Shutter Style

The beautiful sunlight we benefit from in Singapore is often a blessing, but sometimes a curse, particularly if your windows face the glare of the sun. Curtains or blinds are useful, but for a more long-term solution there are some stunning shutters out t

“There are practical and emotional reasons why people would choose shutters over curtains or blinds.

On a practical level, shutters made from natural wood are more durable, very easy to clean and maintain, and collect less dust than curtains. With proper care, shutters will last for years and years.

“On an emotional level, shutters have cleaner lines and are more simple, with a solid look and feel. Once installed in a home, they become a part of that home, just like windows and doors. Curtains and blinds, on the other hand, are more like accessories for the home, and they tend to follow fashion trends.”

“Installation will of course take more time and require more skill than hanging curtains or blinds.

For most homes that we work on, it takes about two days to complete the installation work. Shutters are delivered to a customer’s home as a finished product, but we need to install them properly to ensure they function as they’re intended to, whether they’re sliding shutters, the swing-door style, or something else. You really need skilled carpenters to do the job.”

“We don’t design our shutters to follow a current fashion or a trend.

Form follows function when it comes to shutters – and that’s the beauty of them. They don’t serve one particular style, but that also means that they don’t clash with a style; like a good pair of jeans that fit well, you can make shutters work with anything.”

“We really encourage our customers to have fun with their colour selection.

But, at the end of the day, shutters are made for the home, so they have to fit in with their surroundings. Interior designers are great when it comes to colour selection because they can visualise which colours will go with this

and that. The rest of us tend to choose colours that are neutral and can blend in; this may be seen as the easy route, but it works.

“There are two main types of colour finish that can be used: a solid spray-paint finish or a wood stain finish. With the former, the paint is an opaque colour, so you cannot see through it to the wood grain beneath. With a wood stain finish, the grain will be visible because the paint is translucent; still, with this type of finish you are more limited in your colour palette.”

“Take the shutters with you when you move, and if you have a similar-sized window then the shutters will fit at the new location. We had a customer who had to move but wanted to take their shutters with them, and they came back to consult with us. Luckily, they came to us while they were in the early stages of fitting out their new unit, and we were able to modify the old shutters to fit their new location; it worked out beautifully.”

Like a good pair of jeans that fit well, you can make shutters work with anything”