Joanna Gaines' Unique Upgrade Makes Exterior Wooden Shutters Even More Stunning

Balancing your home's aesthetic between intentionally antiquated and outdated is tricky, especially when it comes to styles that embrace looks from bygone eras, such as the rustic themes found in farmhouse decor or the European-skewed but countryside-inspired touches of Tuscan style. There tend to be specific features on a home that more often than not fall on the side of looking like they need to be fixed up. If the wooden shutters on the outside of your house are feeling more rundown than rustic chic, leave it to the queen of modern farmhouse and renovation extraordinaire Joanna Gaines to offer a few pointers that'll upgrade shoddy wooden shutters and turn them into exterior gems on your home. 

Wood is vulnerable to rotting, disintegration, and deterioration, which are all real threats that can lead to shutters putting a damper on your hard-earned curb appeal. Even if they're in mint condition, plain rectangular wooden shutters can be, well, boring. They can feel unfinished or lack substance when the rest of your home dazzles with personality. To prevent this from happening, consider this helpful idea from Gaines. 

Gaines offered up a great idea on Instagram for transforming wooden shutters. Although it's subtle, this tiny adjustment results in panels that are seeped in detail and help frame your windows. Rather than leaving the slats of a wooden shutter in a horizontal or vertical alignment, you can reorient them into a chevron pattern, like Gaines' photo shows. As she states in a hashtag of her post, #detailsmakeadifference, and she couldn't be more right. 

This small design tweak draws attention to the shutters and windows and shows that you thought of every element of exterior design. This is particularly useful for shutters with different tones or those made out of wood that's not lacquered or finished. With the latter, shutters can feel half-done. With a little pattern thrown in, it shows you knew exactly what you were intending with these key window components. Outside of a chevron pattern, herringbone and diagonal planks are two other patterns that could be implemented for stylish shutters.

Chevron and other patterned wooden shutters prove how quickly the smallest details can elevate this feature. Aside from Joanna Gaines' helpful insight, there are many other shutter ideas you can try that'll upgrade sets of wooden window shutters so they fit in with your home's overall style and stand out in a way that's pleasing to the eye. Another option that's just as easy is painting wooden shutters. If prepped and done correctly, this material is one of the easiest to coat. 

As Gaines told My Domaine, if you have a neutral color house, "you can go bold with your shutter or door color for contrast." Bright paint colors such as blue, red, or yellow can give wooden shutters a new lease on life. Neutral colors, like white or black, are ideal options for homes that lean modern. Even if you're after a natural wood look for a farmhouse-style home, stains and clear coats can preserve your shutters and let their original finish shine through. There are even front door and shutter color combos to consider if you're going after a completely cohesive theme. Fresh patterns and paint can make all the difference in making exterior wooden shutters look great.