Brick Home Shutters: 9 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Color

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Brick homes of all sizes and in all areas have a rich and rustic appeal that makes them look very inviting with cozy curb appeal. Many homeowners use shutters on their brick homes because they add a lot of character to them.

What is The Purpose of Shutters?

In most cases, shutters are attached to the hinges of your doors and windows to protect your home from bad weather elements, such as heavy rain, snow, ice, and flying debris during major storms. Many homeowners prefer indoor shutters over other window treatments due to their versatility – shutters can be painted any color and tilt at different angles to provide the desired amount of light. Shutters were very popular in the past, because a long time ago, windows didn't have very tight seals, and there was no tempered or insulated glass back then either. Since these newer types of windows exist today, window shuttersare generally used more for their aesthetics than usefulness.

9 Tips for Choosing Window Shutters Color

Brick makes for a wonderful, low-maintenance home. Yet, depending on the color or colors of the brick, selecting paint for the trim can be a difficult task. When thinking of colors for your brick home shutters, which is the right choice?

1. Non-Brick Homes

Most non-brick homes have a two or three-color color scheme. The house is typically painted one shade with the trim painted another. An accent color is often used for the door. In the case of a brick home, a two-color color scheme is more common. Finding those two colors may take time, but is worth the effort. A few bricks are one color. Closer inspection will reveal different shades and hues mixed in and there are also possible color changes from one brick to another, as well. One of these “hidden” colors may be the correct color for the shutters and trim. Another source of color inspiration may be found in the mortar.

2. Look Around At Neighbors Homes

A good strategy for discovering the perfect trim color is a stroll through your neighborhood. Most neighborhoods are comprised of similar houses. Take advantage of your neighbors’ successes and learn from their mistakes. If the red brick house with John Deere green shutters makes your eyes hurt, don’t repeat that mistake. If the red brick house with the black shutters is appealing, take a photo to use for comparison later.

3. Shutters Can Add Emphasis or Blend In

Use contrasting trim colors to emphasize the parts of your home you want to be noticed. To make undesirable features blend in use low-contrast colors. Some of the more common brick colors are red, brown, grey, black, and white. As stated before, few of these are completely one color. Red Brick Homes and Window Shutters

4. Red Brick Homes

Red brick homes are typical of New England and black shutters are a common sight. Black provides a nice contrast to red. Another option for red brick is grey. Grey shutters give a more subtle contrast against red.

5. White Brick Homes

White brick offers a perfect backdrop for Wedgwood blue shutters. It’s a look common to seaside homes. Green is also a good look with white brick. Both blue and green are colors found in nature.

6. Brown Brick Homes

Dark brown shutters are a good match for brown bricks. As long as the shutter color is two or three shades darker than the brick, brown on brown will work. It’s important that there be a sharp enough contrast between the colors in order to avoid the shutters disappearing against the brick.

7. Look at Paint Color Charts

Each color of paint also has undertones to be slightly different from each other. Look at color charts in the paint store to help you decide on a color. Remember that darker colors will fade more quickly than lighter tones and take that into account when choosing your paint. White Indoor Shutters

8. You Can Never Go Wrong With White

If all else fails, go with white. White shutters tend to look good against the brick. Pure white looks crisp and clean when paired with any color of a brick home. White is easy to match with any other color because it's like a blank canvas. Your brick color will stand out and the white shutters will blend in while a stained wooden front door will complete the ensemble.

9. Test Out Your Paint Sample

When you’ve decided on a color, buy a small paint sample and paint a single shutter. Look at it throughout the day so you can see how light reflects off the paint. You can also have someone hold the shutter next to the window or install it and look at it from afar at different angles to see the big picture of how it matches with your brick to see if you've made the right choice. Live with it for a day or two before making a final decision. If you don’t like it, try another paint sample in another color option. Keep trying until you find the one you love.

Final Thoughts

If you need help in choosing the color of shutters for your brick home, don't be afraid to ask for help before making a decision. As your premier window treatment store in St. Louis, Sunshine Drapery has highly experienced designers that are happy to help you make a decision. You can contact us for color-coordinating help at any time.