An open and shut(ter) case

Drapery and blinds — finishing layers to which we accord huge importance. These days, we find ourselves ordering, for clients, more window screening than ever before, with a specific, growing demand for shutters.

But why the popularity surge? Well, shutters aren’t only practical (ideal for keeping heat in and prying eyes out) they also allow light penetration to be tailored, as required.

Maybe it’s because they conjure visions of hotter climes (as much as our previous statement re: keeping heat in is valid, so too is the shutter’s ability to stop sunlight entering your space in the first place) and the vacations we once enjoyed.

Or maybe it’s because, homebound as many of us have become — thanks to COVID-19 — we’ve grown accustomed to prowling the web for hard core, triple X property porn to inspire our various projects. And shutters are everywhere.

Whilst regulating our fickle climate is darned near impossible, investing in window treatments to provide shade (and interior protection) is eminently more achievable. More adaptable than curtains, and more versatile than standard blinds, shutters come in myriad contemporary styles — and indeed colourways — any of which might enhance and complement your existing scheme.

Shutters also provide greater noise reduction than other fenestration shading. Hey, you can even add locks to augment security — just try doing that with curtains. Factor in that they’re easy to install, and call for minimal maintenance (a monthly wipe down with a damp cloth will keep them at their best) and the appeal quotient simply grows.

Reputable companies such as Blinds To Go, upon whose services we regularly call, offer custom service (with in-home visits to measure and subsequently fit) or will manufacture shutters to the sizing you provide for DIY installation. Obviously, they excel with many other types of window shading, but their shutters are so on point.

Across the industry, choose from plastics, MDF or genuine lumber, although our advice is opt for the best your budget permits.

Shutters, you see, are like furniture for your windows: an important layer (akin to good quality flooring, sofas or art work) that, chosen correctly, will transcend decorative rejigs as time endures.

Here are the principal categories:

CAFÉ-STYLE

Positioned across only the bottom half of a window, these are particularly cost effective as they employ half the mate

rials of a full-size installation. This variant comes into its own at street level, where privacy could be a concern, but where sufficient light penetration is important.

TIER-ON-TIER

Often referred to as doublehung, these are the most versatile of all shutters, with independently operable sets hung one above the other. Essentially, this means you can choose to have the top open and the bottom shut — or vice versa — or both sets open or closed as required.

FULL FRAME

These are best for taller windows. Arranged within one frame, there’s usually a divide halfway up, or at a natural break such as sash level, which makes them sturdy and allows fins in each zone to move individually.

FULL SOLID

Louvre or fin free, this variant proffers a clean esthetic and comes with moulded trim that can be raised, scribed or Shaker style to suit your vision. Essentially a slab, these were particularly popular during Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian times, but they’ve enjoyed uplift in popularity as people’s affection for heritage style grows.

SEMI SOLID

This choice features a combo of controllable louver panels at the top and solid screening at the bottom. So, privacy where you need it, and light flow from above.

Unlike fabric blinds that can hold moisture — and therefore become mildewed, particularly in steamy bathrooms — shutters dry more quickly and promote optimal ventilation due to their (typically) louvered slats.

Whilst painted wood or MDF performs well in adequately ventilated rooms, for zones with extra high humidity, moisture-resistant shutters make more sense. Constructed, typically, from plastic or polyvinyl, they’re impervious to moisture, so their slats won’t rot or warp.

For whichever type you opt, today’s subject is — as far as we’re concerned — an open and shut(ter) case. Your sightlines, light balance and privacy levels will be instantly controllable at the twist of a rod, or indeed the flip of a fin. And come on: your windows will

thank you as they enjoy their loveliest upgrade to date.

123RF More adaptable than curtains and more versatile than standard blinds, shutters come in myriad contemporary styles — and indeed colourways — any of which might enhance and complement your existing scheme.