts to something heftier in a wood. something like these: I'd do something like this for your numbers or in this copper color. you don't need the plant container. you could do the numbers on a piece of wood, or just pick some better looking numbers in the copper color and some copper color planters.
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PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
3 years ago
Put functional shutters on all the windows all the way around the house, or none at all.

How many different wall material/finish will you have?

How many different roof material/finish will you have?

What do the other three elevations look like?

Why are you painting the brick?

Does the brick go all the way around the house?
worthy
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
As long as it's on farm. Or was on a farm. Or could be on a farm, everything is a farmhouse. See Dezeen.

Red Hill Farmhouse, Melbourne, Aus. Carr and Jackson Clement Burrows Architects.

Killan Ireland Farmhouse, TOB Architects

So shutters are fine, as long as they look like they could close and cover the window.

(Unless maybe it's a postmodern farm, where everything's ironic commentary.)

Personally, I'd skip the pointless shutters and pocket the change.
PRO
PPF.
3 years ago
Did you ask your designer for an elevation without the shutters? Much easier to decide with a visual.

I don't see "modern farmhouse" here. I think removing the brick (foundation is OK) would be a positive change. The garage also seems out of place, as if there isn't really enough room for it so it intrudes into the space that belongs to the house. Consider dropping the garage fascia down to match the porch making the face of the garage a bit smaller.

Floor plans and the other 3 elevations will net better ideas.
Heather Ross
Original Author
3 years ago
Here are the other elevations. We would have 2 wall materials (siding and brick - both white) and a black metal roof over front porch and upper windows on the left. Dark charcoal standard shingles on roof. Thanks already for the help everyone!
worthy
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
If we're not limited to shutters...

Ditch the porkchop eaves.

And, as per PPF., the garage is fighting (and winning) the battle for dominance, which is odd for a custom-build with presumably land to spare.
PRO
PPF.
3 years ago
Rough concept. Would still do all siding, and maybe reduce the gable roof pitch.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
3 years ago
It is probably just me, but I find the design of this house not to be all that good. The front looks like it was fussed over for hours in an attempt to make the floor plan look good but ends up pretentious, then the other sides were left to happenstance. I mean it will most likely be built as it is drawn, still shedding rain and holding in heat when it is wanted, doors will open and close, countertop will still support the toaster and coffee pot and cutting boards and all the kitchen gadgets. This happens all the time, as if there is nothing more out there for us. Maybe each morning I should just brush the hair off my forehead, brush back my temples, tame my beard and head out each day, leaving the hairs on the back of my head to continue their rest, fore I do not see them so what should I care.
worthy
3 years ago
The front looks like it was fussed over for hours in an attempt to make the floor plan look good but ends up pretentious, then the other sides were left to happenstance.

IOW, designed from the inside out, the way so many of the diy doodlers do.
PRO
PPF.
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Less modern, more farmhouse.
Heather Ross
Original Author
3 years ago
Appreciate you mocking this up!

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