If you plan on keeping the house color the same, a nice brown colored shutter with matching door would be a nice contrast.

I agree w katsesler...hard to notice the shutters because of the shrubs. The house looks blue in my iPad, but I think because it's a lake house, the cool colors are fine if you love them. If you don't like the shutter color then go w a natural wood shutter-say redwood or a tan.
You are very blessed to have such a darling lake house...enjoy!

My first thought when I saw the picture was, the problem is first the shrubs. What I would do, first and foremost is remove all the shrubs, but keep the river birch. It is hard to tell what is going on with the porch. So i am reserving a design comment. The picture you posted is too far from the house. I like the cottage, vintage feel of the shutters, but I would change the color to match the white trim. I really like the fresh blue color and think it works with a lake house feel. I agree with a pop of color on the door, I think a mango or acid yellow color would look great. If you are just tired of the blue, you could play off the roof color and choose a mid tone gray, keep the shutters white like the trim and still do a mango color on the door.

Your blue would look good with chocolate shutters. Like all above, I'm for removal of shrubs, but not the interesting tree. Would love a close up of the porch, or deck which it appears to be. Maybe it could be moved to the back of the house with access through French doors, and a new porch installed.

You have all been SO HELPFUL already!! I didn't even consider the Brown shutters or door. And i knew landscaping was hurting but I didn't go there first. I was just happy there were no weeds and the mulch was there! As requested- here are some close ups. Have at it!! :)

Agree with all suggestions about shrubs. Once those are gone consider removing shutters and paneling under each window to make them appear taller. Remove deck and have stairs lead down to a patio.

A deep yellow door and dark grey shutters would look good:

You don't need the yews by the garage. The windows are too low for a hedge. Instead plant black-eye susans, sedum and other perennials there. Look for large flowering shrubs for the yard and plant island beds to frome the view from inside the house.

How about a large stone patio by the entrance with a pergola? See: Or:

I think the shutters are charming. What seems off about the porch to me is that it's low to the ground and all those rails seem unnecessary. Also the large window juts out on what seems like an already narrow porch deck. I agree that a pergola or some type of portico would be a better way to give weight and interest to your entrance. Having a step or two down to a patio makes more sense than a porch. The birch tree is beautiful and once those yews are pulled out the house won't look so squat. Consider shrubs that can be contained in front of the larger expanses between windows. Endless Summer hydrangeas can be trimmed back each year or get dwarf versions of evergreens. Stick with perennials that won't grow tall under the windows. Take advantage of the knowledge at your local nursery. You'll only need 3 or 4 shrubs max. Take a photo of the house (after the yews have been pulled) with you to the nursery.
Great place. Good luck with your changes.

i would get rid of the deck railing. paint the shudders white. get rid of the the heavy bushes. and plant a nice cottage garden . soft pinks ( bleeding heart, etc) butterfly bush and some white daisies.

Are there privacy issues because the Hedge is quite high .

If you are at the Lake - you need a nice big front porch to sit on. And yes - the bushes need to go. I like the idea of a Rich deep glossy brown for the shutters - new or repaint? Add the hardware if you desire to do so. For the front door - since hopefully you will have a bigger front porch - I would lose the little lights and go for something much bigger with more glass on them, and hang lower - not so close to the roof line - will balance the smaller windows. Have you considered a louvered screen door? They come in wood - which you can stain, or metal. You could leave the front door open and no one would know and still have air circulating? it is a much nicer presentation for the front. HOWEVER, you might consider double french doors for the porch area. These would look lovely. I would also consider painting the lights (divider parts) on the doors and windows another color. This will certainly add some lovely detail and richness to your cute cottage.

Can't wait to see what you decide. keep us posted.

Dear Cottage: Immediately after I posted - I had another GREAT idea! This is a LAKE house - everyone will want to come and hang out - family, friends, other people's kids - right? SO -
instead of dealing with this as different portions of the front face - what about putting a lovely - LOW farmhouse style front porch ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE FRONT?

Lake is casual - company oriented - neighbor friendly place - nothing says Welcome like a cool - low slung front porch! Ends the landscape deliema next to the house - and will provide you with a another room basically. IF light is not an issue for the house - you could do a porch with a deep overhang? If light is an issue - then it could be more upright - even surpaassing the roof line in the middle where the front door is.

You could do wonders with front porch across front - find locally made furniture to decorate with? Place a trellis (or framed lattice panel at one end) with lovely roses, or something like a trumpet vine ,or a beatifully scented jasmine? You could roof the porch in modernized tin roof - to provide color - or match the existing roof color?

Find old antique pieces to use for entertaining on the porch? Retro pillows - a porch swing - something which says WE LIVE HERE! I have seen some lovely front porch swings which are the size of small twin beds - LOTS of room for that drowsey end of day at the lake nap - this will also provide an opportunity to provide LOTS of color - or keep neutral .

I would still paint the shutters and the window lights - and create a focal point around the front door - there are TONS of places to order reproduction vintage screen doors - if wanting to be really re-done - add a larger front door - like a double and put a two doored screen door on the front - elicits the feeling of having been there forever - like an old general store?

Add some horse troughs in galvanized steel for planters, and place smaller landscape materials around the base of the porch - an assortment of grasses - very low maintenance - with some flowers which will always return - like beuatiful Iris. There are TONS of colors of Iris - you could have them match your house ?

If low slung is not your style with broad low front steps - try a higher pitched roof line for the porch, using cedar shakes (they last longer) or the same metal roof - and have a center focal pitich installed with a large light fixture in the middle to give height to the porch.

We go a lot to a lake in the North Georgia Mountains - and it breaks my heart to see multimillion dollar lake homes , like a suburb of Atlanta - when the best is always the little lake cabins and old houses which have been tenderly loved into still exisiting with enhancement of their basic charms.

Your house is charming, and wonderful looking. I would definitely enhance its basic charms, open up the front to welcoming all - which IS the fun of being at the lake. Also, I do not know what your climate might be - but TREX now has a full line of products for plain ole' front porches - this is SO much less maintenance. In fact we are going to install TREX for our front porch floor for our 1896 victorian cottage - since this IS the south - regular wood is a LOT to handle and must be regularly replaced no matter how well it is maintained. In fact TREX also has an entire line for Victorian porches - but this is a little too NON-traditional for me. We will just use the flooring material - which can now be stained and re-finished to its original color if it should fade.

Please let us know - WHAT you decide to do - I know it it will beautiful :-)

sorry to come back again - but when I was speaking of porch across front - that would be a porch without railings. Railings would just be too much and your house is low to ground .

Was also thinking about landscaping which would not take too much time or intense maintenance:
black eyed susans are hardy - and finches love the seeds. Day Lillies come in a host of colors and now can be used for lining sidewalks as they have new varieties which are smaller. If you are farther north - what about some beautiful lilacs & peonys - love cooler weather.. Farther south - crepe myrtles and iris? All of these plant materials are pretty drought resitant and make beautiful highlights.

Thanks everyone! The front of the house that you're looking at faces the road.. the lake side is on the backside of the house and that's actually perfect and charming and I wouldn't change a thing! I am going there today at noon and let me tell you.. the FIRST thing I m going to do when I arrive is pull out those darn bushes by the garage, then go directly to the nursery and get them on the hydrangeas, black eyed susans and such. I love all the ideas about the porch not needing railings and I think the chocolate brown is a super idea. More to come!!! You guys rock

Is your siding vinyl or wood? If it is wood, you can attach a wide piece of wood trim vertically about three feet to the left of your front door and the same on the opposite side of your large window. If you paint the area between them white like your front door, you will make the entrance seem automatically larger. Try out the idea with duck tape and see how you like it. Lots of great ideas going here on the hydrangeas, etc.

I have noticed that a porch on house really sells a house if you ever have to do so. If you build it now, you can enjoy it for years. I always recommend that people travel through nice neighbors and see what color combinations catch their eyes. That way they can view on an actual house what might be a possibility.

I agree , this house needs a porch/portico/verandah....the front is way to slabsided..

Hi everyone! Wanted to let you see Step #1 based on many of your suggestions! Looks 10x better without any of those yews! Landscaping to come- in the spring with new shutters

Hi everyone! Wanted to let you see Step #1 based on many of your suggestions! Looks 10x better without any of those yews! Landscaping to come- in the spring with new shutters

Thank you for letting us know. New Porch? (smaller version?) new light fixture - bigger version? glad you are keeping us posted. Yeah!