Carpenter Makes Fun Of Ridiculous Window Shutters On This Instagram And Here Are 30 Of The Funniest Pics
Scott Sidler owns a historic window restoration company called Austin Historical in Orlando, Florida. He mainly works on pre-war buildings across the Southeastern United States but while Sidler is returning them to their former glory, he often notices ridiculous door, window, and shutter solutions.
"As a preservation contractor, I was constantly called in to fix mismatched windows and poor replacement shutters and I started taking pictures of the worst offenders to educate people about what a real window and real shutters should look like," Sidler told Bored Panda. "Shutters seem to be the most misunderstood and I see such awful applications that I thought a weekly series of fails would help people understand them better and get a good laugh at the same time."
Thus, #ShudderSunday was born.
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"How is this even a thing? How can someone on this glorious Shudder Sunday think this looks better with shutters than without??"
Sidler has taken about half of the photos he has featured in the series which he shares on his Instagram account. "I get a lot of submissions from my followers. Usually from people wishing to be anonymous because they are taking a picture of their neighbor's house and they don't want to be found out."
The restoration specialist thinks there are so many of these fails because there's a huge misunderstanding about what window shutters are and aren’t. "Most people today think of them as a way to dress up a window like a flower box, and while they do accomplish that, there are very specific sizing and installation positions that people largely have no idea about today," Sidler said. "There are also some architectural styles that work with shutters and some that don’t and knowing when and where they belong makes quite a difference."
"I think it’s fun when people highlight special small details on their home. I don’t know that I have ever considered a dryer vent worthy of something so grand as it’s own trim and shutters, but hey...you do you!"
Exterior window shutters were originally constructed for light control, privacy, security, and protection from the elements, but Sidler highlighted that he thinks it's perfectly fine if a person wants window shutters just because. However, getting them the right size and installing them in the right locations can really make a big difference.
"In architecture, form follows function and if I can teach people about that in a fun way that gets a few laughs and helps people see the value in historical buildings then that’s a win for all of us."
"Happy Shudder Sunday everyone! When you can’t afford four shutters just split the difference, right?"
The middle section couldn't accommodate two shutters, so a compromise was made.
So you get two custom copies made, to fit between the windows, that match the other two. However, it looks like the space is close enough that possibly trimming a sliver off the edges of each would’ve made the standard size ones fit anyway.
Load More Replies...It looks like there's not enough space to hang 2 shutters in the middle.
First window's saying, "If I don't get both shutters, no one gets both shutters!". . .A paneful solution for both parties.
"Happy #ShudderSunday and may the Easter Bunny bring you better gifts than these shutters."
"It’s #ShudderSundayagain! This one is personal to me since it’s right around the corner from my house.
I watched a few weeks ago as the owners tore out the original steel casement windows, replaced them with these vinyl monstrosities AND added shutters to “dress it up”. Lesson #1: Don’t replace your original windows. Ever!
Lesson #2: Shutters on corner windows rarely make sense
Lesson #3: Shutters are not two planks of cement board bolted to the cinder block wall."
"Double feature for this week’s #ShudderSunday ! If you’re gonna fail then go big or go home and this apartment complex certainly did. Well done boys, well done!"
Shame no one designs shutters for their intended purpose anymore. I wonder if people realize it's to protect the windows when their is a bad strorm or hurricane.
"Happy #ShudderSunday ! I may not agree with this one but at least I understand the logic.
“I bought 2 pairs of shutters and each window only fits one shutter because of this weird entryway roofline. Waste not want not, let’s use the shutters by the front door!”
Please think before you shutter people."
"Ahhhh the rare “under shutter!” So rare in fact that this is one of only 3 examples still in use today! We are all very fortunate to be able to see this stunning example in its native habitat!"
"Because #ShudderSunday is so much fun I thought what the heck let’s do another one today to mix it up!
Being from Florida I love a good pair of flip-flops, but they should never be an architectural detail!
On the plus side, they appear to be properly sized for the windows. Looks like a size 52 to me!"
Not every idea is necesseraly a good one but this one is cute.
"Oh #ShudderSunday you never fail to provide me with content! For those wondering, shutters and awnings should be compatible so that shutters could close if wished.
It’s besides the point that these shutters don’t even come close to fitting the windows and they are positioned incorrectly.
Shutter or awning, pick a side because in this case they go together like...cherries and gravy!"
"Which came first, the faux shutters or the gutter? In this case I think we can answer that definitively, but I’m surprised the gutter guy didn’t think this was a bad idea"
"Say hello to “Mega-Shutter”! When a regular shutter simply won’t do Meg-Shutter can help you intimidate all who cross its path!"
"Always make sure to protect the outer 6” of your garage door with vinyl hurricane Shudders like these for maximum protection in a storm"
Who in their right minds even thinks up the idea of plastering a worthless, decorative shutter by a garage door. Does not compute.
"Happy #ShudderSunday and may we all learn the basics of geometry today! An arched shutter when open will have the opposing arch of the window. Think for a moment how well these shutter would fit if you were to close them."
"When you only have room for 1 shutter then you actually have room for NO shutters."
"In this episode of #ShudderSunday it’s another case of things that make you go...hmmm.
They only sell shutters in pairs so you know that extra shutter is hiding somewhere in the basement.
Really though, if both shutters don’t fit, just don’t install them!"
"There are 2 things this photo makes me want to do...1) Restore those gorgeous windows 2) Tear that awful shutter off the bay window. Glad to know that even seaside Maine has shutter problems!"
"Whyyyyyyyyyyyy??? Normally a garbage can in the way would make the photo unusable, but in this case it actually improves the most horrendous shutter-trocity I have ever seen!
.
“This garage door looks plain. How can we dress it up?”
“Should we paint it? Nah.”
“I know!! Let’s glue some vinyl wings on either side so you won’t notice the ugly garage door anymore and instead will cringe at the power of misappropriated shutters!”"
"One shutter on each window for the finished project on a whole house remodel? We’re counting on you guys to show us the right things to do!"
"Clearly the bottom sash is much more valuable than the top sash on these windows. It deserves the extra protection that 1/4” thick vinyl provides!"
Welcome to Doug's Window Saloon were everything is half off.
"Somehow I am still amazed at the depravity of humanity when it comes to window shutters.There is so much wrong with this picture I can’t even begin. Happy Shudder Sunday!"
"3 strikes and you’re out! There are 3 incorrect uses of shutters in as many windows in just this one photo.
I really can’t believe the level of design disdain going on here.
1. Shutter missing on left side of window
2. Shutter on bay window (incorrectly sized at that) with a missing shutter on the other side of the bay!
3 Shutter on the front door. I can’t see the other side of the door so I can’t even be sure that there are two shutters on the door.
I may retire after this one!"
"This one is tough! A beautiful house with a very nice original steel window and a cute shutter design to boot, but...
You can’t shutter a corner window this way. Where is the shutter for the other side? How would it close over those big hinges? Why is it too narrow? And why is that paint bubbling so much?
All reasons this attempt get a #ShudderSunday honorable mention. Not as bad as it could have been but still no cigar."
"This #ShudderSunday is a very rare picture of the childhood home of Tammy Faye Bakker.
Please be mindful of the “weeping shutters” that are maintained by the docents with weekly fresh coats of mascara"
These shutters aren't the worst. They look fine, actually. I think if you pressure wash the house it'd look just fine.
"Not sure what is happening with this window grouping in the first place but the shutters are not helping matters."
"I finally found a solution to shutters that are too short for their windows!
I’m excited to announce the Over-Under Shutter!!
Purchase any height shutter and simply install our newest shutter over or under the window to make your shutters a perfect fit every time!"
"The ”power shutter”! When your windows are a bit small and understated you should upgrade things and go with a power shutter that is twice the size of the window!
Of course these shutters are so powerful that the house can only handle one per window!"
"Those pesky power meters! If only they could move this then they could bolt another vinyl shutter to the siding 5 inches too far away from the window, but I guess this will do.
Bonus is it saves money since they used the second shutter on on a corner window across the house!"
"I was so taken in by the horse and buggy detail that I almost didn’t notice these shutters were about 1/8 the size they should be."
"This may be the greatest collection of shutter mistakes I have ever seen in one picture.
1. Garage shutters: never appropriate
2. The corner bay windows: a little sliver of shutter to show you were purposeful about screwing this up
3. The group of 3 windows up top: sharing is caring and these 3 windows are sharing too few shutters that are too small"
"Ahhh, “garage sideburns”. These might be bad enough for me to break quarantine just to pull these down in the night so I can sleep better!"
"Hanging shutters on houses with horizontal siding is like writing on wide ruled paper. If my 4 year old can stay between the lines shouldn’t your shutter installer be able to as well?"
"It’s not just the improper size that bugs me for #ShudderSunday sometimes it’s the old “bloody shutter syndrome” that ruins their look"
"Don’t forget to shut those 2nd story shutters for maximum protection!"
"PSA: Please be careful when washing vinyl shutters. They have a tendency to shrink."
"The elusive “sideburn” shutters! Not often found this far north this unique style is rarely captured in its natural habitat"
"This picture is a great teaching moment! 1) Don’t replace your original windows. They will last infinitely longer than replacement units and with weatherstripping and storms can actually be made more efficient than many new windows. 2) Shutter size should be the same as the window and exactly half the width otherwise they shouldn’t be installed."
"The “Skinny Girl” brand just released their new line of shutters and Bethenny Frankel is donating 100 pairs of shutters to homeowners in need. Visit her page to get your pair today!"
"I’m going to ignore the fact that these are fake vinyl shutters installed atop vinyl siding and go straight for the lack of completing the job at hand.
.
You were already on the ladder screwing these babies into the wall! Could you not afford another $40 for the other pair of fake shutters??
.
They look like fake eyelashes installed sideways"
Must have been a 4 for 1 special. That sure is a lot of shutters. You can teach math class using that building...If Jimmy buys 15 shutters and sells 8 how many shutters does Jimmy have left?
Draw a picture of your plans because it's esier to errase than to take them all down.
Why is he bothered that they are fake? I mean, really? It's a look some people like
Fake shutters just don't look good. Many countries still use real shutters and they look great, and functional. On another note, I can only read "FAIL" so many times... we get it.
On most US houses (and most pictured in this thread), shutters are purely decorative. It's basically just a fixed piece of wood trim that's mimicking an old functional design - and they don't look functional. So with that in mind, it's not really incorrect to place pieces of trim wherever you like them.
Old design ? It's largely used all over the world. Never been obsolete at all.
Load More Replies...Great... Now I'll be looking at people's shutters for the rest of the week.
I think Scott should leave other peoples houses alone. Not everybody has the same taste.
Yes, there were some functional fails. But many pics showed attempts, misguided or not, using yard sale "finds" or not, to improve the appearance of the facade. I found the tone of this post to be a bit too elitist and snide. These are people's homes. Let's step back and let Karen and the Head of the Neighborhood Association do their jobs.
I'm assuming the fake shutters is used as a design to make things look a bit better instead of plain even tho it doesn't logically make sense but physically look ok
We get hurricanes where we live, and real (functional) shutters are common. Everywhere else in the US it's common for houses to mount fake shutters as decorative trim. Many Americans don't realize that real shutters are useful pieces of window protection, because we are taught in school that shutters were what covered windows before we had glass.
I lived in an old mansion and the upstairs shutters were beautiful. Designed in a way that when closed you could still see outside.
Before this article, I never thought that shutters could be so amusing. I never thought of them much at all, in fact. But these examples made me laugh my butt off. Now, I will be looking for window "shudders" wherever I go.
Why is he complaining about fake shutters? OK, I'll concede that mismatched sizes and pairing look stupid, but of course they're not going to cover the windows!
There's some great vernacular buildings in the USA, but it really saddens me that so many people there don't really understand or value them. Of course we have the same problem in the UK, but at least we have a robust protection regimes and a comprehensive planning system including designated conservation areas and a listed building consent regime that can be used to prevent harm and reinforce a genuine sense of regional 'place'. It alarms me how little equivalent protection there is in the USA.
I never even knew this was a thing. Makes stone cladding look positively classy
If you look closely at most shutters on modern buildings you'll see that they're hung backwards with the slats slanting away from the wall. That way, if they were closed it would direct rainwater towards the window. Once you see one you'll see them everywhere.
I've never seen something like that in Germany or Europe in general.. Tbh I've never seen something like this at all 😮
With the same amount of work these were put on, you could put functioning shutters. These look ridiculous.
What's wrong with those people? Obviously shutters are placed for purpose not to be used. So why to put them on at all? Dont understand..
Because they believe it's a nice decorative element. Not everyone is an expert on taste. Just like not everyone is an expert to actually minding their own business when there is no possible way they feel any true impact by these fake shutters.
Load More Replies...Shutters seem like an old concept (19th century, if I'd have to guess) designed for the times when people had to hunker down in case of emergency, i.e. outlaws came into a saloon town, civil wars, etc. Now they have little practical use, and it's better to get some blinders. Unless I'm completely wrong about the idea, it seems like it's a US-only thing.
you can find shutters all over Europe though, still very much in use.
Load More Replies...Well I guess to "EACH HIS/HER OWN"! BUT I personally think the way these shutters are done ARE pretty AWEFUL!
No need to shout, dear. Just don't put them up on your home and you should be fine.
Load More Replies...Wow these are horrid houses, I was thinking I was looking at the "Ugly Belgian Houses" Tumblr for a moment. Maybe it's like a toilet lid, where many people accept they come as standard but they never use them (leave them always open/up)? Or local regs demand shutters?
Well. These shutter don't close, so your comparison doesn't fly. One is functional and not particularly pretty and not used and the other is purely decorative and cannot be used.
Load More Replies...Fake shutters just don't look good. Many countries still use real shutters and they look great, and functional. On another note, I can only read "FAIL" so many times... we get it.
On most US houses (and most pictured in this thread), shutters are purely decorative. It's basically just a fixed piece of wood trim that's mimicking an old functional design - and they don't look functional. So with that in mind, it's not really incorrect to place pieces of trim wherever you like them.
Old design ? It's largely used all over the world. Never been obsolete at all.
Load More Replies...Great... Now I'll be looking at people's shutters for the rest of the week.
I think Scott should leave other peoples houses alone. Not everybody has the same taste.
Yes, there were some functional fails. But many pics showed attempts, misguided or not, using yard sale "finds" or not, to improve the appearance of the facade. I found the tone of this post to be a bit too elitist and snide. These are people's homes. Let's step back and let Karen and the Head of the Neighborhood Association do their jobs.
I'm assuming the fake shutters is used as a design to make things look a bit better instead of plain even tho it doesn't logically make sense but physically look ok
We get hurricanes where we live, and real (functional) shutters are common. Everywhere else in the US it's common for houses to mount fake shutters as decorative trim. Many Americans don't realize that real shutters are useful pieces of window protection, because we are taught in school that shutters were what covered windows before we had glass.
I lived in an old mansion and the upstairs shutters were beautiful. Designed in a way that when closed you could still see outside.
Before this article, I never thought that shutters could be so amusing. I never thought of them much at all, in fact. But these examples made me laugh my butt off. Now, I will be looking for window "shudders" wherever I go.
Why is he complaining about fake shutters? OK, I'll concede that mismatched sizes and pairing look stupid, but of course they're not going to cover the windows!
There's some great vernacular buildings in the USA, but it really saddens me that so many people there don't really understand or value them. Of course we have the same problem in the UK, but at least we have a robust protection regimes and a comprehensive planning system including designated conservation areas and a listed building consent regime that can be used to prevent harm and reinforce a genuine sense of regional 'place'. It alarms me how little equivalent protection there is in the USA.
I never even knew this was a thing. Makes stone cladding look positively classy
If you look closely at most shutters on modern buildings you'll see that they're hung backwards with the slats slanting away from the wall. That way, if they were closed it would direct rainwater towards the window. Once you see one you'll see them everywhere.
I've never seen something like that in Germany or Europe in general.. Tbh I've never seen something like this at all 😮
With the same amount of work these were put on, you could put functioning shutters. These look ridiculous.
What's wrong with those people? Obviously shutters are placed for purpose not to be used. So why to put them on at all? Dont understand..
Because they believe it's a nice decorative element. Not everyone is an expert on taste. Just like not everyone is an expert to actually minding their own business when there is no possible way they feel any true impact by these fake shutters.
Load More Replies...Shutters seem like an old concept (19th century, if I'd have to guess) designed for the times when people had to hunker down in case of emergency, i.e. outlaws came into a saloon town, civil wars, etc. Now they have little practical use, and it's better to get some blinders. Unless I'm completely wrong about the idea, it seems like it's a US-only thing.
you can find shutters all over Europe though, still very much in use.
Load More Replies...Well I guess to "EACH HIS/HER OWN"! BUT I personally think the way these shutters are done ARE pretty AWEFUL!
No need to shout, dear. Just don't put them up on your home and you should be fine.
Load More Replies...Wow these are horrid houses, I was thinking I was looking at the "Ugly Belgian Houses" Tumblr for a moment. Maybe it's like a toilet lid, where many people accept they come as standard but they never use them (leave them always open/up)? Or local regs demand shutters?
Well. These shutter don't close, so your comparison doesn't fly. One is functional and not particularly pretty and not used and the other is purely decorative and cannot be used.
Load More Replies...