Black shutters and a red door would be classy. I would also paint the front step railings black. What about painting the garage door and trim to blend in with your brick?

Here is your picture for everyone to view. You just need to copy the HTML into the message.

Is there a good reason for what appears to be iron bars over your window next to the garage? It makes me think you live in a baaaad neighborhood. It also makes me think you can't exit through that window if there's a fire. Can you remove it and put a windowbox of flowers under that window instead?

I agree shutters would be nice on the windows, and a color on your front door. I'd like to do more to dress up the front door area but this picture doesn't give us a great view of what's going on up there. Are those stairs brick or are they grey concrete? If the latter, how about a concrete stain? We just had a thread about that a few days ago. Here...

Here is a link that might be useful: Stained Cement

gk5040, Thanks for your advice! I love the idea of painting the garage door to blend in with the brick

oceanna, You're right about the bars, but they're on a basement window, and we do live in New York, so it's extra security! I do plan on camoflaging them soon. I guess I just got used to them. The stairs are bricks but with concrete slabs on top, and theyre relatively new, so painting them is not an option. Thanks for the link though

If the bars are just in a basement, could you put them on the inside? (Or is that completely crazy?!)

Actually I could have them placed inside but to be honest I really don't need them at all so I probably will have them removed.Like I said I just grew accustomed to them and forgot they were there but I do realize they are ugly and give a bad impression. I really would appreciate any other suggestions people have that might improve the exterior of my home. That walkway towards the front door is long and narrow and so bare looking but I don't know what to do with it. Also can anyone suggest a good paint color that would help the garage blend in with the bricks as gk5040 suggested. Thanks again to everyone for the advice.

How about leaving the garage door as is and painting the trim around the g.door/front door and shutters in black with front door in red. I can't imagine black shutters, red door and brown garage door. One of the colors will have to go. I also like the idea of painting the hand rail in black to match. Can you add some small plants along the walkway? And how about a bigger light fixture by the door? black iron?
If you really want to paint the garage door, color match it to the bricks and then paint the shutters and front door black. It looks like you have some black in your bricks.

I like many of the suggestions so far. At first, I didn't think painting the garage door would be a good idea because it would, in effect, chop the house in half horizontally, but that might actually look pretty good. At least the darker color is on the bottom which is more "grounding." I don't think you necessarily have the paint the garage door the brick color. A color that will blend in might be better.

I'd consider an ornamental grass for in front of that lower-story window to soften all the edges and angles in that corner. It looks like the width of that patch of grass is perfect size for an ornamental grass.

If you're into window boxes, one placed under your main window makes sense because of all that bare space under it. However, it might be a bit much going in with shutters. Do the shutters first, then decide.

I'd place potted flowers on your stairs on the right-hand side. It would provide a welcome to the door and help fill in the space a bit, provide color and texture overall...

You have a great project here. A little bit of work that will make a big impact. :)

Here's a bunch of stuff to see on your charming little house : ) Maybe a decorative scrolling iron grille for the window (and one that's made to release in an emergency), although I think you can work with it without covering it with a shrub. This one is similar to some we have around here on an old building converted into apartments. I was just admiring them today! Maybe there's room for a small flowering tree. I've used a dogwood -- sometimes they stay rather small, sometimes not. Not sure if it's a variety thing or not. A gray flagstone would be pretty on the walkway if that's just blacktop now (first two pics).

If the upper windows open in, I'd be wanting a window box there also, because I adore them : )

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Lush, evergreen pachysandra in lieu of the grass, with annuals:

Nice job ..as usual squirrel! Mimi was considering the bottom half (garage door) painted dark, blending with bricks. I do think the white garage door is distracting, wondering if you *squirrel* could PS some pictures like that.

Mima, thanks about the stairs -- I just couldn't see them all that well in that little picture. For the grating over the window, if you feel better about it for security I dunno if they make prettier ones, or maybe camouflage it or take the eye away from it. Then again, if everyone in your neighborhood has them, maybe nobody really sees them.

I guess I am going to be the lone voice against adding shutters to this house. Two shutters on a row of four windows looks funny to me. Shutters should look as if they are functional, even if they are not. I love the front door change, agree with losing the bars on the window, and think that a lush planter at the top of the stair landing would go a long way.

You are so good Squirrel. I like the last one. Instead of painting the rail black, would a black/gray be softer? The shutters on bottom window only work really well, as does the flower box.

And I actually like the classic garage door. Could you add some carriage hinges to it (there are add ons which do not affect the current door function), match the iron stair railing?

Oh my goodness I cannot believe how beautiful you made my little plain house look! Thank you SO much squirrelheaven. I don't know which picture I like best-they are all such a drastic improvement.My husband is amazed also and now we can't wait to get started. The upper windows actually open out but maybe I could still do window boxes.... I love the red door-and the small tree in the front.It's fascinating to me how such small details transformed the whole look!I promise you all I will post more pictures to let you see the progress. Thanks again to everyone.

I'm going to strongly urge you to NOT put shutters on your window!!! They will look sorely out of place since they will be serving NO purpose other than making it look like you have 2 extra narrow windows.

I hate, hate, HATE seeing shutters on windows where they have no relation to the size of the window. Shutters should only be used on windows where they can give the appearance of being used if needed.

Folks usually add shutters where they have no business being because they feel the windows feel "naked". Well.... add beefier trim, paint the trim a different color, add a decorative header or sill, etc......just don't opt for the easiest cop-out and throw up shutters.

Can you tell I have real issues w/ this?! :) I am a garden designer that often gets asked to work on curb appeal. I can't tell you the flack I get when I insist on getting rid of shutters on picture, bow, bay, etc. windows! Everyone thinks that the house will be so bare until we start looking at the other options. It really opens the homeowners eyes to bad use of shutters on other houses they see!

One other way to look at the issue....

Rare is the house that has shutters on the windows on the other 3 sides of their house. Hello! No one ever sees the sides or the back? Why is it just the FRONT that gets all the attention when the sides and back get just as much viewing?!

Sorry to rant at you like this, but it is my mission in life to get rid of useless, needless exterior shutters!

Thank you. I will step off of my soapbox. ;)

Syllabus! Yikes : ) I agree no shutters on these windows, nor grids. I think the lamps do the trick if they're able to do that, and it adds a lot of charm and character. I do like shutters on the lower window, though, and think that window area is very pretty with shutters, a flower box, and even the existing grille.

How about working on cheap vinyl siding and lousy, mismatched roofing while you're at it : )) Oh, and vinyl fencing.

Thanks emagineer! and you're welcome mima : )

Syllabus : Thank you for your advice about the shutters-I do appreciate it but the thing is, I REALLY like how they look. Now is there anything else you would suggest instead ? Is there any way to make them look functional or am I reaching here? I am posting a pic of the side of my house for you because you really got me thinking and since we live right of the corner of a busy intersection this is the view a lot of people see of my home. As you can see it is boring and oh so white, but redoing the siding is not possible for a few years. I think this is why I wanted shutters so much.

Wisrose: Thanks for asking about the garage door-I would love to paint it a different color but with red bricks ,white siding and black railings, what color would look best?

squirrelheaven : Thanks again and could you point me towards what color of red paint you used on the front door? I really like it a lot.

how about a scrolly wrought iron thing on each end of the windows instead of shutters?

i do like the lamps also and the flower boxes

no go on those shutters

Mima, I was thinking, just as I was opening this thread and remembering Syllabus's mission, which I can certainly relate to : ) -- it is totally about what pleases your eye, not anyone else's. I'm a shutter girl, myself, long as they're not too skinny. Although I could live without them on your upper, modern windows, I don't really mind them so much. They grew on me after a bit, I think after getting some of the other things going on. The whole house just looks so pretty!

Maybe you can post a front-view of the side of the house so we can see what's going on there and how it relates to the front and drive.

Will have to check the fandecks I have to see where the red might fall. I see a bit of a berry, blue red.

The shutters look good and the mock-up Squirrel did with the dogwood is great. The shutters make the window look more to scale with the exterior wall. As a unit (window and shutters), it also looks more in proportion to the wide walkway and stairway. I like it.

The shutters on the top windows really added to a good look.
I also liked the grids in the windows.
Go back and look at the picture with shutters and grids.
What a difference that made.
Not everyone agrees on the same thing. Go with what
appeals to you .

Squirrel, dang your good !

I think the whole shutter thing is kind of funny. There are times where they look "off" but many times they add needed weight proportionally to an exterior. We haven't truly needed them in years in most areas, so it's funny that some people still feel we shouldn't use them unless they're functional (or appear to be functional). We have many decorative items indoors that aren't functional -- what's the difference outdoors if it is pleasing to the eye? And in the same vein, a lot of landscaping isn't functional, but just decorative plants/flowers that set the house/setting off. So I think the same of shutters: if they look nice on a home, I say go for it.

As for the sides and back of a house, the front is almost always treated differently (in landscaping as well) because the entry deserves a grander entrance. I think it's logical to not treat them all equally. JMO, of course!

In this case, I do really like the large lanterns (and that would be my first choice), but I also think the shutters add something to the front and it looks better with them than as bare as the house was in the first pic. And ultimately, Mima, if you like it, go for it!

Syllabus, my you sure do feel strongly about shutters! Many of us like them on our own houses, and I think they look great in the pics Squirrel did of Mima's house.

I read what you said, but can you post some before and after pictures to show us some examples, please?

Thanks so much ladies : )) I'm so glad others like shutters too! even if they're not functional. Tweaking the window panes here. I think the grid pattern was too small and busy in the other arrangement. This looks really good to me. Here's the dogwood again (suppose I should have pruned a bit so the door peeks more) and also showing the window and path behind the dogwood too. This time it's off-center and includes the pachy and flow of annuals. I like the siding area above the garage door painted to blend with the brick.

{{!gwi}}

Normally, I only like shutters when they could theoretically cover the windows. So for example, I dislike shutters that are too narrow to cover their windows. In this case though,
I like the way they look. I vote for the windows without the grids.
If you put a window box on the second floor, how will you water the plant in it? Usually window boxes need to be watered every day in the summer. I'm also wondering how the garage door would look in a darker color - on my monitor the brick looks brownish. So perhaps the color that squirrel has above the door. I think the house is cute to begin with, and I like the virtuals. Good luck.

Squirreheaven, guess what? We are so impressed with the flagstone walkway in your pics that we have decided to get it done! I am so excited. Tomorrow I will take a better picture of the whole walkway so you can see it. This was not something we had even considered and yet it is my husband's favorite part of all the pics.
I appreciate everyone's response to the shutter dilemma and although I value Syllabus' and others advice I am going to get them. They just do something to the front of the house that I like.
Lynn- the windows on the main floor, where the flower boxes will be, open up so watering shouldn't be a problem although I doubt if I could ever have plants that look as plush and healthy as those in the pictures!

This has been my first time to ever post on Gardenweb and I am thrilled by the experience. Thank you all.

Wow mima...thrilled, I should say so!!!! You are surely off to a great start on here...welcome! Squirrel you did it again! Took a plain jane with potential and gave it such curb appeal. I love the tree in the groundcover. I love the shutters, even though i have been known to stick up my nose at the non- -funtionals stuck on one track house after another. These just give it something, as does the window box. Way to go!

I vote for shutters, they give the wall balance and add a certain charm and coziness, the window box is especially a delight. The whole package, a proud place to call home.
Mima..I think 'you' have to find a color that will match, everybody's monitors don't show true color, just pick up some color chips and start there.

WOW, Squirrel, those last two are AMAZING!!! I think you've made this house *so* appealing that I'd do without the tree just to show it off! I love the shutters and lanterns and think the upgraded garage door makes all the difference! GREAT job (as usual)!

the shutters with the gridded windows and the lights now looks awesome!! amazing what a few small changes can do! The garage door also looks so much better.
Good luck Mima with your project!

These are so beautiful, squirrelheaven! You have done it again. Love the shutters. And totally agree on your comment on cheap vinyl siding and fences. lol.

I love everything, but especially the flowering dogwood. A small tree will really soften up the area. I love window boxes but could never keep anything growing in them. I think it was all the heat that reflects off the windows. Anyway, my other thought is if the windows open outward you will need to have short and trailing flowers/vines. Otherwise when you open the window you will crush them.

mima, you have so much potential there. Good luck and keep us posted with your progress!

IÂm back! :)

My comments earlier were not intended to insult nor to criticize the taste or values of anyone here. IÂm very sorry if anyone felt I was doing so. I am by no means an expert in the subject of architecture, but do love the science and math of it and have enjoyed much reading and research through the years.

Shutters have become the standard "fast food" of exterior details. They are relatively cheap, easy to find and install, and have become an expected element on homes of any style. I blame the cookie-cutter builders who began (many, many years ago) the trend by convincing homebuyers that shutters added the upscale touch to their more modest abodes.

Of course shutters today rarely ever are truly functional, but they are universally expected and therefore added whether they are appropriate to the architecture or not. We have allowed ourselves to be led to believe that a home is bare or naked if we lack them. There is little appreciation for simplicity for its own sake.

Ideally, if you add shutters, they should fit the scale of the window. The individual panel should be a minimum of half the width of the window so the pair gives the faux appearance of figuratively covering the window if closed (to keep out the Indians or the bad weather!). Extremely narrow windows would have just 1 shutter mounted on one side that would give the faux appearance of covering that window if closed.

Of course we should be allowed to do to our own homes what pleases us. As stated by another poster, our homes and yards are full of items that serve no other purpose other than to please us. There is no law banning shutters from being applied to windows that historically would have never had them, but by adding them we are simply extending the misconception that they are necessary for the home to look complete.

In my business, I work w/ homeowners to find both economical and environmentally sound ways to increase the curb appeal of their homes. Sometimes it takes a lot of imagination on all our parts to come up w/ a plan.

Squirrel has done (as usual!) a beautiful rendition plan for you. I wish you and your husband joy in carrying out the total vision. Please keep us posted as you update.
:)
Syl

WOW Syllabus. I understand YOU don't like shutters, but for heaven's sake let the rest of us have our own opinions about them. Until there's a law that says a home owner can only have shutters to batten down the hatches, so to speak, I believe we all have the right to place them on any type or size of window on our own homes if it so pleases us.
If you carry on with your customers like you did with dear Mima I can only guess how few recommendations you'll be getting. Please RELAX. It's nothing to get so wound up about. You'll have yourself a coronary if you aren't careful. If you find yourself so unhappy with what other's like my suggestion would be to close that message and move on to one that pleases you. Life is way to short to get so riled over something really insignificant in the whole scheme of things. You'll live a much happier and peaceful life my dear.

Just: I'm very sorry if my additional comments again caused offense where truely none was intended. I was just stating my opinion as was asked by the OP. Perhaps my written words come across more harsh than I intend them to. I am actually quite relaxed in person and enjoy the banter of differing opinions. I sincerely hope that I will never have a coronary caused by a decorative issue. ;)

I truely do like what Squirrel has provided for Mima and hope she and her husband enjoy the changes when they are made. She provided exactly what Mima asked for and has made her happy and that is all that matters.

My clients and I usually have a lot of fun brainstorming. I have a waiting list due to my ability to provide a good service at reasonable cost. I often bow to their desires whether it fits my vision or not because it is their home and not mine and I know the difference. But I am also often able to provide them w/ a new way of looking at a situation and solving it in an unusual way.

Mima: My apologies to you and anyone else that I have inadvertantly angered or offended.

Wow, Mima, that is great and amazing news about the walkway! : )) I pulled it out for most of the pics thinking it was one of those things that just wasn't gonna be happening! How nice to hear so many others like it, too :) Your house is a hit, Mima!

I have a couple links for you. Since you don't have many shutters to do, maybe you could do something really special. The Timberlane site has gorgeous shutters.

Here's a garage door gallery to browse also. Obviously carrying high-end lines, but there may be more affordable ones too : ) I tried another one on the last virtual. I think the hardware style on this one, as well as the block panels looks really nice.

Architectural Shutters

Architectural Garage Doors

Here's a pic showing how the shutter size compares to the window size. Then I widened them to what seemed to be closeable, although then thought they were still too narrow for closing. The last virtual might be the accurate closing size.

I think the wider #2 looks nice, too, but the last one is just too wide for me. I just don't like the proportions. They look too wide even if they would be appropriately working shutters. There are a few people around here that have done the closeable width, and they aren't nicely proportioned to the windows, aesthetically, imo. #1 or #2 looks pleasing to me. Although the lower shutters are also a consideration --how much of the brick to the sides would be covered with wider shutters (looking crammed on that portion of the facade).

HTH!

{{!gwi}}

Hi again I just spent the day out looking at shutters and garage doors so thank you squirrelheaven for that timely link. I think the garage door is easier to figure out! I was stuck on what width of shutter to get but after seeing your pics I agree that the last ones are too wide so I now know what to order. I cannot wait to see how this all comes together and I will definitely keep you updated. Again I don't know how to thank you.
Syllabus-Don't worry, you never offended me at all. I respect your dedication to something you care about and I thank you for your opinion.My husband actually agrees with you but when he looked at the photos on here he changed his mind.

You're welcome! Finding myself useful here is payday : )

No offense here either, Syllabus, as you are obviously passionate about your field, rather than condescending, I'm sure you know what I mean : ) Shutter size is most definitely important and a struggle for many. Some of us don't think there is only way, though, unless of course they need to be functional! : ) I seem to prefer the look of shutters to be just a bit smaller than the window portion or a bit smaller than half of the window when there are two (that's when they don't overlap the window capping at all though -- just laid to the side of the window the way they are done today, not originally : ) Curious, I should try the other type install and see where I end up, too. There are always exceptions though. I wouldn't typically think shutters on these type windows. You are right on the mark to point out other options to clients. I do think the house looks awesome though : ) and it's what the client likes. One of my relatives says to do fold-backs if going smaller than a functional size.

I meant to try other options but haven't. Who knows, maybe they'd like that better! Maybe we should start a gallery thread & discussion (doesn't get deleted like on this side of the board) to see how to make things work when the elimination of shutters makes the house look too bare.

Curious, Mima, are you thinking panes also? I really like the panes : ) There are add-on grids available that attach in various ways.

btw, Mima, while you're planning in real life ... on the upper landing, I was envisioning the flagstone also, maybe bordered if that's what the steps do. My mind was seeing concrete from the photo but maybe it's actually a beautiful brick or something : )

I can't imagine doing these things without drawings : ) Maybe that's why we see some of the mishaps we do!

Squirrelheaven-You are right it is concrete-no beautiful brick unfortunately. Here are some other pics of it close up. Sorry about how bare everything looks-I can't wait to get planting. Do you think the porch area will look good with the flagstone also?

Yes I really like the panes on the windows and we will do those. The only thing we are not sure about is the lights on either side of the window. I know everyone here really likes them so we want to do all the other things first and see how it looks.

As far as the shutters go, each of those four windows is 20 and 3/4 inches wide so what width do you think each shutter should be?

I have to tell you, my son says that since everything you are visualizing for us we are going to get-maybe you could put in a Ferrari in the driveway for him! Just Kidding!!

Thanks for your continued interest and help.
-Mima

Front Porch:

Front Walkway: