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Design Dilemma Exterior Home Decorating

Shutters- keep and paint or remove

last year

Hi- need advice. I don’t like the periwinkle color of the shutters against the mushroom color house.

When reading up- the shutters are not the right size- they should cover half the window size each. They are also not on hinges but screwed to the siding.

Should I remove them and if so, will the house look too plain? Should I consider changing the trim color around the window mounding? Or just the triangle accent on top? Or should I keep and repaint- I’ve attached an example with the shutters in green.

Featured Answer

mfrisbee
Original Author

12 months ago

Update- I took the shutters off and I love it as is! I’m going to replace the door to the entry porch with maybe a dark blue. Thanks for all the advice.

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Comments (18)

chloebud
last year
Definitely no shutters due the size and style of the windows. I like the white trim. Are you keeping the current siding color?
mfrisbee
Original Author
last year
Thanks Chloe! Yes- I don’t like it but not in the budget to change it at this point.
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You have plenty of room for arched, correctly-sized shutters. It's an option, not a necessity. If you do add shutters, also add them to the garage. Speak with a local cabinet maker, or try to find a local woodworkers group, custom-sized shutters are pricey.
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Agreed. Definitely remove those shutters. I’d do a new door and match the garage door to it. Pretty house.
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I see you have solar panels. To me that says low impact on the environment looking VERY big picture. Painting brick that looks great for 20 years is not BIG picture. That house will have many owners after you and by painting it, even though you will never have to do the maintenance, ensures other's will over and over in the life of a house. That is unfortunate as the value of brick is in the no maintenance. I get that it's trendy but I think there is room to embrace what's actually a feature. When you get rid of the red on the house, what's the plan for the paver walk way?
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Thank You for the comments and suggestions. The wainscoting is also in the kitchen, and a small room adjoining the kitchen dining area with a back door entrance, this room has a built in desk and will make a nice study but I will probably remove the desk if removing the wainscoting, I assume the feeling would to be to also remove the wainscoting in those rooms. The entrance from the garage into the kitchen has full length paneling, the formal dining has paper on the walls I will see if I can add pictures of this area of the house.
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palimpsest
last year
Here it is without
elcieg
last year
You are correct...everything you said about the shutters is spot on. Take them off and take of the pair at the front door and the ones over the garage.
Kendrah
last year
They all need to go. I like your siding color and the white trim.
mfrisbee
Original Author
last year
Thanks so much! Would it be weird to paint an accent color on the white triangle piece on the trim above the window?
elcieg
last year
last modified: last year
Yes, the triangle is part of the trim...keep it white.Suggestion for front door and even garage door color...(I like the color of your siding).
mfrisbee
Original Author
last year
Thanks elcieg- good advice and I do like that midnight dark gray/blue color
PRO
Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
last year
I vote for removing shutters.
arcy_gw
last year
The shutters on the door have to go NOW! The rest is 6 of one half doz. of another. The latest is no shutters and dark trim. Do what YOU like.
K Laurence
last year
Agree no shutters, however, if you remove them from the front I think you need to adress the landscape. Your house will look very plain. It appears that you have a stone walkway (?) across the front ? Perhaps you need to landscape across the front of it.
btydrvn
last year
This house has abundant architectural detail…no shutters needed..the front door( and maybe garage door??) could ..however….benefit from a pretty paint color,perhaps event the steps….to draw the eye to the entrance…adding a colorful rug…. even on the steps ….smaller matching rug/ treads… a periwinkle would be pretty
btydrvn
last year
OR your favorite color…as I just remembered periwinkle not to your taste…you do have a lot of beige which i why I suggest a pretty pop of color on garage door as well..
chloebud
last year
Do keep the triangular pieces white. No shutters on the front door, either. A different color for the front door would be nice. It’s a very cool house!

Agree with K Laurence regarding the landscaping. The front lower window would be nice with something tall planted on each side...even large pots with vines on trellises.
Beerpocketbook
last year
I love the color and the white trim. I love the simplicity of the house without any shutters. I would suggest a new front door more in keeping with the antique style of the home, painted a color you love. Also I think a new garage door, if you can swing it, with black handles/hinge type trim would look great; I think the current garage door might be too modern a style for the house.
arcy_gw
last year

Similar home in another thread....
mfrisbee
Original Author
last year
Crazy- so similar!

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