Posted by Mason Shaver
on July 01, 2026
Shutters are one of the fastest ways to change how a house reads from the street — but the style you choose matters as much as the color. Here's how the four classic exterior shutter styles compare, and which home styles each one fits best.
Board & Batten: The Farmhouse Classic
Vertical planks joined by horizontal battens — this is the original exterior shutter design, and still the most versatile. Board and batten shutters read as authentic and handcrafted from the street, which is why they're the default choice for farmhouse, cottage, and rustic homes. They also work surprisingly well on craftsman and traditional colonials. (Deep dive: board and batten shutters and rustic charm.)
Best for: farmhouse, cottage, craftsman, colonial
Skip if: your home leans sleek and contemporary — the rustic character can fight a minimal facade.
Z-Bar: Rustic With a Detail
A Z-bar shutter takes the board and batten base and adds a diagonal brace across the face. That single diagonal is a traditional structural detail — it's what kept real working shutters square — and it adds a barn-inspired character that plain vertical planks don't have.
Best for: farmhouse, rustic, ranch, mountain homes
Skip if: your windows are very short — the Z pattern needs some height to look proportional.
X-Bar: The Bold Statement
The X-brace design doubles the diagonal detail for a look that's equal parts barn door and carriage house. X-bar shutters are the most decorative of the classic styles and pair especially well with stone, brick, and board-and-batten siding.
Best for: modern farmhouse, carriage-house garages, stone and brick exteriors
Skip if: the rest of your exterior already has strong pattern — X shutters want to be the focal point.
Horizontal Slat: The Contemporary Pick
Clean horizontal lines give slat shutters a modern, coastal feel — think less "farmhouse," more "beach house or contemporary craftsman." If board and batten feels too rustic for your home, horizontal slat is the answer.
Best for: modern, coastal, contemporary craftsman, mid-century homes
Skip if: you're matching a historic or traditional facade.
Choosing a Material: Why Cedar Wins Outdoors
Whatever style you pick, material determines how the shutters age. Cedar is the standard for exterior shutters because it naturally resists rot, insects, and warping — and unlike vinyl, it takes paint and stain cleanly and can be refinished instead of replaced. Real wood grain is also visible from the curb in a way molded vinyl never quite imitates.
Sizing Basics
Exterior shutters should match your window height and measure roughly half the window's width each, so a closed pair would (visually) cover the window. Undersized shutters are the most common curb-appeal mistake — when in doubt, size to the window opening, not the glass.
Picked a style? The next decision is color — here's which shutter colors and stains work with your siding.
All four styles above are handcrafted in real cedar in our shop: Traditional Board & Batten, Z-Bar, X-Bar, and Horizontal Slat — or browse the full exterior wood shutters collection. Sold in pairs, available in multiple heights and finishes.
