Are Shutters The Way To Add Extra Style In Brighton?

The image of Brighton has always been that of an attractive seaside town, although some have seen it in slightly disparaging terms as being slightly downmarket and seedy, at least compared to neighbour Hove. 

However, the best people to ask might not be the large number of holidaymakers who still come to ‘Sussex by the Sea’, but local residents. That is what The Argus has just done. 

By and large, the vox pop responses were positive, with many praising the city and its liberal social culture and one praising the “seagulls [actual birds, not the football team] and sunsets”.

However, the comments were a bit more mixed when it came to the built environment. While one praised “The Lanes, the North Laine, the parks,” she also lamented the decline of Madeira Drive. 

One said the city “needs a spring clean these days” and another called it “a bit tired and grubby in places”, although he would still not want to live anywhere else.

Another respondent actually found a positive in the mix of good and bad, claiming that “knowing that it has always, always been a balance of the sublime and the shabby” was a good thing, as he could “walk unafraid through shanty towns and five-star hotels”.

However, some may not be so keen on the thought that the downside to the appearance of parts of Brighton might be anything to do with their own home’s appearance. Could more window shutters in Brighton help this?

The answer is surely yes, because attractive shutters certainly look more stylish than grubby old curtains, while fitting them could be a part of a wider window renovation project. 

Indeed, in a city where it is not just fancy hotels but many apartments for everyday living that are building in Regency style, having stylish window spaces could add some extra lustre in the most visually prominent places.

It may be that many love Brighton ‘warts and all’, but there is no reason for its residents not to make it look even better.