You are the ray of sunshine in my life;
Flowers bloom in my heart each time we are together. . .
I shutter to think what I would do without you.
~unknown
Oooh . . . lala! J’adore French shutters! Aren’t they simply charming?
While shutters served utilitarian purposes over the centuries — keeping out inclement weather and providing protection from the enemy — I think they add so much spaciousness and beauty to homes. Don’t you?
Many of the shutters in southwest France are typically painted gorgeous shades of azure to a robin’s egg blue. Most frequently, the paint pigment used in these shutters is derived from the woad plant — a softer, earlier “sibling” to indigo.
The woad paint and dye are very durable and help protect the wood from the ravages of insects and weather. Wouldn’t it be positively charming to have shutters painted these lovely shades of blue?
Will you stroll with me through a few French villages in the southwest Mediterrean region? We can admire and enjoy the charming shutters together .
What are your favorite shutters?
You may also enjoy these other recent posts:
French Dreams at Chateau Dumas.
Inspiring Beauty at Chateau Dumas.
Estivales du Chapeau {hat festival in France
POST NOTE — Upcoming Millinery Masterclass!
Another Millinery Masterclass is scheduled at the superb 18th-century Chateau Dumas September 26-October 3 in southwest France! Even if you have never made a hat before, the adventures of hatmaking under the expertise of former Royal Milliner Dillon Wallwork are not to be missed!
The tutor is former Royal milliner, Dillon Wallwork who for nearly a quarter of a century designed hats for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales as part of the team at world famous milliners Philip Somerville.
So whether the goal is a chic shoulder-spanning hat to turn heads or a coquettish cocktail hat with a mysterious veil, or something much more practical . . . Toulouse is the starting point, Chateau Dumas the luxury base and Dillon the expert. As Dillon says: “A well-chosen, stylish hat works wonders. Whether it’s men opening doors for you, getting a table at a busy restaurant or just keeping warm in winter, wearing a hat gets you noticed – people will say ‘Who’s that?’ Men just love to be with a woman in a glorious hat.”
rose cottage gardens and farm 
DebbyKay,
Those are so charming! I love the blues, aquas and greens that the French use for their shutters. I especially like the ones from the first photo and the second to the last. Thanks for sharing such beautiful pictures and words with us.
Have a blessed day!
Sharon
I cannot decide ! They are all ‘perfect’! Though they wouldn’t look good on my 1970’s Ranch Style home! :~O
I love all the photos ~ They make me feel so nostalgic ~ I can hear the music playing, feel the gentle breeze with the scent of lavender carried on them as I imagine myself strolling the narrow villiage streets! Divine!
I love shutters! The photographs you’ve chosen to include here are wonderful — old world charm. Thank you for sharing so many pictures. ~Arleen
I don’t think I ever see enough “French” shutters. It’s like that houses are built for the shutters instead of the shutters being build for the houses.
These shutters look so great because they are working shutters and fit the windows. I admit I don’t like the vinyl shutters that are tacked on now as an afterthought. They are screwed to the house and often are the wrong size for the window so they don’t look the least bit real.
I would love to take the workshop and learn how to make hats. Wouldn’t it be nice if both men and women wore hats again?
Ooh! I wish I could really go for a stroll through some French villages with gorgeous looks like that! My dad’s great grandparents were French, and I’d love to get there one day! Beautiful pics, thanks.
Debbykay,
Thank you for shining a light on how beautiful these old shutters can be. It is amazing how many different designs that have been created for the purposes of utility and beauty!
Thank you for sharing what you saw in SW France.
Best regards,
Beautiful images and not only are the shutters charming, but so is the iron scrollwork outside of the windows. So very pretty. Jane T. (Atticmag)
What a beautiful post – I love shutters, and my favorite style is French architecture with beautiful blue shutters. Thanks for the wonderful start to my day!
What a wonderful post and wonderful pictures, I’m going to look at them again. I absolutely swoon over shutters and love them. I pick them up whenever I see them and hubby wonders why. I’m not sure…but they move me. Thank you for a lovely time today.
Blessings,
Debbie
Oh I just want to breathe it in! It is so authentic and pure. Great pictures….wonderful. Thanks for taking me there! Lisa~
The thing I notice right away is all the color! Love them!!!
These shutters are all beautiful. I’m dying to get new ones on my house (we’ve got those basic vinyl ones now that I’ve never been crazy about). Thanks for all the inspiration! -Julia 🙂
The shutters are nice. What I really love are the wrought iron work balcony-like window coverings. You show one about 1/2 way through your photos. I don’t see that often here in the Midwest.
W0nderful photos of shutters in France.
Joyce M
LOvely pictures of those lovely shutters. The colours are always nice in the south.
Have a nice day
What a novel and creative post. I love your photos and unusual theme. I hope you are having a wonderful day.
Those shutters are absolutely divine!! Houses without shutters always look “office-like” to me. Right now ours are red, but if I could find that shade of blue, I could definitely imagine changing it!! 🙂
They are definitely adorable.
Thanks for sharing. Have a great day,
Val
I adore shutters — to me they make the house! You have some charming photos – wow.
-Angela
They are indeed charming! And so quaint! I can’t pick a favorite. I like something about all of them. Wish I had shutters. I love to decorate with them inside also. The photos are stunning!
Brenda
Dearest Debbykay,
How wonderful to see more of your beautiful photos from your dream trip to France! Indeed, the shutters are so very charming! I love the colors and the old-world look of them. They are all so beautiful that it is difficult to choose a favorite. Though I love the different shades of blue, I prefer the stained dark wood shutters. I enjoyed my stroll through this lovely village with you dear friend! Thank you for taking me along.
Much love from your kindred heart in the south,
Paula
Gorgeous! Thank you for sharing! I’ve pondered over adding those decorative shutters to my home. But I just don’t know if I can bring my self to doing it, I’d much rather have functional shutters but for one, they are probably more pricey, and another, my windows are wide.
I so enjoyed all the beautiful shutters, especially all the shades of blue… so charming!
Love your pictures of shutters. I’m looking for ideas for shutters for the Cajun French cabin my husband is building. Also a window flower box. So I really got some wonderful ideas from your photo shots. Thanks!
Oh, how wonderful to have a French cabin! I hope to see the results of all your creativity and building! Thanks for stopping by Rose Cottage!
I am interested in learning more about the paint that was traditionally used to paint these shutters. I read about it one in an article years ago and am sorry I failed to keep it. Someone had stated that the color was derived from indigo, etc. Do you have any more information on it or know where I might learn more?
Hi Victoira,
Isn’t the blue shutter paint gorgeous? I simply swoon whenever I see this color. This paint is made from a woad plant from SW France. Some think it proceeded indigo. Woad dying (and paint) is an amazing process. The paint is highly effective in detering rot and bugs. As I understand, different shade are created by multiple dipping or layers of painting. There is a paint company in SW France that sells the woad paint, too. Let me know if you would like information about this.
There is a class at Chateau Dumas near Toulouse this summer that includes woad dying of vintage/antique French textiles in which you may have an interest. (I would love to go!) Here is a link to the workshop schedule: http://www.chateaudumas.net/workshops/workshops.html . Chateau Dumas is a fabulous setting for learning and expanding one’s creativity.
Thanks for stopping by Rose Cottage and for your question! I would love to hear how you use the woad paint.
Hi Victoria,
Here is a link to the woad paint that I mentioned: http://www.bleu-de-lectoure.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=2&Itemid=10. Wouldn’t it be fun to create authentic French shutters on your home?!