Ok, so this is probably one of my biggest transformations yet. 
Not necessarily in the amount of work because it wasn’t that intensive but when you change the appearance of the entire front of your house that is pretty big!
So here’s our house before…
Not bad. But I honestly was really wanting a change from the burgundy shutters and door. I REALLY wanted to change the door color to something neutral and black was the best option. But in order to do that I really needed to change the shutter color too. Plus the shutters on the front of the house were quite faded looking.
So my brother was over one day and I asked him to bring his tall ladder. He removed all the shutters and got them down for me (3 simple screws in each – very easy). Our house is all vinyl siding and also has vinyl shutters.
Oh how much shutters add to a house! Looking quite bare…
I painted the shutters with the same paint I used on the door – “Broadway” mixed in Behr MARQUEE Exterior in Semi-gloss Enamel. “Broadway” isn’t a Behr Marquee color so it won’t necessarily cover in one coat but still should have superior coverage and hold up better outside. You can read more about why I chose Behr MARQUEE paint in my door post but in short this new line of paint by Behr resists fading and dirt, is safe for rain in 60 minutes or less, and resists mildew. AWESOME paint to use on an outdoor project – especially one that I don’t want to be having to redo any time soon.
You can see how faded the shutters look…
Painting them was a simple, straightforward process. I did 2 coats to make sure I covered the burgundy well. I did one coat with a brush tying to get in every crevice as possible. Then for the 2nd coat, I would flip the shutter upside down so I could see spots I missed the first time and do a 2nd coat with a brush. Took me several hours to do all of them – did the 2nd story ones first so they would be put back up, then did the 4 for the porch on another day – some of my painting time was during a yard sale I had back in April so it really wasn’t that bad.
So I know this is what you are waiting – here’s the before…
And here’s the AFTER!
(Just for fun scroll back in between those pictures and check out the difference in the trees, grass, and bushes. The difference that 6 weeks makes! Before pictures taken at the end of April and a cold spring and after pictures taken yesterday.)
So what do you think? Was black a good choice? You can be honest
I will be honest, the first week or two I didn’t like it at all. The door wasn’t painted yet and that was making it look even worse. But it was a stark change and I was missing the color.
But now that the door is painted, and I added red accents on the porch, my summer flag, and the flowers are more in bloom, I am REALLY liking it! I plan to add even more color in my flower pots on the porch next year and possibly even more color to the bed in the front (my roses are just starting to bloom again from where I cut them back.) But I think it looks more modern, updated, classic, and fresh! Just took me a bit to get used to coming home to such a change.
Here’s a better picture of the porch before and after…
This is an older picture but this shows the burgundy shutters and door.
And here’s the porch with black shutters and door and decorated in red, white, and blue for summer.
Home Sweet Home!
How about you? Been doing any shutter or door painting? I can’t imagine those of you that have wood siding and get it painted what a huge difference that would make!
Looks great, Christina!! It has all come together so nicely. I am a red fan too 😉 the pop’s of red with the black are just so homey to me! I know this must feel so accomplished. I did do the scrolling back and fourth, big difference in the trees and shrubs 🙂 Glad you shared!
Happy Friday…
~Sherri
I love it! We had a black door and shutters at our last house. It’s such a classic look for your classic home.
I think it looks great!
I have the same yellow siding as you but my shutters are painted a dark plum. I got the idea from a magazine years ago, otherwise I would never have thought to have purple shutters, LOL. I get so many compliments!
Mine have been up for nearly ten years and desperately need a fresh coat of paint. And guess what? Your posts have inspired me to do just that! Paint is bought and I asked my husband to drag out the power washer because we got work to do! He may forbid me from reading your blog from now on, LOL.
Have a great weekend!
I like it a lot. It looks more stately.
I love it! Such a classic look. It is amazing what just a little paint can do! 🙂
Gorgeous, I love black front doors. Our new house that is getting finished up, read my blog, will have black door and we plan on adding black shutters.
Cynthia
Looks spectacular! It looks very stately. I agree.. some pops of red would look great. Question: do you always leave your shades/blinds closed? I’m an open window kind of person – so I noticed it right away.
Beautiful job.
So that Behr Marquee will stick to vinyl??? Our vinyl shutters need to be painted, but I thought I’d have to buy something special for the vinyl. (BTW, our front door needs painted, too, but it is solid wood from when the house was built in 1927 and my DH doesn’t want me to paint it.) 🙁
I was wondering this too! I want to paint ours but my husband thinks it won’t hold up in the weather. I really don’t want to buy new ones.
Hi Christina!
I love the black! I have a black front door and shutters also – It’s a classic in my opinion. My home is tan/brown brick and I really like the contrast. Good choice!
Shelia
http://www.houseofhighlands.com
Great job… looks awesome!! Do you know the color/brand of the stain you have on your front porch? I am in the process of painting my front door and re-staining my front porch and I am having trouble deciding on the color. Your color scheme looks great!!
I am feeling so much more motivated to paint my front door now. I have been procrastinating my project all summer, but no more!
MY LOVE OF TURUOUISE IS HUGE so my vote is for a turquoise-ish shade. I agree thugoh with this house, nothing too bright, but maybe a little brighter than the pic above just make it pop a little. I have had plans to paint my own outside doors, but I’m scared to death. Ha ha! My house is a 100+ year old farm house, completely renovated inside and the outside nearing completion. It’s all white, black roof, someday black shutters, and it NEEDS a pop of color. So a calm turquoise is what I’m wanting Hope that helps.October 12, 2011 6:08 am
Wow, this makeover was great. It is interesting that you went from red to black because I was thinking of going from white to red. Maybe I should skip the red and head straight to black because yours look great. Thanks for sharing.
Your new window shutters look amazing! Considering that it was a DIY, makes it more awesome as it is very pretty. I love how it stood out from your wall painting.
Black color looks mysterious and classic. I enjoyed it but didn’t dare to use.
I think that black was a great choice for the shutters! I think it complements the vinyl siding’s yellow color very well. I think the siding would look even better with a good pressure washing, but the shutters were definitely a good choice. Thanks for sharing.
I think the transformation looks amazing, and I like your design choices. Very cute!
Hye Christina…
I really appreciate your article…
I love the style of these plantation shutters and how they just add a classy feeling to the room. I love shutters. They are so elegant and classy…Also the pictures you shared are really interesting…
Thank you for sharing these beautiful shutter ideas. Keep posting!!!
Thanks so much for writing!!!
Hey Christina,
This is such a cool idea for the door house makeover.
Would love to try something similar with this soon. Thanks for sharing! Looks you had a beautiful home.
Cheers,
Oliver
It’s amazing what a simple repainting of shutters can do to the look and feel of a house. Thanks for writing!
It’s a subtle change, but it looks really great! Thank you for sharing how you updated and made-over your shutters and door!
Isn’t amazing how such a small change of paint color can make a huge difference. I really do like the black. Great job!
The project is incredibly beautiful. Thank you for sharing and for the inspiration. Please keep posting.
Hi! I don’t think your home needs shutters. Shutters are supposed to look operational.
Thanks for this wonderful blog. Love this blog.
It’s a good tip to flip the shutters upside down when applying a second layer of paint to the shutters. My house has some kind of ratty looking shutters and I’ve been thinking about getting them either repainted or redone altogether. I’ll likely hire a professional to help out with everything though since I’m just not that handy!