Saving One Penny at a Time: The Floors Are Done!!! And The Shutters are Here!!!

It's funny to me the projects you get most excited about. Out of all of the major projects (flooring, water damage repair, paint), the one that I was most eager about since the day I purchased the house was something so relatively simple: shutters. Yup, shutters!!!

There is a backstory as to why, and it all started about five years ago when I was looking to add shutters to my house in Cleveland. I had purchased a lovely brick foreclosure (short sale, actually) in pretty good condition, but it just looked...well, naked. Ever since I purchased the home, it just needed SOMETHING. And that something was shutters!!! Such a simple addition took it from a stale, brick box to a warm and inviting home!

But in my research for colors and styles then, I stumbled across a website that I instantly fell in love with. It was a guy's quest to explain the history of shutters...the why of shutters...and the absolute atrocity that we Americans commit in our shutter purchases!!! I highly, HIGHLY recommend checking out the site, though I will admit, you will NEVER see houses or shutters the same way again. It's almost a curse. My sister has pointed out on numerous occasions that she can no longer see houses without the "shutter eye" anymore. I'm telling you: you've been warned.

If you want to forever see houses in the "What were they thinking with those shutters?!" mindset, then read this guy's obsession with shutters: The Nasty Truth About Shutters I'm not going to lie...his obsession has become mine, as well! I drive past houses and am just drawn to ugly and improper shutters!

And now with that said, I was thrilled to add shutters to my house! And I was also highly aware that my shutters were going to be installed improperly as far as the "purpose" of shutters! But since shutters are now used as design-only, not function, on today's homes, I didn't care. I just knew that my gross, grey, bland, no-curb-appeal house needed color. It needed character. It needed charm. It needed shutters!!!

The house has no appeal! Just a blah grey!

I have been looking forward to this day since back in July 2016 when I first set eyes on the home! It has just never been a high priority on my to-do list. But now that the list is getting shorter...

I power-washed the bottom half of my house a few months ago, and today I power-washed the top half. The front of the house and garage faces north and was covered with a fairly thick algae. I wanted to get rid of that before the shutters were installed. I have used that $20 garage-sale power-washer sooooooo many times. What a great purchase!

The shutters themselves were exceptionally easy to install! Six screws for each panel. They seriously went up in about 10 minutes a panel. And what a difference!!! I love the new look!

The window before...

And the window after!!!

One side is blah, the other side is charming!

The difference between top and bottom is so apparent!

I was able to get all of the lower window shutters installed today, and I couldn't be happier. I will install the top half tomorrow, but I need a little bit of help with the ladder!

The bottom half is done and matches the front door color perfectly!

And while all of this was taking place outside, the flooring guys were wrapping up inside! They came back to install the grout today. And now the flooring in the house is 100% complete! Woo hoo!

The tiles look great!