Shutters On Exterior Doors? Yay or Nay?
I still don’t have any exciting progress to share with you on the bedroom suite. I bought all of the trim for the walls (crown molding, chair rail, baseboards, and molding for the picture frame wainscoting), so I hope to get started on that today and have some progress to share with you Monday. I had hoped to have that started already, but the door installation and drywall repair took longer than I had anticipated.
So in the meantime, I’ve been thinking (again) about how I want to finish out the exterior door area on the bedroom. And once again, I went to ChatGPT to help me out.
Last time, I had some pretty good success with using ChatGPT. That was long before the door was even installed, and after giving it some very detailed prompts, it ended up creating this picture for me.
That helped me confirm that I did want a door there, and that I could work with it and make it pretty and presentable. But there were so many things wrong with it. There’s no way we could have such a huge stepdown from the door to the landing like that. And I don’t want concrete steps, either. I want the steps on this door to match the look of the front porch with stained cedar boards and white risers on the steps.
So now that we have the door installed (but still not painted), I went back to ChatGPT and uploaded this photo. This photo was taken this morning after the tree was trimmed, and you can see that I did lose the camouflage that those branches were giving to this door. So now, the door is very visible.
I gave very detailed instructions about the steps, and they turned out pretty good. But what the heck is that pergola? 🤣🤣 I mean, that’s a DIY special if I’ve ever seen one!
I tried to get it to make a smaller, understated pergola that fit the space better, but it was determined to keep that one huge board running parallel with the door. I mean, that’s the craziest pergola I’ve ever seen.
But then I decided to try shutters. I’m not sure what I think about shutters on an exterior door, but it would make the door blend in more with the windows on the exterior of the house that are white with blue shutters. And I do plan to keep this door white so that it blends in with the windows.
I don’t know why it kept degrading my original picture with each new edit, but it did. So you really have to use your imagination here. And it also degraded the look of the steps, which is weird. But I went with it, and had it keep the shutters and add some landscaping around the steps so that I could get an idea of what the finished area might look like with shutters and landscaping.
I actually like it! I might even like the shutters better than I liked the pergola idea. But you can let me know what you think. Is it weird to put shutters on an exterior door? I know it’s not unheard of because I went to Pinterest and saw plenty of examples, but none were quite like my door. They were generally on houses that were much grander than mine, or they were a completely different style than mine.
But I think I like the idea. Since I’m keeping the door white so that it blends in with the white windows on the house, I think it might be nice to add the shutters as well to keep it consistent with the white windows that have dark blue shutters. But tell me what you think about shutters on an exterior door. Is it weird? Or do you think it would look nice and keep the door consistent with the windows?
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
On one of the houses we lived in, there were black shutters on the front door which matched all the black shutters on the windows on the front of the house.
I like the shutters with the landscaping. I think that ties in better than the first pics. Imho
I love the last picture you posted!
Well, I came here thinking – Shutters? On a door?? Crazy …. BUT … they look awesome in the mock up. Who knew? Great idea!
Me too! Exterior shutters on a door make absolutely no sense in my mind but in the last picture, they do add “something” to the look!
I like the shutters! What about making the landing a little bigger and have room for a small table and chairs? I’m thinking coffee in the morning… 🙂
Unfortunately, that’s as wide as I can make it without it interfering with the cleanout on the main sewer line of the house. And I just don’t have it in me to start shelling out money and messing with the main sewer line. I think I need to just work within the parameters I have and be satisfied with that. 🙂
Can you devise a hatch in the decking to get to the sewer clean out?
That is what i was going to suggest.
It would be easy to put a trap door in the deck to access the cleanout if it was ever necessary. It’s generally not something that should have to be done frequently at all, and I do think a larger landing might look nicer, at least to fill into the corner.
I really like the shutters on the door. I do think it will give it a consistent look. I do wonder about the steps however since I thought on of your main reasons for the door is so that if you need to get hubby out in an emergency. Won’t the steps make it more difficult.
Maybe more difficult than a ramp, but not impossible. Every time I’ve had to call an ambulance to take Matt to the hospital, they go up and down the front steps, even though we have a ramp in the back. I’m just not willing to do a ramp in the front. I plan to have a temporary/movable ramp available in case it’s ever needed. But I also plan to make the landing on the steps big enough that I can wheel him out and leave him there for five seconds while putting the ramp (probably lightweight aluminum) in place to get him down the rest of the way. It’ll stay on the side of the house and be camouflaged with landscaping. At least, that’s the plan for now.
I don’t have an opinion on the shutters, but I’ve been thinking about your water heater. Can you put an exterior water heater on the outside wall around the corner where your gas meter is? I can’t pull up a floor plan but I think your Master bathroom is on that wall and it’s really not visible from the front of the house. If you’re looking at the picture with the door you just installed it’s the wall on the left going to your back yard. I would locate it outside the master bathroom.
I do like the shutters, but it does call more attention to the door. I think that’s OK.
I know you don’t want this to look like another entrance to your house. Instead of simple steps would it look better if it were broader and more like a small patio?
The shutters are SO CUTE around the door!!
Would you set the shutters in closer to the sides of the door? I think that would look better.
It’s not weird at all. I originally thought the shutters weren’t right. But the last picture changed my mind. Go with it.
I’m a nay. I think shutters are okay on a front entrance, but they call too much attention to the secondary entrance. Just my opinion, I’m positive you’ll make it work
I’m thinking along the same lines. The shutters look nice but you are in effect making a feature of what is essentially a utility door (along with the landing/steps matching your front porch).
I would make it as unobtrusive as possible – painting the exterior of the door and trim the same colour as the brick, including the porch and steps. I might go so far as to plant a couple of shrubs there but I wouldn’t make a garden feature either.
I agree. How about a picture of the front of the house now that the door is in place. I’m thinking shutters would make the door stand out creating confusion on which door to use.
I think we need a visual picture aid of the entire front of the house to give a opinion
I’m not really sure what I think about the shutters, but they are certainly better than that “thing” that’s supposed to be a pergola. To me the shutters seem to be overwhelming in the sense that they are such big dark expanses. Perhaps, sconce lights or a decorative element of some kind would help to break up that “big, dark, focus” feeling? Otherwise, things are coming along great, and I’m sure you will create a solution that works for you and be tasteful as well. Keep up the good work!
This echos my feelings. I dislike how BIG the shutters make the door appear
Can you take a picture of the entire front of the house with shutters on the door? I would like to see the look with the other windows.
As I read this post I was hoping there would be a photo of the entire front of the house. Are you planning to have a light fixture next to the door? Our city code requires a light next to doors exiting the house.
Love the shutters! I never would have thought to add to the door (shutters, flowers) if I wanted it to blend in or disappear. My thought would be to paint it the rock color. But then it would’ve been a big blank area with steps jutting out! To landscape and trim like the rest of the front makes so much sense. Still learning!
It’s not weird at all, it harmonizes the door with the windows, making it look more in keeping with your house design instead of merely utilitarian. I think it looks really great and further distracts the eye from the very slight appearance of the out of level issue.
I had a thought about the ramp. Could you design a ramp, either to the side of the deck, preferably, or less desirable, out of the front, that slides out from under the deck floor? It could be manufactured of aluminum to be thin and lightweight, compared to wood. The deck would have to be built wide enough to accommodate the necessary length of a ramp that wouldn’t be too steep but this would make escape faster and take care of the problem of where to stow a ramp.
Did you do a mock up of the whole front of the house plus the door with shutters? I like it a lot, but I’d want to see the whole front as a mock up to check that it really blends well with the windows.
I think the shutters look nice; however, I believe it gives the impression the door is an entrance to the house. It would be less obvious if you don’t do shutters and just landscape around the steps.
We lived in a couple of houses that had shutters on the front door, and it looked pretty darn good if you asked me. I love the look, the landscaping and having it compliment the front entry way. You’ve got this. I even like the pergola. Have you considered making the area more of a patio that you and Matt can enjoy in the evenings? My husband and I enjoy being out of doors when the oppressive heat of our southern summer is finally starting to wan into that all too brief of Autumn days and nights. Just thinking out loud.
Cheers!
Make the ramp so it slides (like a drawer) in under the top floorboards. That way in an emergency you can easily pull the ramp out, no need to pull it from the side of the house, which would take longer.
PS Love the shutters!
Love this idea – addresses rare use, limited space and how to find a ramp in an emergency.
The shutters are okay, but being that gorgeous blue makes the door stand out, and I know you didn’t want to be a standout feature. My thought is to do a freestanding pergola that would be about 9-10 feet wide, centered on the door and over the stoop. ( I think that’s the term!) I just think the area needs something to bring the eye away from the flatness of the bedroom wall. (If it were me, I would pergola the entire area, squaring it off and eliminating the recessed visual of it.) I know you don’t want to do that, but I think it would be cute!
A full deck across the space with a pergola would be a beautiful and private space for you and Matt to enjoy early mornings and late evenings together or individually. A raised seating ledge on the left side would accommodate the gas hook-up and a hinged floor door on the right would easily accommodate the sewer clean-out. A beautiful climbing rose or flowering vine on the pergola would add color and privacy. So much potential for adding beautiful curb appeal.
I came here to leave a similar reply – if you are going to work on making this exit attractive, then to me I would also want a larger/wider deck, to be able to fully enjoy the space. Also room for Matt’s wheelchair if both wish to sit outside together vs inside.
I was going to suggest either pop outs or hinged panels to hide the gas hook up and sewer clean out. But I also like Bee’s suggestion for a raised seating ledge. If there’s a full deck, then pergola might make sense.
As mentioned by others, it would be helpful to see a photo of the entire front of the house.
I would also give thought to adding an exterior light, in the rare instance you need to make a quick exit after dark. Especially if you need to locate the ramp or pull it out from underneath the deck, you will need that. It also might be a requirement per your city or county codes?? (I would check to be sure)
I think it’s going to come down to personal preference, because neither option looks bad. The blue shutters might draw more attention, but they also could bring essential balance to your home.
The height on the shutters def draws my eyes up, and feels more balanced. Have you tried a mock up with other tall features like exterior lights or high plants on either side of the door?
I love the shutters and landscaping! I do not think this look will cause a confusion as to what door is your entrance door. There is no walkway to this door. I have seen many beautiful homes with multiple doors and have never been confused as to what is the main entrance to the home. I really enjoy following your journey and grabbing a few good ideas to implement in my home!
I like the shutters better. I was going to suggest a small ramp, rather than steps, also, but I see you’ve already thought that out. I might suggest, though….unless you want people knocking at your bedroom door, you might not want to pretty the area too much. It probably should look like you don’t use that door too often, otherwise, you might have a salesman pecking at your door whilst you’re trying to put your knickers on!
This comment about the salesman made me look at the photos again. Then it hit me – Why put a 15 light door on a bedroom? I mean, it’s your house and all so do what you will. I would feel uncomfortable with an exterior door on my first floor bedroom and even more so with glass in it.
As for the shutters and the pergola – I think either of these ideas draws attention to the door and I think having the glass in the door adds to the idea that it is an alternate front entrance. I would do a solid door and blend it into the surrounding walls as much as possible. The landscaping should not veer from the rest of the house that isn’t an entryway. Utilitarian and nondescript is how I would treat it.
Those shutters really make that door stand out and I didn’t think you really wanted it so noticeable. I really like the very first picture you posted. It looks clean and neat. I agree, take a picture of the entire front of your house and see how it looks with the mock up.
Kristi –
Can we see the whole house frontage, now that the tree out front lost several branches? It’s hard to visualize how prominent this door is compared to the main entrance.
The shutters are growing on me too. Better without the pergola too; even if done right it would be too much. As for landscaping keep any evergreens well away from the foundation too. I like the last AI pic the best
I personally don’t like the fact that it appears to be another entrance to your home. Its a pretty picture but I thought the door was there mainly for emergencies for Matt. So just a door, a landing and steps
to me, it seems cohesive with the rest of the exterior, so it’s a yes from me! 🙂
I think shutters are ok, but.. the ones in the image look too wide to me. I would try landscaping with pots with a narrow tree or maybe something that can grow against a trellis (blue or white) first to dress up the door and not make it look like a main entrance. If that doesn’t look good you can always add shutters.
While I think it looks adorable, I also think it draws attention to it being a door. It doesn’t make me think window especially with steps in front of it. Which I think is completely opposite of what you are trying to achieve.
To really camouflage it, I would paint the whole thing house color.
I love the shutters! You should absolutely do it!
I like it – especially with the landscaping.
I love the shutters! The picture reminds me of a cottage in Provence!
Although I like the pop of color on each side of the door, I’m leaning towards no shutters. Simply because in my head, I go back to the “the purpose” of shutters. I do like the idea of putting a tall planter in the same color on each side of the step (or on the ground) with a pop of colorful flowers in each one. And/or possibly side lights on each side of the door. After reading other comments, I wasn’t sure if you wanted to hide the door or make it match the rest of the house.
Will the straight shutters and pergola emphasize that the door is slightly off level? The under-deck ramp is a great idea. When your house is burning you won’t have time to dig through the shrubs for the ramp. Think of all the emergencies that would make you use that door. It will likely be just you and Matt dealing with it. On that note, I think you need some sort of path away from the house to the sidewalk. You will make that door beautiful, but think more about its intended use as a disaster diverter.
Fwiw I love shutters, I don’t know why it just seems to bring Warmness to a house… maybe it’s because my house in Chicago was a typical bungalow with ugly bricks and no definition around windows… But over our front door we did have like this canopy type roof over our front porch(flat, not peaked) . I’m not good at any sort of design software as I am an IT data analyst but have you considered maybe doing something like this to balance out your front porch canopy with a smaller one over the bedroom door? I know it starts hitting in on do you want to draw attention to the door or confuse people to think it’s a door that they should go to, but with that last picture you provided and something like this I wonder how it would look?… I cannot attach pictures so here’s a link to a Pinterest picture I found that’s a lot grander and scale but hopefully gives you the concept and I can post a picture on the Facebook comments too…
https://pin.it/2NcsAjbC6
I say go with it! I love the way it looks and blending it with the windows is a great idea!
Hi! I love the shutters on the door. It warms up the entrance. The addition of flowers and a shrub or two will certainly add the charm you’re looking for.
Now for the dumb question. Where the heck is this door? I follow you and I must have missed this one.
It looks great!
KL had a contractor remove a bedroom window and replace it with a door. It used to be the exercise/equipment room, the one with stripes, that is being converted to a principal bedroom suite. A day or two ago she posted pics from the inside, you can go back and find them easily, as they were posted this week.
I am not feeling the shutters, they do not look substantial enough for the door size. Have you thought of a small deck with a railing? It might be nice to have a spot where Matt could wheel out for a bit of sun while keeping it small to not compete with the front door.
I would make the top step the size shown there or a little smaller and then each step down a little wider and wrap them around. You can then do some nice plants in pots going down the steps on each side.
LOVE the shutters!
I like the shutters and agree it helps disguise it as a window. Won’t you need a ramp there?
I have a couple of questions/concerns. I don’t like the mock up of the pergola thing at all. I figured you would do something over it more like what you have on the side for the entrance to your studio instead of something like this. Also, while I understand you wanting it to look like your front porch, unless you have it more covered, isn’t the weather going to be harsh on the wood? I know the steps up by your front porch are exposed, how are they holding up?
All that being said, I thought, shutters on a door? No, that won’t work but after seeing the mock up, I like it better than I thought I would. I’d like to see a photo with the mock up of the whole front of your house to get a better idea, though, of how it would look overall.
Yes oh yes to the shutters…it will look more like a window, and you could make the first step wider and longer, so the wheelchair could “rest there until you have the ramp set up. That way it could look like a ledge, then landscape and I don’t think it will “shout door”.
The shadows and the throw of a shutter, even around a door, will look intentional and correct if hung properly.
https://www.oldhouseguy.com/all-about-shutters/
Definitely Shutters
I am team shutters for your door, they look great! Actually, I recently made a set for my cabana bath door using your tutorial, complete with the faux shutter dog hardware and hinges. We love how they transformed the door. I tried to add a picture but it wouldn’t load in the comments section.
I think I prefer a pergola however….the shutters probably give more of a look of a window at first glance so are probably better if you want to downplay the look of another door. Although, what is the problem if someone knocks at that door? They either go away or realize that it isn’t the main entrance.
Can you put the steps at the side of the platform? That would help to minimize the look of it being another door. Of course you will need to ensure that you have enough turning room for Matt’s wheelchair then.
How about making the porch a little wider and nix the front steps. Put the steps on the left side of the porch. Then put railings around the porch. The railings would indicate to others that this is not an entrance and it would dress up the porch a little. Then I would suggest finding exterior metal wall art (big) for either side of the door above the railing. There would be room for a chair to the right of the door. And, add a decorative light fixture.
Love the shutters!
No pergola, no shutters, no steps. You need a ramp to roll Matt out, not bounce him down the steps. The landscaping looked really nice but would have to be kept up. You need the door to blend and not stand out so people don’t come to that door instead of the main door. Weirdos will be there trying to peek in. You will get it figured out. I think I would paint the house and the door the same color.
Sorry I’m not more supportive of the door.
I really like the shutters. I love the mock up.
I like the shutters. They look nice and would be cohesive with the rest of the house.
What I don’t like is the deck NOT coming up to the floor/threshold level.Sill looks funny showing when the uppermost deck could hide it.
From a safety standpoint, make sure the deck comes out far enough to allow you, plus the wheelchair, to get completely out before you try to lean Matt back and use the bigger wheels to navigate down the steps.
The other thing is to think about having a “patio” landing instead of grass at the foot of the steps (concrete, brick or wood). This would allow you to turn Matt around and pull him backwards away from the house. Those small front wheels will be useless for getting him away. They dig down into the dirt. My late husband fell out of his WC when his buddy tried to push him forward in our yard.
These suggestions may not jive with your esthetic view, but just remember, you will have only one chance to get Matt to safety. No DO-OVERS! Have you considered some sort of sidewalk from that door around to the front walk? Something unobtrusive but harder than grass or dirt. Maybe set some potted plants on the end at the front walk? Something you can easily kick out of the way once you get there. This is why FDs advise people on setting up the best escape route to get out of a burning home. Call them and ask for suggestions since Matt is disabled.
PS Concrete walk wider than the WC and paint it green or use artificial turf to hide it! Lol
The shutters are a nay for me…..they just draw attention… to a door. Wondering why you are keeping the door white – because the window trims are white? Isn’t your front door painted a pretty colour? I truly am not a fan of white exterior doors. A bold, welcoming colour is much nicer. I’d paint the second door to match it….but unless you want the door to scream “I’m a door…here I am”….I’d not put shutters on it.
I like the shutters on last picture. What i can’t understand is why put such small wide steps as you come out the door. I understand this is an emergency escape to get Matt out of the house, but why struggle a wheelchair down steps, instead use a low angled ramp. You can still keep the flower beds.
My grandmothers modest 1900’s house in Italy had working shutters on her external doors to match the window shutters, and it looked lovely. I loved the mock up picture you did, so pretty!
This is quite common in Europe, they are called terrace doors.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen shutters on an outside door, but with the landscaping and steps you were shown that is really pretty. The pergola isn’t even in the same ball park.
I like the look with the shutters. Landscaping is nice, but why does it picture with a different depth on the right side of the door.
I think shutters are more in line with the style of home you have made inside. But I haven’t seen a larger view of the outside of your home – do you have shutters everywhere else?
Also, this thought keeps coming to my mind: what about a free-standing pergola – the kind with a pretty arched top – installed into a much larger garden bed surrounding your door. That pergola could act as a screen to hide your new door. It would also make your door feel more architecturally intentional – you’re opening a doorway from your bedroom to walk into a beautiful personal garden!
Hi Kristi! It’s too late for this now, and I don’t think you should change it at this point, but this idea almost makes me wish you had gotten one of those doors that’s solid on the bottom half (or bottom third, or whatever makes sense), and only has the glass panes on the top half. That way, the bottom half of the door could be painted the house color, and the top half could be painted white to match your windows. The bottom half of the door would disappear into the rest of the house, and the top half might balance out the windows on the other side of the house a little bit. You could even use shorter shutters that are the same height as the glass portion of the door. Having a solid bottom half to the door also might make it feel like you have a little more privacy?? I don’t know, maybe that would look dumb, but maybe from a distance it wouldn’t be as obvious that you have a door there. All I know for sure is, whatever you decide to do will look great! 🙂
Love the shutters , your home is Grand to you,,, so go with it along with the pretty landscaping.
So to work with the cleanout I’d verify local codes. Generally if you extend access to the finished grade (top of deck?) you should be good.
My expensive experience: Contractor removed and buried cleanout from a series of botched communication on a paver patio re-build. Clearly this clogged the main. The expensive fix was- The plumber came out, undid the workaround the access, fixed the access extended it to about 10″ of the top of the new patio provided this box vs extend just so (easy to find a close lid) to use, contractor came out and redid their part with setting the valve box. You may be able to do a similar thing with a valve box of your choice. If the deck is low enough.
https://www.ndspro.com/us/en/products/valve-meter-telecom-boxes/standard-series-valve-boxes
I love the simplicity of the first picture with no shutters (not a fan of door shutters!). I also like the cement steps, flowerpots and landscaping!
What about bold, decorative molding around your door (great ideas online)? Then the white would relate to the step risers, the trim and gutters, and the door.
Love your work, Kristi!