Using Old Shutters In A New Way

I like things that stand out and aren't like what everyone else has.

So when I found an old pair of interior wooden shutters out in my father-in-law's building, I rescued them from the trash pile - the wheels were already turning.

I took them straight in and put them in the shower. I figured I couldn't hurt them any. From underneath all the spiderwebs and dirt emerged a beautiful pair of wooden shutters with not a single slat broken. Eureka! I immediately dried them and carried them into my bedroom and took down the generic white mini blind that covered the window above my headboard. Never mind that the shutters were wider than the window - I've heard it said that size doesn't matter! Well, at least that applied to wooden shutters in this case...

I positioned the bottom of the shutters at the bottom of the window and at about an inch to the left of the edge of the window. I inserted screws up the left side of the shutters and positioned them in a zig-zag fashion so it appears they are exactly the correct size for the window - this also adds interest to the window instead of them being just flat against the windows.

Another thing I failed to mention is that the shutters were about 6 inches too short for the tall window...not to worry! I simply filled in the space at the top with a large garland of the red berries that are so popular - it looks great!

I have also painted old shutters like these and used them on my kitchen windows in the past - they are much more colorful and interesting than plain mini blinds and are easy to clean.

Just use your imagination!

Gail Enochs, a working wife and mother, is a home-improvement addict and the creator of http://www.advertiseyourhouse.org which is a new website where property owners can advertise homes for sale or rent for a one-time low fee. The first 25 property owners to list their property will get their property listed FREE!