Although glass and screens have eliminated the practical need for shutters, theyre still popular for decoration. They add another layer of thoughtful detailing to a house, says Ted Cleary, a landscape architect in Charlotte, North Carolina.

But to get the right look, you still have to consider function when choosing and hanging shutters, experts say.

Beauty in architecture, as with many objects, often stems from seeing a detail that illustrates its purpose, Cleary says.

A pair of shutters can cost anywhere from $100 to more than $1,000. Some tips on choosing the right ones for your home:

Size

Originally, shutters were used to keep out weather, noise and animals; when closed, they had to cover the whole window.

So shutter size is the most important thing to consider, says Lindsay Daniel, a Charlotte architect, who agrees with Cleary that homeowners must think function first, not decoration.

Make sure the shutters meet and completely cover the window opening. Otherwise, she says, the shutter looks like a stupid afterthought.

This means that shutters dont work on double-width or picture windows, says Richard Taylor, an architect and president of RTA Studio in Dublin, Ohio. To my eye anyway, it looks ridiculous, he says.

And take care about their shape when hanging shutters on arched windows, Cleary adds. Shutters are perfectly legitimate on arched windows as long as the (closed) shutter covers it, he says.

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Shutters, when done right, add detail to exterior

Your landscape is very much like your home's interior dcor.

It grows old, sometimes tattered and torn, and needs updating from time to time. Sometimes, plantings need to be completely torn out and totally replaced.

Our landscape is eight years old, and annually we make changes taking out stuff that fails to suit our likes or needs or just doesn't thrive the way we expect it to.

Occasionally, we remove an entire bed, like we did this spring. A simplistic planting of dwarf English boxwoods now replaces winter-weary dwarf gardenias.

The new look follows my gardening motto: You grow or you go.

I also want plants to behave or they go. Within the last two years, we removed all rose bushes because the thorns were just too much for my skin. We also took out many ornamental grasses because the annual pruning was more than we wanted to do. Retired, my husband Ken and I have many interests to claim our time, and while gardening is one of them, we don't let the yard consume our lives. After eight years, we have finally fine-tuned it.

Professional pointers

In landscape design classes at Christopher Newport University, I learned a landscape lasts for 10-15 years before it needs at least a partial redo.

Local landscape designers agree.

"When I started my business 21 years ago there was a housing boom in Williamsburg and the bulk of my business was landscapes for new construction," said Peggy Krapf of Heart's Ease Landscape & Garden Design (www.HeartsEaseLandscape.com).

Read the rest here:
Yard & Garden: Landscapes need TLC

Springs Preserve Unearth the past at this multimillion-dollar natural history museum complex, also home to the Nevada State Museum. Exhibits treat Native Americans and railroad pioneers to casino impresarios, mobsters and showgirls. The surrounding nature preserve has walking trails, an eco-living educational center, a green-themed gift shop and a caf. springspreserve.org

Grand Canyon More than just a big hole in the ground, this ethereal wind- and water-sculpted landscape ranks among the USAs top natural attractions. Tip: Skip the gimmicky SkyWalk and visit the national park instead. From Las Vegas, several companies offer bus tours, or take a flight-seeing trip aboard a private helicopter or plane (from $209; maverickhelicopter.com). If you drive, its about 4 hours each way. nps.gov/grca

A pool party in full swing at the Hard Rock Cafe (Getty)

Hoover Dam This art-deco desert masterpiece of engineering towers above the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, backing up onto artificial Lake Mead. Learn all about the history of the dam, built during the 1930s Great Depression, while taking an underground tour that visit the dams massive hydroelectric generators, each of which could power a small city of 10,000 people. Bus tours from Las Vegas are inexpensive and can be booked after arrival. usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam

Mount Charleston Nestled in the Spring Mountains, outdoorsy locals come here to hike during summer The drive northwest of the city takes about an hour.

The Grand Canyon (Alamy)

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Check out some high-octane NASCAR racing at the speedway or put some metal the pedal on the go-karting track at this 1500 acre Las Vegas Boulevard venue. lvms.com

Neon Museum Take a trip through time on a guided walking tour of downtown's vintage "boneyard" of neon signs. Gems such as the Stardust casino's magnificent marquee and Binion's lucky horseshoe sign have found their eternal rest here. Make tour reservations in advance or drop by the museum's visitor center, inside the restored mid-century modern La Concha Motel lobby, to check on last-minute availability. neonmuseum.org

Super Summer Theatre Big productions enjoy an outdoor airing in the picturesque surroundings of the Spring Mountain Ranch state park, about a 30-minute drive from the strip. This year, see Monty Pythons Spamalot or Shrek the Musical. lasvegas.com/supersummertheatre

The Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Getty)

Read more here:
Las Vegas attractions: what to see and do in summer

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