Choosing Exterior Shutters for Historic Homes

Choosing exterior shutters for a historic home means matching the shutter style, proportions, and hardware to the architecture's period and region. Colonial and Federal homes typically used louvered or raised panel shutters; farmhouses and cottages leaned toward board and batten; Victorian homes often featured elaborate louvered or paneled shutters; Craftsman and bungalow styles sometimes used simpler board and batten or no shutters at all.

Here's a period-by-period breakdown.

Why Period-Appropriate Shutters Matter

Wrong-style shutters can date a historic home more than any other exterior choice. Vinyl louvered shutters that are too small for the window and mounted flat against the siding are the most common offense, but style mismatches happen in every direction. A Craftsman bungalow with Colonial-style raised panel shutters looks wrong even if the workmanship is beautiful.

Getting the shutter style right (or intentionally leaving them off) is one of the most impactful curb-appeal decisions on a historic renovation.

Colonial (Roughly 1700 to 1780)

Original shutters: Solid raised panel or louvered wood shutters. Operable, closed at night for security and weather.

Modern approach: Louvered or raised panel shutters sized to actually cover the window (this is the number one detail most modern installs get wrong on Colonial homes). Traditional shutter dogs and strap hinges add authenticity even if the shutters are decorative.

Colors: Historic Colonial shutters were painted, not stained. Deep greens, blacks, and dark reds were most common.

Federal (Roughly 1780 to 1830)

Original shutters: Louvered or paneled wood shutters, often more elegant proportions than Colonial. Sometimes paired with decorative hardware in wrought iron.

Modern approach: Louvered shutters with proper proportions. Simpler than Victorian, more refined than earlier Colonial. Palladian window treatments where present.

Greek Revival (Roughly 1830 to 1860)

Original shutters: Louvered wood shutters, typically painted dark green or black.

Modern approach: Louvered shutters matching the classical formality of the architecture. Avoid ornate styles.

Victorian (Roughly 1860 to 1900)

Original shutters: Louvered shutters, sometimes with decorative cutouts. Colors ranged from muted (browns, olives) in earlier Victorian to bold multi-color paint schemes in later Queen Anne styles.

Modern approach: Louvered shutters proportioned to the tall windows typical of Victorian homes. Consider the era of Victorian: Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, and Eastlake all had slightly different shutter conventions.

Craftsman and Bungalow (Roughly 1905 to 1930)

Original shutters: Many Craftsman homes had no exterior shutters at all. Where present, they were typically simple board and batten or X-brace styles rather than louvered.

Modern approach: If your Craftsman never had shutters originally, adding them is a design choice, not a restoration. If you do add them, keep them simple: board and batten, Z-bar, or X-bar styles fit the aesthetic. Avoid formal louvered or raised panel styles.

Farmhouse and Cottage (Various Eras)

Original shutters: Board and batten was the most common style, reflecting simpler rural construction. Some regions used louvered shutters as well.

Modern approach: Board and batten or Z-bar shutters, often unpainted or in muted stains. Modern farmhouse revival styles frequently exaggerate the shutter proportions (wider, more visible) than historic originals actually were.

Getting the Details Right

Size: The single most important detail. Each shutter should be roughly half the window width, so a closed pair would fully cover the opening. Undersized shutters mounted decoratively are the biggest tell of a non-authentic install.

Mounting: Real historic shutters mounted with visible hinges and stood slightly proud of the siding, not flush. Modern reproductions look best when installed with the same visual detail: real strap hinges (or decorative reproductions), shutter dogs below, and a small standoff from the siding.

Material: Real wood was universal until the mid-20th century. If historic authenticity matters, real cedar or other solid wood gives you the right look and the same aging patterns as the originals. See our shutter styles guide for a breakdown of each style.

Hardware: Shutter dogs and strap hinges (even purely decorative ones) sell the historic look. See our shutter dogs guide for options.

The Bottom Line

Historic homes reward period-appropriate shutter choices more than almost any other exterior detail. When in doubt, look at photos of similar homes from the same era in your region and match the style, proportions, and hardware you see.

Browse our cedar exterior shutter collection to see which styles fit your home's period.