Interior shutters and a brief history for some new perspectives for London
There are several swell established window coverings which we are all aware of, namely curtains, blinds and window shutters. Many homes employ net curtains as well as outer curtains and other combinations. At London Shutters we throughly believe that plantation shutters (interior window shutters) are the way to go forward. Why ? A number of reasons:
1. They are not a fad. Shutters have been around since Greek times! Not many people know that but blocking out the elements has been a priority for interior designers for thousands of years! Whilst they are relatively new to the UK market, there are already many suppliers and it is a growth market. So whilst you will not see hundreds of homes immediately surrounding you with shutters, you will enjoy the fact that they are around to stay, and you will be amongst the minority who use this window covering at this time, the elite perhaps.
2. Shutters provide some unique properties which curtains cannot offer. For example, gone will be the days of net curtains for privacy. Today many home owners use net curtains to provide privacy from the street or houses opposite. No longer with shutters as whether customers use full height or cafe style half height shutters, the unique slat design allows more or less viewing from outside. In other words if the slats are slightly twisted light can still get into a room, but it’s incredibly hard to see through the thinner closed gaps between the slats. This makes it awkward to say the least for a passer by to peer into a room. With cafe shutters this example is even better, as the height of the shutter is made lower than the full height of the window which naturally can stop invasive eyes at room height, but can allow full light to fall in above the shutter, the perfect solution for many London properties such as in Wimbledon and Battersea.
3. The style of shutters is simply to die for we think. With exclusive interior designer ranges such as from KELLY HOPPEN as well as classic wooden cuts, this window covering is modern yet classic, and provides a degree of aspiration for homes and offices which regular window coverings do not generally offer. Clean lines, linear options, a variety of styles and finishes, all combine to create a thoroughly modern approach to light control.
4. Interior shutters will help to keep your room insulated, both in hot weather and cold weather. In other words, when it is cold outside, closing (well fitted) shutters will block leaky windows and frames, and when it’s hot it will keep out direct sunlight keeping the room cooler. Studies have been conducted to show how shutters keep a room as warm as curtains.
5. Cleanliness. Now we have to be honest, shutters may not be the easiest window covering to clean, particularly where a push rod (“stick” at the front of the shutter for opening the slats) is on the front. However, if you have big windows, you might find it easier and more economical than taking down large heavy curtains and washing them. There are less fading issues with shutters treated with UV whereas washing curtains could cause problems with colour. Blinds such as roller blinds can be a real hassle to clean as they are not easily removed from the cassettes and will often crack in a washing machine. So, although not easy to wipe a cloth along a slat, it’s certainly not much harder than any of the other window coverings around!
That’s five great reasons for why use shutters and we’ll show you even more in our projects page here. Read more on our London Shutters home page here.