no pics since we're still working on the foundation but not all houses have shutters. ours is a shingle style. do a search, you'll find plenty of homes without. i never knew some had never envisioned a house without shutters but a friend just recently asked what colors ours would be. when i told her we weren't putting shutters on, she was shocked! why? don't know. not my thing, plus i don't think it really works with our style house. they rarely serve a purpose these days anyway. i don't think i've ever seen a home with working shutters. here's a link with some gorgeous architecture. have fun! Here is a link that might be useful: nice house, no shutters!

Unfortunately, krycek, everyone can't afford real shutters. It would be great if that were the case but those days are gone, really. Maybe in some parts of the country they're still used. But eliminating all shutters just because they're only decorative and lay flat on the house wouldn't make for a pretty landscape, imo. All homes do not look good that way. Nor does that particular style appeal to everyone. That is a good point on what type of shutters the poster has. Panels laid flat on the house would probably look too flat if done in the same color as the house. Louvers might work better because they're so textured. But without the added dimension of the old-fashioned shutters, like in the examples, it might be best to do a tone on tone rather than the exact or a barely different color. You can still create a beautiful, restrained palette. It also makes a big difference in the outcome whether or not you have the moldings and architectural features or details to make the facade interesting without the use of more pronounced or saturated color. The landscaping, too, can impact the effect. Enhancing your stonework this way is a great idea that could create a very charming and unique property.

Our whole house has them (they were here when we moved in), and I love them. Most of the plantation shutters here are 20+ years old; not many window treatments will last 20 years. Our old house had plantation shutters in the living and dining rooms and wood blinds everywhere else. The plantation shutters were a lot better! Sorry for the dim pictures and different sizes! Laundry Room (Original Wood)...............Front Hallway (Original Wood) ... Pool/Dining (Original Wood).....................Living (Original Wood) ... Living (Original Wood) ... Living (Original Wood).......................... Bedroom (Original Wood) ... Bedroom (Original Wood) Great Room (Both Windows New Poly) ... Old Living/Dining (Plantation)...........................................................Old Bedroom (Wood Blinds) ... RE: Pictures of interior shutters anyone? Still thinking... Posted by: patty0315 (My Page) on Fri, Nov 6, 09 at 17:36 We installed our plantation shutters several years ago and if we ever move I'll buy them for the next house. Not only do they insulate in the summer and winter, but they are much more attractive than blinds and the expense is reduced by the amount I would have spent on window treatments. Mine all fold and swing back away from the windows so I can have my view whenever I want it. Love them and they do help sell a house. RE: Pictures of interior shutters anyone? Still thinking... Posted by: natal (My Page) on Fri, Nov 6, 09 at 18:06 We have the traditional shutters. They were in 3 rooms when we bought the house and we've since removed them from two and added them to another. We have a 1950s cottage. I think the plantation style would've been a little too contemporary. RE: Pictures of interior shutters anyone? Still thinking... Posted by: buddyrose (My Page) on Sun, Jan 3, 10 at 11:20 My house has both shutters and blinds. I love my shutters. I usually pull them open on sunny days to look into my yard. RE: Pictures of interior shutters anyone? Still thinking... Posted by: susieq07 (My Page) on Sun, Jan 3, 10 at 14:01 here's a whole gallery of pics. Here is a link that might be useful: link Post a Follow-Up Your Name: Your Email Address: Subject of Posting: Message: Optional Link URL: Name of the Link: Return to the Home Decorating Forum

Many of us continue to buy and/or use products that we probably don't really have any real use for and would probably be just as satisfied if we did not buy them. Still, we buy them with the notion that they are useful, or that they add something essential. But, do they really? I firmly believe that most of the things that the American public buys in regards to items such as "beauty" supplies, household cleaners, and laundry products are not only not really useful, but carry a large negative footprint in our lives, our personal resources, and our environment. All I am saying is that we owe it to ourselves and to our environment to think twice and again as to the real usefulness or need for so many of the things that we buy now days. So much of it is just that we have been sold the notion that these things are a necessary part of life. The major portion of what is on the shelves at the grocery stores, Walmart, and CVS are things that have not existed for...well, never before. Humanity has gotten along quite nicely without them. And, I would argue that the cumulative impact is negative and quality of life has not been enhanced by most of these things. I am in mid sixties and I look around at what people are buying and the it really occurs to me that I have lived this far, quite nicely, without most of that. I was in line at Costco the other day and the number of people around as I waited in line who had enough large packages of bottled water to build a wall was amazing! You would think that we had no potable water in our taps! That is just one example of senseless consuming. Don't they know that the "purified water" they are buying in those plastic bubbles is nothing more than tap water? Americans are trained to consume just about everything in mass quantities. Then, we have storage problems. For the record, I was not at Costco to purchase packages of paper towels that are as large as sofas. The pennies of savings are not worth the hassle of storing all of that stuff. And, most of it is not essential, nor is it really useful. Most of that perceived need is capitalist propaganda and social brain washing. It robs us of our money/resources and it reduces us to mindless consumers. Not buying so much stuff quickly addresses most storage issues. Once, we have decided which of those products really serves a need or a purpose in our life, we can eliminate buying or storing those that don't. First, there needs to be an honest answer as to it's real value, to us. Then, we need to give ourselves permission to step out of that mindset and NOT buy it. And, yes, this does apply to me, too.