Hi Emma, Both combinations will look good, they will just feel different and present a different theme. Brown and cream will add warmth and give a classic feel to your home. I've designed with this color combo a few times and it's a real winner. Check out my photos and you'll see 2 different brown and cream kitchens. Black and white is timeless, classic and more dramatic, it's not as warm as brown and cream but boy it looks smart. So there's no wrong choice here, it just depends on whether you want the crisper look a black & white scheme will give or the warmth of a brown/cream scheme. Good luck!

there are companies who will spray paint your shutters with a 2 pac finish that will bring them up like new again however it is costly, about half the cost of buying new shutters. If you are interested in this, send me an email and I will give you the name of my contact. Otherwise, consider adding drapes in front of the shutters in a colour that complements your new room colours or in white. Finally, depending on the location and functionality, maybe replace some of the shutters ( if in more than one room) to simpler blinds and only have some of the shutters professionally treated.

We have the same challenge with those cream window frames. If you use window coverings (I will probably add warm white blinds and sheers) think about what they will look like from the outside as well. Stark white will look wrong with our style of home. I love plantation shutters, but again, can’t have them because they’d look terrible from outside.

Semi gloss for the trims. Do two samples of white - Natural White and White on White. Both Dulux. Only do two and then decide if they aren’t right and why. We can then advise cooler or brighter etc. Because you’re working with the existing cream you don’t want grey undertones or anything too cool. You’ll need to do the samples and move them around the house. You can’t pick off a screen.