Shutters - Oh So Many Options!

Shutters can enhance your home aesthetically, add to your privacy, and also protect you from the elements, making them both beautiful, and practical. But they’re not just good for closing out stormy winds and rain, they also allow you to control how much sunlight enters a room. Loved and favoured for centuries, shuttered windows can make your home more stylish and much more comfortable as well. Many people have many different reasons for considering them, as you will certainly have your own too. But one thing’s for sure, you won’t be struggling when it comes to choice. From traditional wood to modern aluminium, you will certainly find something suitable, regardless of your style of home. Shutters can change the mood and feel of any room, or enhance any exterior. They are suitable for any kind of home, rustic, beach, modern, historic, colonial… the list is practically endless, as are all the styles available to you. If it’s purely the ‘look’ you would like, fixed Shutters can be very economical, depending on your choice of style and material. You can choose to cover windows, or doors, or both. They can be placed inside, or outside, you may even feel a little overwhelmed by all the choices! But not to worry, like any home improvement project, simply thinking things through, knowing the pros and cons, will help you make the right choice.

Many of the synthetic Shutters you find at your local home improvement store are inexpensive. Although they’re usually non-functional and cannot be painted or stained. As most people know, wood is the most traditional material, but today, aluminium, fibreglass, vinyl and plastic are also used. Interior Shutters will usually be attached, using hinges, to the inside of your existing window frames. They can also be purchased on tracks, even motorised, making them highly controllable and easy to manage. Access to you window will not be inhibited, with functional models. A fully operational ‘Louvre Style’ also has slats which can be adjusted to allow more, or less, light and air in. Often referred to as Plantation Shutters, although in reality, this actually refers to the width of the slat itself, not so much it’s adjustability. A Plantation Shutter having an extra wide slat, making the control of airflow and sunlight much easier. Other designs, which have rotational Louvers, are simply known as the ‘traditional’ style, or California Shutters. However they’re frequently referred to as the ‘Plantation Style’ by many.

Unlike exterior or fully adjustable Louvre designs, an interior ‘fixed shutter’ can incorporate the use of many more materials and, therefore, styles, including fabrics and stained glass. Making them extremely versatile when it comes to your interior design concerns . Café style refers to a shutter which only covers the lower section of a window, but multiple tier, top and bottom tier Shutters are also available. Which design you need will also depend a lot on how much privacy you need. All the designs, styles, materials and functionality available definitely mean you are entirely in control. Be practical, as well as stylish, when it comes to all these issues, and you won’t go far wrong.