I had casement windows. I attached the window boxes myself. It's hard to find something that will fit them otherwise. I'm sure they make some kind of bracket that might fit. But I just used that metal 'tape' with the holes in it. I wrapped the tape around the windowbox and then attached the tape to the bottom part of the windowsill with screws. I painted the metal to match the box. You need the box to be low so the window doesn't hit it when open.

Hi again Oakrunfarm- Yes I am a vet. Did almost all horses for a long time but have backed off to try and enjoy my own again. I never had time to ride when I was doing all equine practice. I do a lot of drug testing for the USEF, my current practice situation frees me up so I can play at horse shows for fun and work! Your home and farm are beautiful. Your kitchen colors are the same as mine. We too lived in an 1850 farm house- can completly relate to all of your stories. My "closet" was upstairs- the only shower down. Dirt basement etc. Four upstairs bedrooms but two heated. The list goes on. An old house but not an old charming house. We moved into our new home about 3 weeks ago and it's like a dream. Now to work on the barns and of course fencing. Our place is lovely - but not right now! LOL We have had a really rough winter with record snow fall ( more tonight) interspersed with huge rainstorms. Add that to construction and you have a nice recipe for mud- and lots of it. We have the horses and of course some dogs.... really tests your patience. Here's the place I used for the plantation shutters. I think we have about a 4-5 week wait until installion. I will post some pics then. We should have some green grass around here too by then..... and a foal or two - and winter will be a distant memory! Here is a link that might be useful: Plantation shutters

When I bought a new home 3 years ago, I knew I wanted plantation shutters but worried about color and composition. I had a local vendor come to my home and he showed me actual shutters in place and that was so helpful. My walls are a creamy off-white and the shutters match beautifully. I got the poly design without handles. I love them!!! I keep all the lower ones closed the the upper ones open and angled up. My house is filled with light and looks classy because it matches throughout. Mine are inside mounted and I feel no need for drapes. I feel the shutters blend in so well they don't serve as decor, I am able to use accents in the rooms for decor. The shutters are easy to clean and really do a great job of insulating the house.

Random thoughts: - The outside looks neat as a pin. Clearly this house has been well cared-for, though I agree with the above poster that the landscaping is kinda dull. - The wall paper may or may not be a problem. When I moved into my current house, I immediately renovated the two bathrooms ... I pulled down the wallpaper from the large master bath in about 15 minutes, but I spent three days of misery in the similar-sized hall bath. Why? The walls in the master bath were "primed" before the wallpaper went up. ALWAYS prime your walls before painting or wallpapering. ALWAYS. More to the point: I hope your walls were primed. - I do like plantation shutters (and intend to have them in my new house), but they don't seem right for your 1970s ranch, and I don't think I'd like them in beige. I agree you should take them out ... but sell them on eBay or Craigslist. They're worth money. Don't bother painting them ... if I were buying, I wouldn't mind painting them. - As for the beige trim, it will be a monster to paint (or a monster-sized bill, if you pay someone to do it), but it's not hard work ... just tedious work. Since you're talking about color preferences, not functional needs, you don't have to do it all at once. - While you're painting things, I'd look at those dark brown gutter spouts. They seem to stand out in a bad way. - I like white-painted brick, and I think this house would look lovely if the wood trim above the windows were a light-to-midtone blue. - I'd think lose that wrought iron railing on the front ... maybe. I don't particularly like it, but it does fit with the house.