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The Frugal Homemaker

Your guide to turning your house into a home... one DIY project and yard sale find at a time

House makeover – black painted shutters and front door

June 20, 2014

Ok, so this is probably one of my biggest transformations yet. Smile  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…

shutters and door painted black

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…

shutters and door painted black

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. 

Front door makeover with new Behr Marquee paint

You can see how faded the shutters look…

shutters and door painted black

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.

shutters and door painted black

So I know this is what you are waiting  – here’s the before…

shutters and door painted black

And here’s the AFTER!

shutters and door painted black

(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 Smile 

shutters and door painted black

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. Smile

Here’s a better picture of the porch before and after…

This is an older picture but this shows the burgundy shutters and door.

shutters and door painted black

And here’s the porch with black shutters and door and decorated in red, white, and blue for summer.

shutters and door painted black

Home Sweet Home! 

shutters and door painted black

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! 

27 Comments LABELS ~ Painting projects

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« Front porch makeover (decorated for summer in red, white, and blue)
Eat in kitchen makeover (+ how to easily add more height to your room) »

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Comments

  1. Sherri Smith says

    June 20, 2014 at 11:09 AM

    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

    Reply
  2. Stacey says

    June 20, 2014 at 11:09 AM

    I love it! We had a black door and shutters at our last house. It’s such a classic look for your classic home.

    Reply
  3. Jackie W says

    June 20, 2014 at 11:26 AM

    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!

    Reply
  4. Jennifer @ Decorated Chaos says

    June 20, 2014 at 1:28 PM

    I like it a lot. It looks more stately.

    Reply
  5. Andrea says

    June 20, 2014 at 1:33 PM

    I love it! Such a classic look. It is amazing what just a little paint can do! 🙂

    Reply
  6. Cynthia says

    June 20, 2014 at 2:31 PM

    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

    Reply
  7. Cheryl MacKay says

    June 20, 2014 at 9:28 PM

    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.

    Reply
  8. Loretta says

    June 21, 2014 at 3:08 PM

    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.) 🙁

    Reply
    • Paula says

      September 13, 2014 at 9:14 AM

      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.

      Reply
  9. Shelia @ House of Highlands says

    June 22, 2014 at 6:35 PM

    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

    Reply
  10. Roxann says

    August 1, 2014 at 12:32 PM

    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!!

    Reply
  11. PJ says

    August 14, 2014 at 12:47 AM

    I am feeling so much more motivated to paint my front door now. I have been procrastinating my project all summer, but no more!

    Reply
  12. Ina says

    September 29, 2014 at 9:59 PM

    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

    Reply
  13. Johnny says

    June 1, 2015 at 7:06 PM

    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.

    Reply
  14. Linda says

    October 3, 2015 at 7:06 AM

    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.

    Reply
  15. S.Scott says

    April 12, 2016 at 7:59 AM

    Black color looks mysterious and classic. I enjoyed it but didn’t dare to use.

    Reply
  16. Hazel Owens says

    May 16, 2016 at 12:19 PM

    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.

    Reply
  17. KJ says

    June 30, 2016 at 10:36 PM

    I think the transformation looks amazing, and I like your design choices. Very cute!

    Reply
  18. annebrewer says

    November 10, 2016 at 4:24 AM

    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!!!

    Reply
  19. Painter Oliver says

    March 2, 2017 at 2:34 AM

    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

    Reply
  20. Aaron C. says

    April 3, 2017 at 11:10 AM

    It’s amazing what a simple repainting of shutters can do to the look and feel of a house. Thanks for writing!

    Reply
  21. McKenzie says

    May 2, 2017 at 1:26 PM

    It’s a subtle change, but it looks really great! Thank you for sharing how you updated and made-over your shutters and door!

    Reply
  22. Constance says

    August 16, 2017 at 8:28 AM

    Isn’t amazing how such a small change of paint color can make a huge difference. I really do like the black. Great job!

    Reply
  23. Macs says

    September 24, 2017 at 11:44 AM

    The project is incredibly beautiful. Thank you for sharing and for the inspiration. Please keep posting.

    Reply
  24. Meg says

    August 27, 2018 at 10:40 AM

    Hi! I don’t think your home needs shutters. Shutters are supposed to look operational.

    Reply
  25. Judith says

    December 21, 2018 at 8:07 AM

    Thanks for this wonderful blog. Love this blog.

    Reply
  26. Laurel Larsen says

    July 29, 2019 at 4:22 PM

    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!

    Reply

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Hi!  My name is Christina . . .

I love doing simple, frugal things to make our house feel like HOME! Come learn along with me how to have a beautiful home on a budget.

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