Shutters question - WWYD? (PIP)

[Susie]

We recently had our front door replaced, and are now preparing to have the shutters on our house replaced.  I need to decide on style, and would appreciate input!

The old front door and shutters were burgundy.  The new door is deep blue, and shutters will be black.  Ideal would have been no shutters at all, but that is not a practical choice right now.  The siding dates to 1994 and is not being replaced anytime in the foreseeable future.  It will be at least a little faded/discolored around the original shutters, plus it will have holes from mounting the shutters.  So replacement shutters are the least-bad option.

The first floor and second floor windows are not the same size.  I forget the exact measurements (we just had the windows replaced a year ago), but they are all double hung, and the downstairs windows are asymmetrical top/bottom and are taller than the upstairs windows, basically by one pane in the grills in the lower half of the window.  



The current raised panel shutters are 50/50, which does not align with the rails/panes on the first floor windows.  Of course those are the ones at eye level-ish from outside.  Once I saw it, I can't un-see it.  Lots of houses in our neighborhood are the same (basically everyone who got the larger first floor windows option when the houses were built), but now it drives me crazy.  While we're changing the shutter color, I want to fix it.




Would you do:

1.  Single panel shutters on both floors, using the appropriate height for each floor, or


2.  2 panel shutters on both floors, with 50/50 on upstairs, and 60/40 on the downstairs, corresponding to the configurations of the windows themselves?
 

If you have thoughts on raised panel, recessed panel, and flat panel, I'm also interested in that!

[orval]

I think I would go with the single panel. Keep it simple. Your door has a bunch of panels and with the different windows, I like simplicity.
Love the new door color!

[momin2013]

With all the horizontal lines you already have going on with the siding, I’d do all single panel.

[k3am]

I'd prefer the single panel option also.. if you go the 50/50 + 40/60 combo based on window size, that variation might be the new annoying thing you can't unsee.

[simpsongal]

Probably single? Fwiw I like louvres (is that old school?) - I think a break in that style would be less noticeable too.

[deadwing]

I think either option will look good. I'd pick whichever is cheaper, especially if you're not a big fan of shutters and these are mainly because you can't get rid of shutters altogether. If the cost is the same (or very close), I'd probably pick the single panel.

[mrsukyankee]

Single panel. Simplicity will look best here.

[lessel]

I like the single. When we did shutters a few years back, we had them mounted with hidden brackets, so you don't have the little circle screw covers showing on the fronts. As for raised/flat panel, I'd go with whatever is on your door... I can't really see but thinking raised panel?

[Susie]

Single panel, got it - I love a unanimous H&G decision, lol.

Eventually I'm hoping to re-side the house with something like this:

 

no shutters, and with the blue door in its current color.  But that day is still a ways off!

I am really happy to at least be moving away from the burgundy now.  

[Susie]

Update: The light isn’t ideal to see it clearly, but it’s done! Single panel black shutters went up yesterday. It’s taking a little getting used to, but I like it.

[mrsukyankee]

That looks very good!

[simpsongal]

Very stately! Looks better

[Susie]

For a real before... I recently found this photo under our town's property tax records for the property.



No idea how old it is, but I would guess 1990s.  

From this I can confirm that we don't have an original roof now, and Choices Were Made w/r/t shutters.  Wowza.

[deadwing]

The new shutters look good. The "real before" photo isn't showing for me, though.

[Susie]

Dec 14, 2023 13:19:18 GMT -5 deadwing said:

The new shutters look good. The "real before" photo isn't showing for me, though.

Your retinas may be better off.  The shutters were like harvest gold.

[deadwing]

Dec 14, 2023 15:26:02 GMT -5 Susie said:

Dec 14, 2023 13:19:18 GMT -5 deadwing said:

The new shutters look good. The "real before" photo isn't showing for me, though.

Your retinas may be better off.  The shutters were like harvest gold.

Ohhhhh.  Harvest gold has a tiny bit of nostalgia for me (my gram had harvest gold appliances in her otherwise coffee brown kitchen).  That's a real choice for shutters, though...

[maudefindlay]

Dec 16, 2023 11:17:07 GMT -5 kellady said:

Looks great!  But now I really want to see the harvest gold option.

Same, won't open for me.

[Susie]

I'll try again with the gold.  It was A Choice for sure!

Attachments:

[maudefindlay]

I actually don't hate the harvest gold!

[heygrey]

I like the harvest gold! There was definitely a period where it would have looked dated, but those colours are coming back in style.

The solid panel black looks great for an update, though.

[deadwing]

I really don't hate the harvest gold. I don't think it's a choice I'd make, but it could definitely be worse.

[maudefindlay]

Susie the black is a great change and please share in the future when you do the shingle shake. That will totally transform the whole look. Have you tried out any online tools to get a mock up of it? I think most siding sites like James Hardy have tools to use.

[BlondeSpiders]

I think the single panel black was a great choice! Love that door color too, very TARDIS blue!