Should I add shutters to all the windows in the front of the house?

9 years ago

We are increasing the size of our living room window from 4 feet to 9
feet and centering it a bit with the layout inside. We want to have
shutters on the window to match the other windows but the shutters take
up soo much room on the exterior and don't allow for a light fixture and
house numbers next to the front door. The elevation is a little
deceiving but we are left with 5 inches of exterior wall if we have 18"
shutters.

Is it OK to not have shutters on the window or are we breaking a rule
here? If we forgoe shutters we'd have 23 inches between the door
casing and window which would allow a light fixture and house numbers.

Original house

2) 9 foot window in Living Room with shutters

3) 9 foot window in Living Room with no shutters

Featured Answer

User

9 years ago

Sorry, but the shutters are godawful and need to go. You need wider, more substantial window trim, That is really a nice ranch house, and properly connected to the earth, done in earth tones, would be at home in nature. That bright white totally doesn't suit it's bones. Much less the tropical turquoise. A nice sage green, and cedar red-brown would work wonders here.

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Comments (11)

snooopy34
Original Author
9 years ago
Anyone? :)
User
9 years ago
Seems to me that just removing all the shutters is the best option. Those singles on the left look odd to me. The tiny window on the right has no shutters.
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Anglophilia
9 years ago
I don't like shutters unless they can actually "shut" (yes, I realize that NO ONE is ever going to close them, but they don't look right if that were not possible). Obviously, you cannot have shutters that "shut" so I'd take them all off.
Herbert Bee
9 years ago
Yes, non-functional shutters are just lame. They are the architectural equivalent of a toupée.
snooopy34
Original Author
9 years ago
Sounds like everyone would take the shutters off. We really like the
charm that shutters create. We also want a white painted house. If we
take off all the shutters the house would look white and boring? You
can't see the roof because the house is on a slope so there won't even
be a contrast with the roof.

The house was built in the 1930's and originally had shutters on it. I
think the original owners put new larger windows in above the garage
and thus were left with little room to have shutters on both sides.

I'm trying to also envision something over the main doorway but I'm
not sure how to integrate it as there is a stairway to the landing and a
porch. How would it integrate into our low roof line? Any ideas?
geoffrey_b
9 years ago
Shutters are like those 'spoilers' they put on cheap cars. No functional use. What's the point?
sherwoodva
9 years ago
Snooopy, I vote for no shutters only because the two windows over the garage look odd with shutters only on the outside. As for the color, if you are in the deep south where bright colors are common, I would use whatever color you want. I am in the mid-east and sometimes miss those bright colors.
worthy
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Shutters--the finishing touch.

An architect on shutters.
Denita
9 years ago
I agree - no shutters. Read the link worthy posted above - you will never look at shutters the same way again :) Here is a lovely pic below showing how nice and uncluttered the elevation looks with large windows and no shutters.

Exterior · More Info
Amy J
9 years ago
I might be the only one here to tell you this - but keep the shutters. I like them. We changed out the shutters on our house last year (red brick - went from white to black) and I love them. I have original drawing of our house (1923) and it has always had shutters. Anyway to have an above door light fixture or mount numbers differently? Can the numbers go right on the door?