We seem to find lots of great Shutters on our travels.  Some old, some new, some on windows and some used in the most creative ways!  We hope to inspire you to visit some of places that we love…

Cape Cod is everything I thought it would be and more! Quaint cedar shake cottages, pastel colours and brilliant blooms abound. Cottage country at its best with quiet seaside communities, secluded wooded nooks, picturesque marinas and bustling artsy Provincetown for great food, shopping and long beaches. I could almost say that it didn’t feel like being in North America at times with scenery and flora evocative of Caribbean Islands or South American villages.

One thing we did notice were the shutters. They seemed to be everywhere! Exterior shutters of all styles are widely used to enhance the cape cod architecture. We did see interior shutters as well, but the exterior type were definitely the statement maker in the Cape.

Many of the beautiful homes we saw had ‘Provence-style’ shutters made with battens held together with a sturdy top and bottom rail. These brought to mind the European wine regions where these types of shutters are used to control the weather and light. Painted in pretty seaside colours, these homes were enchanting and inviting.

A real tribute to the Cape were these ‘anchor cut-outs’ in a double batten shutter. Quaint and fitting for the area’s ambiance. You can just imagine the sound of the crashing surf and smell the ocean air! The soil is sandy and the pine trees craggy and short compared with ours in Canada. We couldn’t help but notice that the pine we buy to make our shutters couldn’t possibly come from the crooked trees on the Cape!

Pretty pastels and architectural trim work are typical of the homes that we saw on our trip. Whether in the seaside, country or city areas the homes and businesses were picturesque and well-tended. Green lawns and lush perennials, tree-lined streets and crab apple blossoms come to mind when I think about Cape Cod.
There were some wonderful restaurants with samplings of seafood and fish that were fresh and delicious. The shops in Provincetown offered a wide variety of crafty/souvenir shops, furniture, jewelry, marine and clothing stores. The homes and businesses are set close together and the narrow streets with their mature trees are similar to coastal european towns.

Like the old song says, “You’re Gonna Fall In Love With Ol’Cape Cod!