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What Color To Paint Shutters on White House (20 Ideas to Inspire)

Any color works on the shutters when you paint your home white. Choose a color you love that suits the home’s design and siding.

Painting shutters in brown color

Many people paint their home white since the color offers curb appeal and easily goes with any trim color. What color to paint the trim and shutters though? Whether you use modern shutter colors for white house color schemes or traditional ones depends on the style of the home and its exterior finish.

Any color works on the shutters when you paint your home white. Choose a color you love in a tone that suits the home’s design and siding or finish. Black, white, or any pastel or bright color works as long as you love it, and it doesn’t violate your HOA rules.

Perhaps you need a little inspiration for shutter colors that work well with white exterior paint. Read on to learn guidelines for exterior décor and peruse 20 ideas for shutter colors and designs.

Our Picks for House and Shutter Color Combinations

Home with black window shutters and white walls
A magnificent home with black window shutters and white walls.

Perhaps the most traditional look of all shutter colors for a white house, black shutters, began in Victorian times. Despite centuries having passed, this combination still looks amazing, especially on a white house with horizontal siding or clapboard. Try painted wood shutters or black resin shutters, which you’ll never need to paint.

The glass window with the pale green window shutters
The glass window mixes nicely with the pale green window shutters.

Evoke nature with this shade of green on your home’s shutters. It complements white exterior paint and transitions people from the great outdoors, or at least your garden, into the home. Using the same color in your foyer and just inside the back doors further eases the transition from exterior to interior.

Bedroom with an inside white window shutter
A lovely bedroom with an inside white window shutter.

The absence of color works well, too. Choose matching white shutters for a home painted white. If you do this, ensure that you use the same white for both. Any other option causes either your house or your shutters to look dingy.

A bright blue paint shutter folding style
A bright blue paint shutter with a folding style.

Shutter styles abound, too. White, black, and bright colors, such as this blue, work best on louvered window shutters. When deciding on the type of shutters to use, consult with your architect. They’ll not only know what type would look best on your home, but which types the area’s climate recommends. For example, in Florida or the Carolinas, hurricane shutters work best. In industrial and commercial areas, builders typically recommend roll-down shutters.

Window shutter in a lengthy design
Window shutter in a lengthy design painted in light blue and gray trim.

On an older home, check old photos to see what the original homeowners used. This gray-blue shutter color looks ideal with white paint on this historical home. Check with your city code office about rules that apply to historical properties. If your home sits within a historical district, you may not get a choice about the shutter colors or paint colors.

Red window shutters contrast with white walls and windows
Red window shutters contrast with the brilliant white walls and windows.

This home in Italy uses brick red shutters with a white wall. The northeast US also uses this color combination frequently, especially on Victorian homes. Many Cape Cod-style homes use this same brick red paint on shutters. This shade of paint works especially well with traditional louvered shutters.

A deep brown color window shutter with window wooden frame
A deep brown color window shutter fits in the window wooden frame.

Instead of painting your shutters, stain them. This homeowner chose a mahogany stain, and its rich, dark brown evokes an Old World feel to the home.

Long window shutters with wooden accents in boho-chic bedroom
Long window shutters with wooden accents, inspired by a boho-chic bedroom design.

The stain chosen reflects the exterior and the interior design. These light brown, oak-colored wood shutters open into the room’s interior, but when closed, passers-by view the wood juxtaposed against the exterior white walls. The overall feel of the Boho style comes through.

Stunning scarlet door and window shutters against a gray stone wall
Stunning scarlet door and window shutters against a gray stone exterior wall.

You might expect a wood stain with this Old World white stone home, but its owners chose an orange door and hinged shutters. The festive color of Halloween brightens the otherwise white-gray of the home. Rather than a dour exterior, their choice enlivens the traditional European design.

Off-white wall and gray-blue window shutterscolor combination
Off-white wall and gray-blue window shutters provide a beautiful color combination.

If you prefer a more architecturally conservative home, these slate gray-blue shutters go marvelously with a home painted white. Pair a muted color such as this gray-blue with a pearl white or gray white. Avoid bright whites altogether since, on a bright day, they can seem to blind a person.

A contemporary home roller shutter in dark brown
A contemporary home roller shutter in dark brown with a wooden feature in the external design.

No one says shutters must open out or use hinges. Try the modern design of these roller shutters in dark brown. This look against white paint pairs well on a stucco home or on a commercial building. Roller shutters come in larger sizes, so they can cover plate glass windows on a commercial structure.

Shutters in a turquoise blue tint complement the white walls
Shutters in a turquoise blue tint wonderfully complement the white walls.

A visit to the Deep South turns up some unique pairings, such as turquoise blue shutters. Brighter colors such as this appear frequently on homes in Louisiana, Mississippi, and some areas of Georgia and Alabama. Many of these brighter colors come from the custom mixture counter of Behr or Sherwyn Williams.

Window shutter with turquoise’s green-blue tone
Window shutter in turquoise’s green-blue tone color with white trim.

This turquoise green falls within the many hues and tonalities of turquoise’s green-blue family. Although most Colonial homes stick with traditional colors, many of the southern homes feature fresh color combinations. Turquoise can pair well with nearly any finish – stone, stucco, clapboard, etc.

House with roof and window shutters in mint green color
A lovely house with roof and window shutters in mint green color.

Also in the green family, this mint green proves ideal with white on this cottage surrounded by a picket fence. Lighter greens, such as this mint, can work well with Colonial architecture, Victorian homes, Cape Cod styles, stucco, and more.

A home with gray window shutters
A home with gray window shutters and an exterior painted in two distinct hues.

For a traditional look that works well with any style of architecture, try gray shutters and white exterior paint. Muted tones like gray work effectively with any shutter type, too. Whether you choose traditional louvered shutters, roller-style ones, or hinged door shutters, this gray paint color complements them.

A black window shutter complements an orange-toned roof and white walls
A black window shutter complements an orange-toned roof and white walls well.

Proof that black and orange don’t have to look like Halloween, this home combines white exterior paint with black shutters to match its black front entry door. The hacienda-style roof in orange terracotta tiles tops the home.

White wall paint and a small window's dark wood shutter
White wall paint and a small window’s dark wood shutter merge beautifully.

Here’s another stain option instead of paint. Pair dark wood shutters like the ones pictured with white exterior paint. These shutters look as if they’re carved of teak and lend an Old World, opulent feel to the home.

A brown window shutter in exterior's white walls
A brown window shutter suits the exterior’s white walls.

Windows set back from the home’s façade offer room for window boxes. These brown shutters perfectly match the window boxes and offer a cherry feel to the home. Their shade of brown seems almost eggplant purple when the sunlight hits it just right.

A push-out hurricane shutter with a sky blue paint
A push-out hurricane shutter with a sky blue paint finish.

Perfect for a home on the east coast that needs hurricane protection, these hurricane shutters push out from the window to prop open. Painted in light sky blue, they evoke the clear, blue sky typically seen on the eastern seaboard. Simply pull them into the window and lock them when a tropical storm or hurricane nears. The home’s exterior will appear serene in the wake of impending doom.

A cheerful yellow window shutter gives the property a beautiful atmosphere.

Paint shutters the color of the sunshine. This bright yellow offers this cottage a sunny disposition and livens up the staid white of the rest of the home. The burst of color evokes a happy feeling upon approaching the house.

What Color Shutters Look Good on a White House

Any color of shutters looks good with white, but some work better with siding. Others work best with stucco or stone. Traditionally, people paint shutters black, dark gray, navy blue, or brick red. In modern, 21st-century architecture, though, the influence of art has broadened the range of color choices. Designers now apply orange, mint green, or sky blue to the shutters and achieve gorgeous results.

The only colors we haven’t seen on the shutters yet – pink and purple – will probably hit the stores soon. That’s because designers yearn for something that hasn’t yet been done. If you want to break new ground, you can have Behr custom-mixed paint for you.

Check with your homeowners’ association (HOA) and city code office before remodeling the exterior of your home. You may only have a few colors from which to choose depending on where you live. Your subdivision may include restrictions to paint colors and roof colors, so check with it, too. Not only can these organizations ticket you for violations, they can force you to repaint it, so you match the rest of the neighborhood.

Should Shutters and Doors Be the Same Color?

We’re glad you asked because while no rule says you have to do this, matching the shutters to the front entry door contributes to the overall design of your home. On traditional home designs, such as Colonial, Victorian, Cape Cod, Mid-century, etc. matching the shutters and windows offers the best choice. Alternatively, for modern looks, use a contrasting color. Contrasting colors can look good on art deco-style homes or in ultra-modern designs.

What Color Should You Paint the Garage Door?

Create a cohesive look that makes it seem like a designer decorated your home’s exterior by painting the garage door with the same color as the shutters or the entry door. If you painted the shutters and entry door the same color, you should also paint the garage door that color. If you used a contrasting color for the entry door, use that same color on the garage door. Homes with a mailbox on the porch or in the yard should match the paint color of it to the entry doors.

Which Shutter Material Should You Use?

Typically, shutters come in four different material choices: wood, resin, vinyl, and metal. Resin never needs painting, but cheaper designs of shutters made from this material look like plastic. Wood and metal require painting periodically to make them keep looking good. Choosing wood shutters opens up the possibility of staining them instead of painting them. This can bring out the natural beauty of the wood and its grain.

Depending on where you live, you should choose a shutter of specific material. What do we mean? Vinyl works best in dry, arid climates, such as the California and Nevada deserts. In the humid southeast US, metal works well since many hurricane shutters use it as their material. Wood prevails in the northeast, while areas with temperate climates use resin.

In areas prone to climate extremes, choose breathable materials that can endure extreme conditions. Vinyl or wood composite offers the two most durable choices.

Budget also influences your choice. Vinyl shutters offer a good choice for tight budgets, as does resin. Wood and composite offer a middle ground. Metal shutters cost the most, but you never need to paint them, and like metal roofs, they last for decades without needing replacement. If you invest in them, they’ll typically last 40 to 50 years.

Finally, consider your home’s style. In traditional homes, wooden shutters offer the best option. Generally though, vinyl or composite offers a better alternative when adding shutters to a modern house design. If you’re building a new home, consult with the architect and project manager on your decision. They can offer you insights into which shutter materials would work best for the home and what styles would best match the home’s style.

Can You Match the Roof and the Shutters?

If you want to remodel the exterior of your home, consider matching the roof to the shutters. This won’t work if you want a wild color for your shutters, but it looks fabulous if you choose black, gray, navy blue, or forest green. Red can even work if you choose a metal roof and matching shutters.

The matching roof and shutter look does require a little extra something to help pull it all together. Add some coordinating decorations to your porch and landscape to finish out this look.

How Do You Coordinate with Porch Décor?

Whether you just purchased your first home, or you’ve owned many, you might not have gone through a remodeling of the exterior before. Leave your porch décor until last. Your big choices include choosing the color of the shutters, doors, and roof plus your home’s trim. Nail down those first and get the painting done. Now you shop.

If your home has a small porch or stoop, avoid large furniture. Choose a small planter or two hanging planters and add colorful plants. If you have a large porch or a veranda on your home, opt for larger furniture, such as a bench seat, a porch swing, or a small café table and two chairs. Choose outdoor furniture made for porches and patios in the same color as the painted shutters. This provides instant put-togetherness in a house. You can also match the flowers and tables with the shutter color.

Should Your Shutters Be Lighter or Darker Than Your House?

At one time, the prevailing wisdom said that you had to install darker shutters and trim to your light-colored home. So, what happened? Designers began pushing the envelope and painting homes with varying unusual shades with eye-catching, attractive results.

When black houses grew in popularity, the prevailing wisdom changed. Today, you can spot homes with black paint and white shutters, pink houses with white shutters, and, in Norman, OK, even a home painted half crimson, half burnt orange, called House Divided. That odd combination homages the two universities from which the couple graduated – The University of Oklahoma (crimson and cream) and Oklahoma State University (burnt orange and black). Modern architecture throws out most of the once hard-and-fast rules as you saw in these 20 photos.