With so many styles of custom exterior shutters on the market, you might feel a little overwhelmed choosing one for your home. But selecting a vinyl shutter style doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, certain shutter styles go naturally with certain architectural styles. With a little understanding of your home’s aesthetics, you can easily pick shutters that will not only complement the beauty of your home, but even increase it.
Ranch Style
Let’s start with the most flexible architectural style. A house in the Cape Cod style, or a ranch house, will look great with Board-n-Batten shutters—or with any other kind of shutter. Cape Cod and ranch styles leave plenty of room for variation in shutter choice. The possibilities are nearly endless.
Classic Style
Speaking of Board-n-Batten shutters, they look beautiful on houses in the Mediterranean and French Country styles, too—although Mediterranean houses also look great with open louvered shutters, and French Country houses look great with classic panel shutters. Of course, as with all aesthetic choices, you are in control. Board-n-Batten shutters aren’t limited to the three architectural styles we’ve mentioned. If you’ve fallen in love with Board-n-Batten shutters, then they’re right for your home! Choose from a variety of different sizes and colors: single, double, triple, and quadruple panel shutters.
Country Style
What about houses in the Victorian and Greek Revival styles? These look great with open louvered shutters or with classic panel shutters. Both of these architectural styles emphasize straight, sharp lines and rectangles, harmonizing well with the understatement and rectilinear focus of open louver and classic panel styles.
Federal Style
For strict historical accuracy, some architectural styles actually require different shutter styles on the first and second floor. For example, houses in the Federal style should have panel shutters on the first floor and louvered shutters on the second floor. This also applies to houses in the Colonial style. Since privacy was less of a concern with second-floor windows, louvered shutters were considered acceptable in both these architectural styles.
Victorian Style
The Victorian and Greek Revival styles are fairly flexible. Both work well with open louvered shutters or classic panel shutters. Similarly, the Georgian style works well with open louvers or raised panel shutters. Choose from a variety of different sizes and colors: single, double, triple, quadruple, and five wide panel shutters.
Italianate Style
Last of all, the Italianate style is perhaps the least flexible. We recommend open louvered shutters for this architectural style. Of course, as with all other styles, you are ultimately the best judge of what looks right on your home.
Next up Choosing Color
Once you’ve selected a shutter style for your home, it’s time to start thinking about color. Click here for the science and art of matching shutter color to your home!