I would wait until you have the landscaping in then decide. The house looks fine to me but I can envision the sweeping lawn with a large shade tree or two and some colorful shrub and flower borders along the front of the porch (be sure to use some scented flowers for when you sit in the rocking chairs) and maybe a small water feature for sound in the evenings. Good luck.

I would add narrow shutters with an accent color of your choice.

Lovely wrap around porch by the way.

the upper windows look a bit pale but they are too closely spaced for shutters to go on.

I would have to agree it looks beautiful right now once the lanscaping is completed you can take a picture and decide.

Add black shutters. For a more finished look.

I would bulk up the pillars too. By adding stone about 4 ft up. Then paint them black.

Thanks for the feedback.

Grammaunicorn- Waiting is a good idea, and the view will change again once final grading/plantings are in.

Nnirgt - that was my concern as well. I wasn't sure if it would look off to just put a shutter on the far left and far right? What do you all think of that? I wasn't thinking about spacing for shutters when we were planning.

Nancy - yes, I was leaning toward black too. I'm trying to go for a classic look and it's taking much restraint!

Thanks again for the help everyone!

Nancy - we did consider brick at the base of the columns, but simple wood posts won. Our kids have already been leaning against them for eating snacks on the porch, and I was just thinking the other day that I was glad we went with wood, otherwise, it would be painful to lean against brick!

shutters should be the right height and the right width to cover the window they are shuttering. i'd consider painting the sashes or trim boards a color other than white if its all feeling a bit stark. i'm not saying stark is bad, but if you are thinking stark is bad, then maybe all white isnt what you want.

I absolutely love the exterior of your house! I'm going to be painting mine all white too. If you do end up going with shutters (although I think it looks great without them), I do agree with a few of the other folks that black ones would look great. They'd pop against the white and tie in nicely to your roof.

Speaking of your roof, we are going to be doing a black one too, but haven't picked it out yet. Do you mind sharing what color/brand you chose? Is it all black or is it a mix of grays/charcoals?

Thanks, and best of luck!

i was just google image searching for white farmhouses. some with shutters some not. i think you should stick with EXACTLY what you have, or it wont be a farmhouse any more. i do like these little blocks on the bottom of the columns tho.

houses can always be gussied up to no end but something is lost.

Have you thought about window boxes on the upper windows? That would add a splash of color in the spring and summer and could be decked out in evergreen boughs for fall and winter, a simple string of lights for Christmas and you are set. I really don't like the idea of shutters unless they are needed, I am having a tough time trying to get my hubby to remove the ones on our top floor as they really need a coat of paint! If they weren't there we wouldn't have to worry about upkeep! And flowers are so much nicer.

I think the 2nd story windows look lost mainly because of the placement of things on the lower story. The windows are nicely symmetrical around the apex of the roof. Beneath them, the door is off center and the posts are on spacings that don't relate to "bays" of the house because they span the additional width of the wrap-around porch. You can't move the front door now, but you could maybe add something tall and narrow to the left of the door? A tall plant, a wreath, banner, light fixture, I don't know what, to bring the front door back on "center" and get a visual mass centered beneath the upper center window. Maybe it's also possible to change the porch post spacing so it is symmetrical around the roof apex, then add the last posts for the wrap-around on their own spacing. This kind of thing, though, always looks different to eyes and cameras than it does on paper.

Love your house just the way it is!

bailey - love your home! the functional shutters are really great and add a lot of character. looks great.

nnirght - i think the starkness feels a bit too much right now - mainly because I don't have any grass or plants or trees around the home for my eye to wander over. the picture you found is actually my favorite farmhouse picture, and the one i based this design off of!

grammaunicorn - window boxes!! oh, bless you for mentioning those! i used to dream of having window boxes when i was a little girl and that just might give me the color and pop! that front gable needs. thank you! i'll have to run it by DH ...

elaine - yes, my DH (who is an engineer) tried very, very hard to get the plan to work to center that front door. And yes, the column placement was the best we could do to minimize it being "off-set". I do plan to put a large ceramic planter (maybe 3' high) with seasonal flowers to the left of the door. The lights are up now (still need to take a picture!) and we have lantern style sconces across the front, with one on each side of the door.

stephanie - i debated for a long time about the black shingles. ours are certainteed moire black. they are pretty much black with only a slight variation. we get full southern sun, and the roof actually can look more dark charcoal gray when the sun is super bright, but reads black for the rest of the day! good luck!

thanks everyone. i really do love the simplicity of the farmhouse style. can't wait to move in and call this home!

Boy, what a beauty. I'm in agreement with most posters. Don't do anything until you have the landscaping done & have lived in it awhile. So Lovely & you designed it? What a talent.

Balance is over rated. I like the off set of the wrap around porch. If it really bothers you try planting a columnar growing tree with a white bark set as far to the left as the farthest post on the right. If you could find a fragrant tree for the spot it would be perfect and the porch would have a lovely aroma as well. If you can't find the right color go for the scent, maybe a lilac (the palest one you can find) they are very farm house looking.

Beautiful house. Off center door is nice. I'm also building all-white farmhouse style. I'm not doing shutters but have beefier trim. Yours looks nice and simple as is, good idea to wait on shutters. They could look really nice if done right, though. NOT skinny, NOT vinyl, NOT one on each end. It is okay if they overlap in the center. They should be able to cover the window as though you needed them to. Shutters can be beautiful but are so often done wrong that they are beginning to be synonymous with tacky. http://www.oldhouseguy.com/shutters/

Window boxes are also often done wrong and can look shabby and pathetic if they are. Do your research on proper box size and plantings. Upstairs window boxes you don't see much, maybe Bc Maintenance is a pain.

Idk...plus you have to swap plantings throughout the season... http://houzz.com/photos/2330394 looking at the size of windows I doubt your shutters will overlap. They could draw eye away from door, too.

These are done right: http://houzz.com/photos/1387491

We are building a brick farmhouse and originally I thought I wanted shutters, but now I think there is something sweeter about the simplicity of the house without shutters. I think your home has that same sweetness. I would advice you to not use shutters.

No i would not. Keep it simple and clean. Once you paint a door, and put landscaping and potted plants you wont need any.

Love it as it is.

Add rocking chairs on porch, plant shade tree and some landscaping. It's gorgeous just the way it is!

Keep it as is. Great classic design. I think once you add your finishing touches - landscaping, rocking chairs, a few planters....it'll be perfect!

Keep it classic and simple.

I like the it the way it is! Looks more modern farmhouse where I think shutters would make it look more traditional farmhouse.

Love, love, love, this house! It is exactly what I would like to build- could you help me with specs (bed, bath, sq ft, ect) or maybe even a floor plan?

You all are so kind!!

Thanks for the pictures of farmhouses with and without shutters. It's helpful to scroll back and forth between them. i keep going back to the ones that do not have shutters.

gramma - thanks for the tip about lilac. the offset columns don't bother me and i think it's growing on my DH. I'm going to be stalking the garden side of the forums for ideas just like that once we get moved in. the 'building a home' forum is SO great, but I am about ready to think about something different!

tonia - the rocking chairs are coming. would you all laugh if i told you my husband is a great banjo player?! so, he's been dreaming of a pickin' porch like this for years and we'll be on the hunt for the perfect rocking chairs this summer.

knaoconnor - i'm glad you like it. i'm not quite sure about sharing the plans (you are the first to ask and i just haven't thought about it), but it is a 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath, approx. 2600 sf above ground, with full basement (to be finished at some point). we raised the house up about 4' so we could more easily get light into the basement - which is why the house sits so tall.