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.
