this is a 5 minute edit. will be glad to spend a half hour or so on it if you need proper colors, lighting, making sure all is straight and level, etc. just tell me what you want it to look like (trim colors, wider columns, etc.) Just let me know -Mickey

Don't give up, mahlgold! If you look at the boxed out lower windows, the trim on the sides and bottom of the windows is stepped back from the upper piece - there's a name for that piece and it escapes me at the moment - anyway, it creates a very nice shadow line. That's really key - shadow lines are wonderful at adding depth and interest. As for the shutters, if you have more substantial trim, properly placed shutters would sit so that they are at the window edge, basically covering most of the side trim - and I can hear you saying 'then why add the trim???' Because it will show a bit from certain angles and the look it creates is not something you can fudge. If it's not there the shutters would be sitting flat on the house (as they are now) not angled back a bit. In an ideal world the shutter size would be so that if they were closed, they would meet in the middle of the window. In the real world, we can't always do that, but we get as close as possible and let the eye imagery do the rest. If you get reasonably close to half window width, it will look fine. I think a black door would look wonderful with Fairview Taupe or any of the earthy historic colors. However.....with your recessed door you might lose some of the detail and it might look like a hole. I love your brass handset - maybe consider a larger, more important looking door knocker as another way to brighten a black door. And if your handset is the forever brass that doesn't tarnish, make sure your door knocker is the same.

I don't like flat wood panels in a kitchen myself...too clean and comtempary for my taste, but that said, it's great in a clean and contempary kitchen :) I was going to mention beadboard, which is a fabulous look for much less than a finished panel. But those are appropriate in some kitchens and not others. In my kitchen I have a finished panel in beadboard on one cabinet (bead/tongue and grove? is on the back of my bay window seat) but the rest are the expensive upgrade Casey mentions. Are they worth the cost....personally i'd say yes...I love the look of the finished sides, but that's entirely personal. Style of kitchen should play a part in your decision as well. Your kitchen sounds like one that would benefit from finished panels (not a clean contemp kitchen) but I could be wrong there :) One big issue to consider is the counters. Are they templated or made yet? A finished panel will add 3/4" typcially to the end of the cabinet so if your counters are in place your clearance will be different on the sides than on the fronts...how do you feel about that??? You could also do finished panels (doorstyle) that are actually useful :) On the end of my island it looks like I have two doors on the end flanking the trash compactor and a bookshelf, but in reality if you open the doors you'll find a flat chalk board inside :) It's just an end panel (albiet one with doors that match my others) with a thin chalk board tucked into it :) It's one of the favorite pieces of my kitchen for both myself and my 3 year old son.

First and last one are too small and narrow for your house. I would go wider as on pic in the middle.