Shutters are the original window decoration, way before curtains and blinds were invented. It is the common belief that Plantation Shutters go back to around the fifteenth century. Previous to this window spaces where just that; a space – a gap left for ventilation.
It is thought that the first type of shutters started in the fifteenth century in Greece, when the window spaces had rocks placed in the gap. The main purpose of this was to protect from wind, rain and sun. Over time these developed into marble shutters. Some of these could be slid across the window space to let in right the amount of light and air.
Wooden shutters became used once shutters were popular further afield in Europe, especially elsewhere in the Mediterranean such as Spain and Italy.
The term plantation shutters refers to wooden shutters with broad louvres, mounted in a solid frame. The term “plantation” is in relation to shutters in the United States. Shutters were brought to America when the south was colonised by the Spanish. Wooden style shutters were popular on the mansions is the cotton and sugar plantations in these areas, thereby coining the phrase “plantation shutters”.
Although shutters first came about for the practical reasons mentioned above, they are now often used only for decorative purposes. They have in many instances been replaced. In terms of protection from the elements glass windows are now the norm, although shutters can be used to protect against extreme weather forces such as hurricanes and tornadoes. It terms of light curtains and blinds are often used, although the way that shutter louvres can be open and closed as the user likes does have its advantages. So they do still have practical use, but decoration is their main selling point.
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