How To Choose Window Shutters

Window shutters are one of the things on my wishlist and I’ve been considering them for quite a while now. For those of you who have read my previous posts about my living room window dilemma, I’ve still done absolutely nothing about it. The vertical blinds are still there and annoy me on a daily basis. But I just don’t know if shutters would work in that room and even if they would I’m confused by how to choose window shutters.

There are a few different types of shutters and it’s difficult to know which types work for which windows and in which rooms. When you look into it you can get a choice of different styles, materials and colours and it can all become a bit overwhelming. Faced with so much choice, how do you know how to choose window shutters that are right for your home?

To help you decide, I’ve collaborated with Diamond Shutters to create a ‘Shutters 101’ guide. In this piece, we’re going to look at some of the most popular styles of window shutter, their pros and cons as well as the rooms they’re most suited to. Here’s everything you need to know.

Full Height Shutters

Full height shutters will cover your entire window space.

Pros:

• Offer complete privacy and light blockage, masking your entire window area
• When slats and panels are closed, they offer excellent insulation too helping to regulate the temperatures in your home
• Adding a mid-rail can give you the sort of versatility usually associated with tier on tier shutters
• They’re the easiest style to install in your home
• Without a mid-rail, they can offer even more light into your room
• Also great for fitting to doors

Cons:

• While they will allow maximum light infiltration, if your room is particularly dark then you may prefer something with more exposure such as cafe style.
• Without a mid-rail, they can feel a little inflexible with regards to light and privacy. The slats are either all open or all closed.

Full height shutters are best suited to bedrooms thanks to their incredible ability to offer that blackout effect and total privacy.

Cafe Style Shutters

Cafe style shutters cover the lower half of your window. They can also be created bespoke by the likes of Diamond Shutters to cover 1/3 or even 2/3 of the opening, measuring from the bottom up.

Pros:

• Unobstructed light through the top portion of the window
• Totally customisable to suit your window and your needs
• Can offer a level of elegance and a certain level of style
• Provide privacy in your home in the most cost-effective manner

Cons:

• No coverage for the top portion of your window providing more exposure than some may like
• There’s no ‘adding to them’ at a later date so you may be better off with another style
• Can be tricky to install for those looking for a ‘do it yourself’ option

Cafe style shutters are best suited to living rooms with bay windows or those with a street/pavement immediately outside their window. They also work well in basement rooms that need as much light as possible.

Tier On Tier Shutters

Tier on Tier shutters offer flexibility in their slats. You can have the bottom half closed and the top half open, or vice versa. The choice is yours. They cover the entire window frame.

Pros

• Maximum privacy and light control
• Separate sections to allow you to enjoy total flexibility with each half doing whatever you need at the time
• Offer extra insulation as they cover the whole window
• When made bespoke by the likes of Diamond Shutters, they’re available in a range of materials, colours and slat sizes.

Cons:

• Not suitable for all window styles

Tier on tier shutters are best suited to living rooms, and dining rooms and are a great option for bedroom shutters too as they offer the flexibility wanted by many yet can provide total privacy and light control when needed.

Tracked Window Shutters

Tracked shutters are exactly as the name suggests, on a tracked system. This means they’re better suited to larger windows or door openings. However, tracking will undoubtedly increase the cost. They can be created in a more flexible style such as tier on tier or the more common option of full height shutters, or even solid.

Tracked shutters are best suited to large windows or openings.

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If you’d like to find out more about how to choose window shutters for your home or you’d like to order bespoke window shutters, made to your exact requirements, get in touch with Diamond Shutters. Their specialists will be happy to advise and can design and install bespoke window shutters to suit your home.