shutters should 'fit' the window when closed... even if they are merely decorative.

why put any shutters on this beautiful home?

It’s New England; you get bullied into shutters around here.

Are you suggesting that we remove the existing shutters.

I agree with Lynn. Each shutter should be half the window’s width making it difficult with double windows.

For me, shutters are an all or nothing proposition. With all those double windows, it's nothing, because of what Lyn said. This house is going to look fine without them. If you want a standard NE colonial you need to change to all single wide windows that can reasonably have shutters. But this is clearly not a older colonial, so no need to try to put it in that box.

Post a photo of the existing home. I’m guessing it will be better sans shutters. Historic homes with double windows DID have shutters- they either hinged from the center and stood 90° to the facade when open or they were bi hinged so the extra width folded behind the first shutter. But again I don’t think you need them.

I'd not use the shutters and spend the money beefing up the porch. Bigger posts, bigger lighting, full-width steps.

Shutter info: https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/residential-architecture-101-shutters/

I would not put shutters on any of the windows.

So the house came with the shutters and we painted them blue. I knew going into this the rule of size for the shutters but we thought they gave the white house a pop of color.

Please disregard the temporary electrical pole. It’s rather unsightly.

Your current shutters just don’t add anything. They don’t function as shutters and they are the wrong size. If you feel the house needs more detail punch up the landscaping.

I tbink it will look nice without shutters…can i ask, is that vinyl siding on the house and if so what brand/color is it?

Ok. I’ll have to show this evidence to my wife.

The siding is James Hardie siding. I believe Arctic White.

I'd use a flat piece of trim to the right of the garage door.

Also added larger columns and widened the steps as suggested above.

Those are great suggestions. We’re actually considering replacing those steps with granite slabs.

The garage has always driven me crazy. I wonder how difficult it out be to add the trim piece with the existing Hardie already in place?

Have you considered painting the vent peak above the secondary door the same color as the surrounding roof? It would make that spot look calmer and less busy. You don't need a prominent peak there.

Nothing looks odder, to me, than some windows with shutters, others without. I'd get rid of them all.

Deegw, I’m not sure I follow. The roof above the door on the right (closest to the garage) is clad in copper. During the project we are planning on matching that copper on the small piece of roof up and to the left of the door that is in the middle of the house.

BTW, your house is very cute, these are just nit picks :)

I wonder how difficult it out be to add the trim piece with the existing Hardie already in place?

Depends on your contractor. Hardie is a pain to work with, but it can be cut in place with the correct tools, or simply removed, sized, then reinstalled. I pulled about 300 sq. ft. on a recent job in less than an hour, and that included setting up scaffolding.

Deegw, I see what you are saying. I’m not quite sure if that could be ‘coppered’.

PFF, I often get the feeling that most contractors don’t like Hardie. I will ask them about it during the reno.

Another vote for no shutters, in case your wife needs a bigger sample group to be convinced!

We used to live in Boston and removed the shutters from our first house, a more contemporary cape style house. We had white trim and a deeper body color than yours, so the white trimmed windows popped. We did a red door.

I used to call the shutters "wasp condos" because the local wasps loved making huge nests behind them.

Our second house in Boston, a large colonial, had already had the shutters removed by the previous owners and we kept it that way.

I’m just hoping that Hardie board doesn’t fade because if it does I think we’ll have a problem once we take the shutters off.

shutters should fit the window size

Your windows are double size, so the shutters are way too skinny. You have to room to do wider shutters. if you must have them on the lower windows, please, get wider shutters.

try this size

you see the windows on the left? these shutters actually look ok even though they don't meet in the middle. they're just wider than the ones you have. Go larger

and no to adding them on the 2nd story

unless it looks like this?

No shutters and for sure never on double windows and to slap on a couple of odd shutters is just odd.

No shutters. They’re not adding anything to your lovely house.