After a bunch of curb appeal improvements we did in 2011, I was thinking the house was looking pretty good. But after we removed those giant Rose of Sharon bushes last year, it was glaringly obvious there was something missing.
Once upon a time our house had shutters. You could see sloppy paint outlines on the brick from where they had been, but they were gone long before we bought the house. Their absence didn’t used to bother me, but once I really took notice, I couldn’t un-notice the outlined nothings on the sides of the windows. I needed shutters and pronto!
The ones available for sale are not cheap (the size I needed run $86/pair at Home Depot) and I needed four (just for the front windows). Much more economical to DIY them. So I asked my dad if he would make me some board and batten cottage-style shutters as a Christmas gift.
He made them from some old barn wood he cleaned up and planed smooth. He even painted them for me in the color I chose, Valspar’s Homestead Resort Olive. Our brick is mostly red, but has some odd yellow and green bricks thrown in, so I coordinated the green with those tones.
After the never-ending winter, he finally hung them up a couple of weekends ago. They really brighten the face of the house and add another layer of architectural interest. And the cottagey cuteness factor is turned way way up.
Just for kicks, here’s how far we’ve come since we moved in five years ago. Feels totally different! I think the brick and the windows are the only things I haven’t touched. (Excuse the junky photo below; it’s from the real estate listing when we bought the house.)
I want to paint the stairs the same color as the porch this summer. And replacing the broken walkways is still on the to-do list. One day that will get done.
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Wow- I love the color you picked. These really add to the beauty of the house!
Thank you! It’s kind of crazy how much of a difference they make.
Erin these look great…. or should I say Lee, good job. You are both so talented, your mom isn`t too shabby either. Oh then I must not forget Adam. I understand Dan comes up a little short in the “crafty” department. Oh well he can`t be good at everything right?
Dan will be the first to admit he’s not handy, but that’s why he has me!
I love the color! Your house is so charming. Your dad did a great job.
Thanks! He has done so much for us and this house. I don’t know what I would do without him!
My brick bungalow is missing its shutters too. I wonder why people ever took those off? At any rate, this is a great DIY idea that I might have to try out. Thanks for sharing! Cheers – CT
This house is 83 this year, so I’m guessing the original wooden shutters rotted and then no one replaced them. Maybe it wasn’t fashionable to have shutters anymore?
In all my drive-by STL shutter scoping, the cottage style isn’t that common. You should totally DIY some!
Wow, Erin! Those look so great!
Thanks, they really have freshened it up!