Of all the things I love about our house, its curb appeal is not one of them. The perfect location, a stunning backyard and ready-to-finish basement were all major selling points when we bought our home almost a year ago (!), but we've never been wild about how looks from the street. That's mainly due to two enormous pine trees that take up our whole front "yard," so until we can pay to have those two behemoths taken down, we've got to work on improving our home's curb appeal in other ways.
One easy way to boost curb appeal is by adding shutters to the windows. It's something I'd been wanting to do for a while now, and two weeks ago we finally broke down and ordered some shutters! Eric took precise measurements of all the windows, then we took those measurements to Home Depot and ordered Builder's Edge Louvered Shutters in Tuxedo Gray. We chose gray because obviously I'm a fan, and it's a great, neutral color that will look nice with our bright, yellow front door.
The shutters arrived on Tuesday, but we waited 'til the weekend to hang them. When I came back from my long training run on Sunday morning (my last one -- the half-marathon is already this Saturday!), Eric was already installing them!
I told him to wait until I could help him, but apparently they were a snap to hang. A drill, ladder and hammer were all he needed!
But, wait - did you notice? On our picture window, we only have one shutter! Before ordering our shutters, we realized we were working with some rather awkward space. The little awning/porch roof out front reaches out to the right frame of the picture window, and there's just no working around that. When we ordered the shutters, we thought "Hey, maybe it won't look too out-of-balance to have one longer shutter on one side, and a shorter one on the other."
Ummm.... it definitely looked completely out of balance.
So, we decided to just put one up to see how it looks with just one side shuttered.
Ehhhh..... a little weird. But is it completely noticeable when you first glance? Would it look better with just the smaller, right-side window shuttered, and the picture window with no shutters at all?
We can't make up our minds. Part of me hates to remove the longer shutter on the picture window, but I also realize it may look a little goofy with just one up there.
The rest of the windows look beautiful all spiffed up in their new Tuxedo-Gray shutters!
I really love how the shutters give the house a little more of a put-together, classic Cape-Cod look. But I'm just so stuck on that one big picture window.
So, I need your advice, folks: Should we keep up the long shutter on the picture window or remove it and leave the picture window completely bare? Is it super noticeable and just totally off balance with just one? on the left side? Leave a comment and let me know which you think would look better!
UPDATE: Thanks to my wonderful co-worked and Photoshop wizard, here is a "with" vs. "without" image of the shutters. This should help give you an idea of how it would look with just one window shuttered out front!
WITH:UPDATE: Thanks to my wonderful co-worked and Photoshop wizard, here is a "with" vs. "without" image of the shutters. This should help give you an idea of how it would look with just one window shuttered out front!
AND WITHOUT:
Thanks, everyone!
IMO, no shutters on the picture window. I agree, they look GREAT on the windows that can accept them, but it doesn't look right with only one.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason to not put shutters on the picture window: they're not fooling anyone. I know shutter these days are strictly decorative, but 2 shutters on each side of the large window, swung shut, wouldn't even cover half the window!
Doesn't look right with only one. Anyway to cut one that would fit around the awning? Probably not but just a thought. The shutters look great on the other window.
ReplyDeleteWe thought about cutting the shutter but it would probably draw even more attention to it... plus, that would leave only about one to two inches above the awning for any kind of shutter at all, which we thought would look strange. Over on Facebook I got a suggestion to paint the beams under the awning the same color gray to balance it out. After Photoshopping it, it doesn't look too bad. But for now I may just purchase a hanging three-tiered planter to hang in the empty space to see how well that camouflages it.
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DeleteHonestly i must say i disagree with everyone i think it looks much better with only one shutter than none at all
DeleteI think I prefer it without actually! You lose that symmetry but that's the only problem really.
ReplyDeleteInstall a window box under the picture window. Have the same problem at my house and the WB did the trick.
ReplyDeleteInstall a window box under the picture window. Have the same problem at my house and the WB did the trick.
ReplyDeleteOne thing to consider is, the amount of privacy and light you require in your rooms. Determine if you would like the room to be very cosy and dimly lit or airy and bright. If it is a bedroom, you may want minimal light intrusion to allow you to sleep snugly. For the kitchen, you can go for the sheer blinds that allow a lot of light and sunshine in. For windows that face the sunny side of your home, you may want to go for the heavier blinds and for the front door; you may wish to add in a decorative and elegant blind. The fabrics and styles of custom blinds you choose are greatly influenced by all these factors.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.customblindswa.com/
What did you choose after all?
ReplyDeleteShutters are very popular across the globe because they are good to shield homes from the harsh rays of the sun. click on it
ReplyDeleteKeep it! It is less noticeable that two are missing than the one.
ReplyDeleteUggh I meant it is more noticeable!!
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ReplyDeleteGlobal roller shutters are very popular across the globe because they are good to shield homes from the harsh rays of the sun.
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ReplyDeleteI am impressed. I don't think Ive met anyone who knows as much about this subject as you do. You are truly well informed and very intelligent. You wrote something that people could understand and made the subject intriguing for everyone. Really, great blog you have got here. PVC Shutters
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ReplyDeleteThat depends upon your preferences and the size of the family. If you are single or have a small family, an apartment is a better choice for you. Plus, apartments are quick to flip if you decide to sell them and gain profit.
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