There’s a lot to like about this house: the porch, massing, materials, palette, chimney, etc. But there’s one repeated element that doesn’t always ring true, the shutters. To be authentic, they need to be plausible. If closed, they should completely cover the opening that they serve. So, if they’re used in pairs, each should be wide enough to cover half of an opening. If only a single shutter serves an opening, it should either be the full opening width or unfold from a bifold to become the full opening width. The shutters on the little gable-top windows look like they’ve been sized appropriately. The single shutters on the double-hung windows below and to the right don’t pass the smell test. The closed pair on the first floor demonstrates how they all should work. If you’re going to use shutters, the sizing may seem like a small detail, but it’s worth getting right.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast