We built one on a farm we hunt and painted it brown. It's 10 feet off the ground, and the sides are a little above waist high. above that they are open for about 2.5 ft and then theres a roof over the top. It's not enclosed like the ones you see on TV with just a little window you can slide open.
That being said, the day after we finished it I shot a 10pt buck out of it. So maybe painting helps? If yours is open like mine you gotta make sure you aren't moving too much so they see you. Other than that, there should be no reason they are scared of it over a year later. Maybe during the off season try putting an apple flavored mineral block near the blind. That way they will get used to being around it and associate it with a tasty apple block. We always have the apple Buck Licker's block out there when the season's over. Those deer go nuts for the apple flavor.