This house is more about paint and landscape. It looks as if there is a wainscot around the base....is that stone or brick? If it is a natural material that has been painted, I'd start there, to see if you can unearth the original material, then paint accordingly. What is the material above the wainscot everywhere except the storefront part?

Are you able to research and see if there are any photos of how it looked when first constructed? Personally, I'd vote against shutters being added to this house,.

I think shutters would be too busy if you go back to the lush landscaping. They would look good if you kept the landscaping low as it is now. I vote for the lush landscaping without shutters.

No shutters. Paint and landscaping. Great old house! Are you using the store as an actual store?

You might try painting the detailing over the windows a darker contrasting color which will give the windows some interest and depth. Do some research on the actual style of the home and what paint colors would have been original to this type of architecture.

I think the shutters will look too busy and out of place on this lovely classical home. Love the fact that you will be restoring this farmhouse.

Best of luck!

I detect some really handsome trim work (swags) over the windows. I'd play that up with a thoughtful paint scheme. Shutters are correct on many styles of home... but they ain't the "livin' end"!

Is this house in southeastern Montana?

@ catieb - The entire exterior of the house is stone with the exception of the wood facing on the upper part of the general store. Lots of wainscoting inside though. I'm looking into archives for more images. I've seen about a hundred photos of the house and it still looks exactly as it does now.

@ mfwolf - No, the house is 30min from Toronto, Canada.

It's tough when there are no other (original) standing houses in this now ghost town to compare it . It was the only house to survive a fire in 1875.

If there is a local historical society they may have photos of the area from many eras and since your place was a General Store and also survived the fire, they may have some of it.

The steep gable on the original portion of the building is common in Maine, too. There were a couple of lovely examples of that style just south of my home. Sadly, they've been razed and replaced with homogenous nothings, but I understand why that happened, too!

A cool paint job is going to be your best friend. What a fabulous home! I would love to have a storefront like yours, too.

@ parsleycarrots - It is currently being used as a contemporary art studio by the previous owner (photos below). We're planing on making the main floor our great room and the 2nd floor as a master bedroom. It would be lovely as a store since it has the original shelving.

NO TO SHUTTERS - has a classic look already!

I agree with Design with Distinction. I think it is only the windows in the General Store portion, though. Neat place. Lucky you.

I appreciate all of this input so, thank you! What I find interesting is all the paint comments. Now, what areas of the house would you paint? Just the window detailing, all of the stone area? ... and what colours do you envision? I guess I was trying to bring colour into it originally with shutters but, now you all have me thinking. Thank you again!!

Gothic Victorian…very nice. I say no to the shutters.


Was the left part of the house a store or post office at one time? I can imagine some kind of sign on the top.

Yes, the left was the general store and post office. The 2nd floor was the dance hall/ tavern and it had the town name across the wood facing above the second floor. We were thinking of putting the name back on.

How cool! Thanks for sharing.

We had an old Gothic Revival building in our town. Same thing…grocery store downstairs and a “everything hall” upstairs with beautiful hardwood floors. Building is still there, but it has been modernized…boo hoo.

As Design With Distinction, LLC suggested, and is clearly demonstrated in the second picture of the house, the windows do have a darker paint detailing. It look beautiful, I'd do that and forget about shutters. Your home is amazing!

Yikes! What happened to the landscaping?

I don't think shutters are appropriate on this style of building. I'd stick with a more imaginative color scheme. You might try The Color People out of Denver. They can do "mail order" consulting. You can find them on Houzz.

PS: Recreating the decorative railing on the second story (as seen in photo #2) would also look great.

It's still there but, I can see how it gets lost with all the white and no greenery

What about a large but simple medallion of some sort on the tall wall of the "general store" section, where it is so blank. That is the part that looks kind of empty.

This is how it use to look

I agree that a Gothic style house should not have shutters. It looks like the store front gable was different in the photo with the landscape.

freshen it up with a nice coat of paint, no shutters on this beauty though... If you need to insulate too and do the exterior at the same time look into a stucco/EIFS like finish which would do both and make the building look great

Wonderfully unique. If it originally had shutters, which it prob ably did: you will see filled in notches in the woodwork where the hinges were. If it did have shutters why not set a goal to replace them. Depending on cost I would maybe do the first floor front-next year do 2nd floor front ect. until they are all replaces. I would look to it's history and let it lead me. Have you scraped the siding? It is entirely possible it was not originally white. Some times you can find the original paint color by sanding or scraping old layers of paint off. Could be what is missing is the correct colors and placement of colors. I can tell you love this place careful study and it may speak to you and tell you what it needs. Bill Gantt

There's no siding on the house (just the wood facing at the top of the general store) and I've come to the conclusion the house was always white (according to photos). You're completely right when you say "Let it speak to you". Thank you

I might have a stencil done above the 3 front windows; something in the proper time period. You could have so much fun with it and add more uniqueness to your lovely home.

I thought it was a frame house , is it painted brick? The roof line looks victorian gothic.

I am beyond jealous right now! The second pic is perfect, and that would be my goal if I owned this house. Congratulations, and my deepest appreciation for taking on the responsibility of maintaining this gem.

No! no shutters. lots of lovely architecture to highlight with paint. go that way and the house will shine

Painting and landscaping will bring this ageless beauty back.

No shutters. I'd put the name back on... and I'd move into that old general store/currently studio in a heartbeat. With some fencing in front of the house part to give it character and some careful planting, it could be just so gorgeous...

Instead for shutters you could do with a landscaping .More plants and some colorful shrubs and flowering plants Will really add character to your home.

I was going to go with shutters until i seen pic submitted by iamjudy. It undoubtily changed my answer. The fencing makes the front very attractive...no shutters wanted, nor needd

I say "YES" to shutters. By the way, lovely house.

Even if this was always white you can still research the style and era to come up with historic colors and use them to create a color scheme to bring out the details. There are programs out there that will allow you to import a photo and try the manufacturers colors. That or a color consultation.

Love the idea of putting on the town name. What a wonderful legacy to have the one remaining piece of history. Please let us see your progress. I'd love to have this building for my live/work residence!

OK, gotta put in a plug for one of my very favorite things... AWNINGS. The second floor windows (dance hall) are screaming for them!

Yes, they are "work"; they go up in the springtime and come down in the fall. But they are so cool and so "correct" for the era of your handsome home. Make sure the height and the projection are the same and make sure they're rigged for pulleys. That way you can raise them fully. (useful in heavy winds)

@ okdokegal - Yes! :) We're moving our master bedroom to the dance hall and our great room will be on the main floor of the general store. The residence side will be for guests.

Again, I appreciate everyones time and wonderful ideas.

Lovely place.

Elle Patille, just by looking at your home you receive a sense of history! What a beautiful and interesting home having been the only home to survive the fire.

Although many houzzers are saying no to the shutters, we think that they may spruce up the exterior but it is truly up to you and your design preferences. Shutters add a historical touch to anybody's home (if they are properly fitted and functional), so they may be worth the while!

I have included a link to our application called "Shutter Snapshot," where you simply upload a picture of your home and we will add shutters in the style and color you choose and send it back to you! It's a great way to see your home with shutters installed before the actual installation.

http://www.timberlane.com/resource-center/shutter-snapshot/#.UrxUMdJDvIc

I suggest putting more focus on the store front area of the house, add some trim on the top of that wide, plain exterior portion above the windows- paint the columns a different color and continue that color on the columns by the other front door. The charm of this home is the "store front area" - that should be a focal point with additional trim - and yes - I would paint or add more detail trim around all the windows - in the same color - it is also possible to add a third color on the flat part of the home where a business sign might have been - and you can even create the appearance of a sign on that blank exterior wall with trim -all the best on your project

I don't believe that shutters would ever have been part of the period or style of this store/house combination. There is plenty going on architecturally without adding another element to crowd and complicate the design.

Here is a thread you might be interested in. Another gothic Victorian house in Canada (this one in Nova Scotia), with the same center gable feature:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/building-an-addition-the-width-of-this-1830-colonial-style-home-dsvw-vd~677214

That poster was interested in adding off the back of the house, but there is much discussion of keeping the integrity of the original design/style of the house while updating.

just gorgeous! I'm so jealous!

I absolutely love this house! I love the vintage feel to it. I would add some colored shutters!

GORGEOUS !! How about window boxes with flowers. Here in my slice of heaven, all the gorgeous old homes have window boxes with gorgeous flowers. I would never in a million years live in a new house.