You may have seen some of our duplex exterior progress on social media, so here’s a deeper look on the blog to answer the many questions we’ve been getting. We’ll cover shutters, steps, metal awnings, the diamond door situation, and other exterior updates.
As a quick refresher, this is what the house looked like before.
Because of historic-mandated guidelines, we had to preserve several defining elements: the original front doors, window locations, the roofline, and the corbels along the eaves. The review board did allow us to space the corbels differently so they wrap fully around the house, which saved us from recreating many rotted originals.
There were other charming surprises: multiple satellite dishes, silver duct tape near the roof, and diamond windows that had been covered over with drywall instead of letting natural light in. In short, curb appeal needed a serious refresh.
Many exterior components of this 100+ year-old house—rotted siding, failing roofing, and a collapsing porch—were replaced with more durable materials like HardiePlank cement board siding. Some corbels were reconstructed from composite rather than wood to avoid future rot.
The goal of the Historic Review Board is to let homeowners make buildings more durable while keeping the neighborhood’s historic character intact, so changes must generally match the original look and proportions. Since the house was stripped down in April, the exterior is now nearly finished—roofing, siding, windows, and shutters are done. The porch floor and columns are next.
Hunting Down Operable Shutters
Shutters turned out to be more complicated than we expected. New guidelines require shutters to appear operable, so inexpensive vinyl shutters weren’t acceptable. The rule aims for an authentic historic appearance rather than actual shutter function—most houses don’t use shutters to close for storms anyway.
Quotes for custom operable shutters were around $1,000 per pair, which would have pushed the cost to roughly $5,000 for the front. We were relieved when we found pre-primed composite shutters online for about $250 per pair. They weren’t a perfect fit—two inches too narrow for full closure—but they met the “appear operable” requirement and saved a ton of money.
We bought ten shutters for the front, along with hardware—hinges and shutter dogs—to give them an authentic look. Hardware added roughly $380, bringing the total to about $1,650 for ten operable-looking shutters, not including installation. Compared to the $5,000+ custom option, this was a big win.
One installation wrinkle: the house had vinyl windows installed by a previous owner, so we couldn’t mount hinges directly onto those frames without voiding warranties or compromising efficiency. We mounted the shutters outside the window casing instead, which ended up looking nice.
Choosing a Shutter Paint Color
Sherry wanted mint shutters on a white house, and we took time to find the right shade. We tested five Sherwin Williams greens using removable decals to see how they read on the exterior. One favorite, Pale Patina, showed up unexpectedly under the old stair risers—an old paint layer—so we took that as a sign and went with it.
The shutters arrived pre-primed and composite, so we painted them with exterior Weathershield paint, applying two coats over several days. We couldn’t paint them all at once due to space constraints, but they were finished just before installation.
What About the Front Doors?
There’s been a lot of buzz around the diamond-paned doors we hunted for. Historically we must keep the original front doors, so the diamond doors were planned for the back of the house. That decision balances historical requirements with our desire to inject the diamond motif into the rear elevation.
We love how the diamond doors will complement the back once installed. The backyard changes have been significant—corbels extended around back, metal awnings added, and the second floor bumped out in places to gain two extra bathrooms. All of those edits passed review by the architecture board.
We considered custom metal awnings, which were pricey, but found affordable ready-made options that matched the bronze used elsewhere on the house. We positioned the awnings high enough so they wouldn’t block views or light from inside—the inside sightlines were worth double-checking before final installation.
The spacing around the awnings will feel more intentional once porch lanterns, steps, and other elements are added. Plans for the backyard include outdoor showers, a privacy fence that can open between both sides, string lights, and other features that should make it one of the house’s best spots.
As for the existing front doors, we tested mint swatches, then stripped the doors down. We fell in love with the raw wood look, but the doors are rough and have old doorknob holes in awkward places. Patching will be easier under paint, but Sherry prefers keeping the wood tone and plans to patch, sand, and seal the doors. We’re hopeful we can make them both beautiful and secure.
And Lastly, the Steps
Sherry is especially excited about the new brick steps. We replaced the old wood steps with wide brick steps—matching the mitered corner detail we love on our pink house—and had the mason redo the underlying concrete pad because it was cracked. The result feels wide and welcoming.
We’ll add porch and stair railings later, designed to read historic (white vertical pickets), and landscaping will soften the brick border we added around the foundation. That brick border helps minimize splash-back and ties the house in with neighboring foundations that already feature brick.
To bring you up to speed: the exterior is almost finished and the interior has progressed to being fully drywalled. Next steps inside are primer, paint, trim, and interior doors, while outside the porch rebuild is next. We’ll share more updates over the coming weeks—hopefully with the Port-O-Potty gone so we can celebrate on those wide brick steps.
P.S. If you want to read the full duplex rebuild from the beginning, there’s a category of duplex posts on our site that covers the whole project.
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