Home Curb Appeal 32 Shutter Ideas That Add Instant Curb Appeal Elevating your home exterior is all in the details, and exterior window shutters are an excellent place to start. By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is a Digital Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 15, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: ALISON GOOTEE; Styling by Dakota Willimon If you find yourself driving by adorable houses, window-shopping for inspiration and thinking, "I wish I could do that to my house." Good news: You can! Elevating your home exterior is all in the details, and exterior window shutters are an excellent place to start. If you've been looking for ways to add curb appeal to your home without an expensive add-on or an entire exterior coat of paint, installing beautiful, interesting, and strategic window shutters is a simple way to add character and curb appeal. Painting your existing exterior window shutters is also a low-cost way to add curb appeal to your house. Bright shutter colors like aqua, red, green, and even purple will completely transform your home, as will more neutral hues when used right. Next time you drive through a beautiful neighborhood, keep your eyes on the road because we’ve got all the exterior inspiration you need. These colorful shutters are the easiest (and cutest!) way to achieve enviable curb appeal. 01 of 32 Make Them Operational Sun-seeking updates and white paint transformed this Homewood gem. LAUREY W. GLENN Add shutters to either side of your front door for interest. “We recommend that shutters be functional so they’re scaled properly,” explains Leigh Misso, owner of River Brook Design & Construction in Birmingham. While you can use various paint colors for contrast, here the shutters are all same shade (Benjamin Moore’s Pale Oak, OC-20), which is a bit darker than the siding (Benjamin Moore’s White Dove, OC-17). 02 of 32 Try A Timeless Look DANE TASHIMA; Styling: PAGE MULLINS This mid-1960s Richmond, Virginia home strikes the perfect balance between a historical and fresh feel thanks to the white painted brick paired with almost-black deep gray shutters. 03 of 32 Add A Beachy Flair Photo: Laurey W. Glenn Bright turquoise shutters will make an all-white beach house stand out without looking cheesy. Paint the door the same color of turquoise for added cohesiveness. Pair it with a few palm trees, and you've got yourself a seaside oasis! 04 of 32 Paint The Upstairs Only Laurey W. Glenn If you only have shutters on the upstairs windows, you have an ideal opportunity to add a little color without going overboard. This technique will add a sprinkle of color to your house. Tip: add a little decor, like these plant pots, to the porch and lower portion of the house, to bring the color down and throughout. 05 of 32 Try Shutter Moulding Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Kathryn Lott When selecting shutters, there's a number of styles to choose from. These panel shutters remind us of wall moulding that you might find inside in a living or dining room. 06 of 32 Mix Color With Neutral Tones Photo: Laurey W. Glenn For an understated, classic look, keep your door neutral and just paint the shutters. The shutters will act as a colorful border to the entryway. This will add the color you desire while insuring the house has a traditional feel. 07 of 32 Add Flowers Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox Want the best curb appeal on the block? It may be as simple as adding some flowers underneath your shutters. Find a plant stand and coordinating pots to really make it pop. 08 of 32 Try All White Laurey W. Glenn Paint your house and shutters white for a fresh look. It's a classic choice that will give you the best modern farmhouse. Add pops of color in your decor and landscaping to really take advantage of the all-white exterior. 09 of 32 Go For Green Laurey W. Glenn Colorful shutters work on any architecture, even classic, old-school homes. Choose a deep forest green to instantly give an earthy feel to your home. Plus, any plants in your landscape will be brought out by the green shutters. 10 of 32 Paint The Garage Door Too Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Liz Strong Painting the garage door the same hue as the shutters will tie the exterior of your home together. Adding a bit of style to something like a garage door that typically can go overlooked, can make your exterior shine. Continue this trend of matching colors to your doors around the house, and even your mailbox. 11 of 32 Add A Painted Window Box Hector Manuel Sanchez If you have window boxes, paint them the same color as the shutters for a bolder look. If you don't have window boxes, add them for instant charm. Plant some bright-colored flowers in them for an instant boost of happiness to your exteriors. 12 of 32 Go Bold With Color Annie Schlechter; Styling: Page Mullins Want to ensure your house gets some passerby attention? Get a little creative with your color selection. The shutters, the house, the front door, and the trim can all be painted a bold color and look fabulous. 13 of 32 Add Some Country Charm Laurey W. Glenn French door shutters add so much character. Painting them your favorite color will leave you smiling every time you walk through your doors. Furthermore, adding french door shutters will elongate your space, and create an illusion of height. 14 of 32 Make A Smaller Statement Annie Schlechter; Styling: Jennifer Kain Defoe Even the smallest shutters add curb appeal when they're painted a bright color. Match them to the doors, and voila! You've got yourself the cutest cottage on the block. 15 of 32 Coordinate With Porch Decor Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Why stop at the shutters when you can incorporate the color throughout your homes exterior? Large urns or porch furniture that coordinates with your painted shutters give your home an instant put-together look. Everything from the color of flowers you use to the chairs can be purchased in colors that are complementary to your shutter color. 16 of 32 Paint it Pastel Hector Manuel Sanchez; Lizzie Cullen Cox Create a soft look by adding pastel shutters, like these pale blue ones, to your house. They will soften the look of your house and lessen the intensity, while bringing a beautiful new shade to your exterior that will be sure to acrue compliments. Match the shutters to your flowers for a little extra touch of curb appeal magic. Just think of how beautiful blue hydrangeas would look with this home. 17 of 32 Consider Black Shutters ALISON GOOTEE; Styling by Dakota Willimon While you may be skeptical and think black shutters might darken your home, they can actually make your exterior pop with the great contrast it adds to light-colored houses. We love how these black shutters look against this beautiful white farmhouse. The black adds a bit of elegance, and gives the home an all-around classic feel. 18 of 32 Create Contrast Laurey W. Glenn Choose a color for your shutters that pops with your house color, but doesn't overwhelm the eye. Here, we've got a classic white house that was done justice with these classic turquoise shutters. Paint the front door the same color to really add some charm. 19 of 32 Blend In Robbie Caponetto; Styling: Kendra Surface The shutters on this chic, white home are painted the same color as the house exterior. Instead of becoming a focal point, this design decision maintains that these subtle shutters are a lovely detail of the home rather than the thing that's going to catch your eye. 20 of 32 Try Dutch Shutters Photo: Laurey W. Glenn Choose shutters to suit each window you intend to bestow them on; They don't need to be all the same. Here, two neighboring windows receive different treatment. The tops of both look the same, but the right window has a surprise. This longer window is given a double shutter reminiscent of Dutch doors. 21 of 32 Create Connections Photo: Laurey W. Glenn Dark shutters look stunning on this stone-front home, but they serve an even greater purpose: creating cohesion between the main home and the guest house. The same shutters on both buildings implements a sense of unity that makes the property feel complete. 22 of 32 Be Inspired By Barnyards Photo: Laurey W. Glenn Looking at this large, rustic set of window shutters, we can't help but be reminded of barnyard doors, a favorite design element of ours that's usually reserved for Modern Farmhouse interiors. Go the extra mile by matching your shutters to the gutters like this home, too. 23 of 32 Peak Through Hector Manuel Sanchez Consider shutters your chance to spruce up your home. Opt for a simple, classic shape, or try something more unique like these classy cutouts that reveal a touch of the home's primary exterior paint color. 24 of 32 Try Two Tones Photo: Laurey W. Glenn Why limit yourself to just one shutter color? Go bold like this home that takes advantage of the wide world of shutter opportunities, opting for green on the door and a light gray on the windows. 25 of 32 Switch Up Shapes Photo: Laurey W. Glenn Like colors, there's no need to choose just one shutter shape or style. Here, the first level is bedecked with arched shutters to suit rounded windows. Up top, rectangular shutters are grace second-story windows beautifully. 26 of 32 Embrace Earth Tones Laurey W. Glenn Take cues from Mother Nature and paint your shutters a light green that matches with your lawn or garden. Choose the specific shade that matches your greenery to make your home an extension of the earth. 27 of 32 Paint The Window Sill, Too Photo: Laurey W. Glenn Would you like to make even more of an impact? Look no further than matching your windows’ sills to their shutters. It's this kind of exterior that makes people stop and say, "I'd like to live there one day." For a special touch, coordinate the paint color of the roof, too. 28 of 32 Limit To The Door Robbie Caponetto; Produced: Mark Thompson; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Not every home needs shutters on every single exterior door and window. Rather than diving straight in and shuttering every possible opening, experiment with leaving some bare. Here, shutters on the door stand out all the more because they're the only ones in sight. 29 of 32 Open Up To A Screened-In Porch Tria Giovan Southerners can't help but love a nice screened-in porch. If you've got one of these plus a lovely set of shutters, you can bet that your home will be the envy of all passers-by. 30 of 32 Get Decorative Photo: Roger Foley Lovers of embellishment need not settle for less on their shutters. Simple board and panel shutters will never go out of style, but these patterned ones are undeniably exciting. 31 of 32 Turn Up The Heat Brie Williams; Styling: Page Mullins Use shutters to make your home appear even more welcoming. These off-white shutters warm up an otherwise cool-toned exterior in a way that has us craning our necks for a second look as we drive past. 32 of 32 Open Up A Room Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Matthew Gleason Nothing boosts curb appeal like indoor-outdoor living. Adopt a series of shutter doors that can open up a room, expanding it seamlessly to the outside. This works especially well if you have a porch or patio right there that can be incorporated into your new hybrid room. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit