The Most Popular Exterior Shutter Colors

A spectrum of popular exterior shutter colors should be considered in the planning stages of house painting. It is good to begin with assessing the most successful paint colors. Each of these colors have been incorporated extensively because they produce a stunning result. It often does not make sense to deviate from a proven commodity.

The Perfect Accent Color

Outdoor paints are grouped into three or four colors. The base, or body, color is applied to the primary surface of the building occupying the greatest area. The trim color highlights windows, doors, and rooflines. Finally, accent colors are used on additional surfaces, including custom exterior shutters, outside doors, and garage doors. The color is in theory supposed to support and complement the primary color.

There should be a plan or structure to determining all of the colors in the overall color scheme. It is unwise to select and paint a one area without consideration of the future color selection for another segment.

We suggest assembling a color palette at a major paint store or web site. They often offer collections of colors that work well together, photos for inspiration, and information about color trends. They typically release new collections every year. After narrowing down to a few options, it’s a good idea to obtain samples of paint that can be applied to the home in order to see it in a variety of lighting situations.

Do not neglect taking the roof color into consideration. The roof can dramatically alter your perception of the paint colors. Also present the selected colors in front of surrounding plant life and other features. Some homeowners discover this process can take several cycles to get correct.

Popular Exterior Shutter Colors

By far, exterior black shutters are the most popular. It is striking against a variety of outdoor home materials – wood shingles, siding, brick, stone – and provides a great contrast that works in almost any color combination.

ShutterLand provides customers ordering painted exterior shutters an option of nine popular standard colors.

• White – a clean, classic white that works with almost any other color
• Charcoal Slate – a balanced true grey
• Black – the most traditional color for shutters and front doors
• Black Forest Green – a historic dark green that reads close to black in some light
• Chrome Green – a traditional deep kelly green
• Hamilton Blue – a sophisticated grey blue that works well with light neutrals
• Country Redwood – a warm burgundy red with a touch of rust
• Cottage Red – a deeper, more concentrated red shade
• Tudor Brown – a deep brown frequently found on grand English homes

Custom Paint Color for Exterior Shutters

Many times a more specific color is required. ShutterLand offers an infinate selection of custom paint colors from major manufacturers for a matching fee of $200. Choose from any trending exterior shutter color to make your home one of a kind. Wood, PVC and composite shutters can be ordered factory painted. Vinyl shutters can be ordered in a “Paintable” version for the homeowner to paint on-site.

Color Choices for Historical Homes

Often, when exterior shutters are replaced on historic homes, it is part of an overall restoration project, aiming to return the building to its original intended design. While it may not be possible to achieve historic accuracy in every element of a modernized home, the colors used can be authentic.

Early American homes (mid-1700s) were rarely painted at all; they were made from whatever wood was available and left to weather the elements. When buildings were painted, they typically applied a mixture of minerals (yellow ochre and iron oxide) that produced a reddish hue and protected the home. For a colonial style home, more neutral colors are typical, with black or blue accents to finish the wood shutters. It is also wise to consider alternative materials, such as PVC shutters or composite shutters.

As the Federal and Greek Revival styles came into popularity (around 1800), more pastel colors like peach, greens and yellows became trendy. These colors were sometimes combined in a riotous palette with dull colors on the windows like black or dark green shutters used for contrast.

Victorian and Queen Anne styles became fashionable after the Civil War (late 1800s), and these homes included more elaborate architectural elements with different colors used to emphasize each one. The colors were often intense and rich, with deep reds and greens working with warm gold and brown neutrals.

Most paint manufacturers offer a “historic collection” that will help homeowners identify color schemes for a select architectural style. These historic collections are often inspired by specific time periods or designs, but the color palettes can be used successfully on almost any style home. These collections are another great resource to spark creativity in deciding exterior paint colors.