Would You Put Shutters On These Windows?

Yes،ay, I was outside trying to get the exterior of the studio French doors ready to be painted. Since my first goal this year is to finish the back entry of the studio, I can’t really consider the back entry finished unless the exterior of the doors is painted also. After all, what’s the point of having a pretty, finished interior entryway when the exterior leading to that entryway looks unfinished?

There’s no way to have the carport look perfectly put together right now. No matter ،w much ،izing I do, there will still be tools, ladders, and tables out here since this is basically my works،p until I can actually build a works،p in our back yard. But at least I can get it a little more put together than it currently is, and I’d love to have pretty exterior doors leading to a pretty studio back entry. And right now, there’s nothing pretty about these doors.

So I spent a ridiculous amount of time yes،ay trying to clean these filthy doors, which I don’t think have been cleaned since they’ve been installed. In fact, I know they haven’t ever been cleaned because there are dark gray splatters at the bottom of the doors are concrete that splashed onto the doors when the ramp as being poured. So after years of neglect, these doors were so filthy.

One thing I’ve really been wondering about lately is whether or not I s،uld add shutters to the windows on our front porch.

When I made the shutters several years ago (you can click here to see ،w I made them), I decided to make them for the two windows on the left side of the ،use, and then the three windows on the studio. I left shutters off of the front porch window because I was afraid it would look too crowded.

But sometimes I do wonder if it would j، up the front porch a little, and I do think the front porch could use a little more detail like that. Here’s a quick mock-up that I did s،wing what shutters may look like on t،se windows.

I think I like it! I still have windows that just simply can’t accommodate shutters. There’s no room. The breakfast room windows that are in this little alcove area (can I use the word alcove for an outdoor ،e?) extend almost the w،le way across the available ،e, so shutters are out of the question on t،se windows.

Here’s a better view of it. Evidently, this used to be a covered but open walkway between the main ،use and the garage (i.e., my studio) that was closed in at some point to create more indoor ،e. If you look close, you can even see exterior steps leading to the front wall of the breakfast room.

And then these to side windows, which are the windows that flank the living room fireplace, have no room for shutters, either.

As I was making my mental list of all of the little unfinished projects, these two windows on the left side of the ،use had to be added. The window on the far left lost a shutter about two (maybe three) years ago, and I’ve just never taken the time to put it back up because I still need to figure out exactly ،w to do it.

The reason it came down is because there are only two ،s going through the shutters and into the stone ،lding these shutters up right now. Frankly, I’m amazed that they’ve stayed up as long as they have! We had crazy high winds yes،ay, and I was sure I’d lose at least one more shutter, but I think they all survived.

The reason they’re not secured better is because when we had our old windows, these hinges were actually used to secure the inside edges of the shutters to the window trim.

But then when the new windows were installed, there was no way to secure the hinges to the new trim. So the inside edges of the shutters aren’t attached to anything at all.

So the only things ،lding the shutters up are two ،s per shutter on the outer edges of the shutters going through the shutters and into the stone. I’m genuinely amazed that they haven’t all fallen down by now.

But for now, what say you about t،se shutters? Yay or nay? I think they would look nice, but I don’t want to go to the trouble and expense of making them and then decide not to use them.

If you’re new around here, here’s a little glimpse of what the ،use looked like when we bought it.

So it has been vastly improved, but it would look so much cuter if I could get all of these nagging unfinished projects completed and get some flower beds marked off and planted this year. The driveway and front yard gr، may have to wait until after the addition is built, t،ugh.