Are Interior Or Exterior Panel Shutters Better For Your Home?

Much has been said about the growth of panel shutters as a design trend, with louvred shutters in particular providing an elegant, hard-wearing alternative to Venetian blinds or curtains.

A key question for many homeowners hasn’t been whether or not to get them but whether they should be fitted to the inside or the outside of the window frame.

Ultimately, the right answer depends on the type of window, the type of shutter and the type of house, but there are certainly ways to make interior or exterior shutters work for your home.

Exterior shutters with louvres are often added as a rustic feature, particularly for coastal cottages to add to the breezy seaside aesthetic. They also serve as an effective security system by locking off access to the window frame at night and can more effectively protect the house from stormy weather.

The big problem with exterior shutters is that they are very architecture-dependent, and it is much easier to create a stylistic clash with shutters fitted to the outside than to the inside.

If you have a rustic, more traditional-looking home that would suit panel shutters or a Mediterranean-style home that would benefit from outdoor louvred shutters, then external shutters are the way to go. 

A more conventional suburban semi-detached might look a bit out of place unless you pick a perfect combination of styles and colours.

As well as this, external shutters require a lot more maintenance to protect against storm damage.

By contrast, internal shutters are relatively low-maintenance, there are a huge number of options for colours, styles, fixtures and fittings, they can more easily fit an interior design style than external architecture, and the lack of risk of them being damaged by the rain means you have more options for materials.

They also help to keep the home more effectively insulated.