They screw thru the siding to the sheathing (and hopefully a stud), never just to the vinyl. They would also butt up to your existing J-channel.

If you're brave, you might post a photo of the front of your house, so people could opine on the appropriateness of shutters. Might be a reason they're unusual where you live...

IMO post a pic of your house before doing anything and from what I see I do not think screwed to the siding will be the right look.

This is the house, thanks for input!

Now that I see a close-up of the windows, I would not have shutters. Technically this is the size they should be - one half the size of the window.

Which, if you do, will end up looking like this.

I think you should think about adding some ornamental trees out in the yard.

No shutters due to installation issues...how about flower boxes under second story windows (although this may lead to installation issues too) and landscaping on front of the house and on the lawn definitely. Landscape plans can be drawn and implemented as time and money allow.

I went and bought cheap ones, they each need to be 2” wider, but besides that is this terrible? I have my heart set on shutters, but not if they look ridiculous.

Looks good but they do need to be wider, as you say.

I'm partial to raised panel shutters. Available in widths from 12-18" at the link:

https://www.architecturaldepot.com/vinyl-raised-panel-shutters.html

I bought my shutters online because there is wider selection of styles and sizes than the typical big box offerings.

Thanks! I was looking for a website with wider ones! I just bought these to make sure they would look semi ok before paying for custom.

The idea that posters keep advancing (e.g. ^^^^), namely that shutters "have" to be sized so they'd close in the middle is a myth. It only applies to real colonials. Since back then there weren't storm windows, and glass was thin and expensive, the shutters had to be closed in bad weather.

For decades now, that has been out of style. Shutters are now decorative, not functional. There are millioins more of these than colonials. The close-in-the-middle shutters are so out-of-date, they're difficult to buy., as you mention.

So, @Sarah Butler Hamilton, consider yourselves current and not colonial re-treads! The material also goes well with vinyl siding (I sure wouldn't be putting cutom wood shutters over contemporary vinyl siding).

If it had been me, I'd have chosen shutters the height of the frame, not the height of the glass, because I think it would look better, but this is about taste, my taste, and not style faux pas.

I think they look great, wider will be better. and if you love them that is all that matters. Either shutters or beefier trim. Beautiful house!

tangerinedoor,
Thank you! We are going longer and wider. When I drive around and see very few people have proper shutters and almost everyone is committing some sort of shuttter “sin” it does make me feel better. Ignorance is pure bliss :)

Jennifer Haven,
Thank you!