With summer now a distant memory, it is time to embrace the colder seasons and revel in getting wrapped up and warm, kicking crunchy brown and golden autumnal leaves, and most importantly, getting excited about Christmas and the festive season!

As December gets closer, many people will be figuring out their festive decor for Christmas, if you haven’t already replaced Halloween with Christmas decor, that is! Have you considered how to dress your windows for Christmas yet?

We have a look at some simple ideas on how to dress your windows for Christmas.

 

Themed

If ‘Christmas’ is not enough of a theme already, then you can narrow your decor focus to something particularly, whether that’s a rustic feel, or building your theme on a festive colour, such as green or red.

Whatever you decide, extend your decorations to your windows. Not only will they match the decor elsewhere in the room. But they will reflect the light and create a lovely, warming feel to the room.

If you are thinking about a more rustic theme, why not buy a small wooden basket and decorate it with fir branches, fir cones and stars made from wood or old wire.

 

Lighting

Few things are as inviting as twirling lights at the window, from traditional strings of fairy lights to cascading stars like a waterfall. Battery-operated candle-style lights look great, as well as being safer near wooden window blinds and curtains than real candles.

 

Traditional

Maybe you want to be traditional with your decor, and the window is the ideal place to site a cavity scene, typically consisting of a stable, baby Jesus in the manger, Mary, Joseph, and everyone! Hang a star above the scene, and illuminate with fairy lights.

 

Simple but elegant

Not everyone wants to go over-the-top with their Christmas decor, and sometimes keeping things minimal can maximise the effect. Try hanging a traditional wreath on your window shutters, and use a can of artificial snow around the corners of your windows, with a few stencilled snowflakes on the glass.

 

If you’re looking for plantation shutters in Worthing, talk to us today.

It is never hard to spot full height window shutters in Brighton, with many windows featuring them. This is especially true of the ubiquitous Regency buildings in this city.

All that might make some wonder if the popularity of shutters is indelibly linked with Regency architecture and its large windows. The answer is that it is in the sense that the two go together well, but the history of shutters goes way back.

Shutters today can be made of aluminium or MDF, but, as with our range, wood remains the favourite material. However, it was not the original material for shutters, which are believed to have originated in ancient Greece.

The land of Plato, Socrates, the Acropolis and the Olympics pioneered the use of shutters to keep out the heat and light of the hot Mediterranean summer sun. That use has never changed, but what may come as a big surprise is that they actually made the slats out of marble, rather than wood.

Marble does have the advantage of being a durable material, but of course it is rather more exclusive and expensive than wood, so mass adoption and production of shutters for the wider population required a more readily available material.

Given the predominance of first Greek and then Greco-Roman culture across the Mediterranean, blinds soon became popular on the Italian peninsula and beyond.

The same process occurred when they arrived in England during Tudor times, when they were a luxury item made from glass. But, once again, materials diversified later on.

Despite the lack of shutters in 11^th century England, they were still an important part of a tall story about a very famous incident: Lady Godiva’s streak on horseback.

It was this incident, when the noblewoman was riding through Coventry in a protest over unfair taxes, that gave rise to the phrase “Peeping Tom”. The story was that the townsfolk had closed their shutters to avoid the indecent sight, but Tom couldn’t resist opening them and was struck blind in an act of divine retribution.

The story is believed to have been spun in the 17^th century, with its originator clearly unaware that shutters were not in use in Saxon times.

If you’ve been thinking about the benefits of window shutters for your home, you could be overwhelmed by the number of different styles, and unsure about which is best for your home, and different rooms.

Whether you want to add an extra layer of insulation to your windows, or your curtains are looking drab and your want a change, then window shutters are ideal.

Full height shutters are perfect for large windows, covering the entire window, providing elegance and privacy. They’re perfect for most homes, and can also be used as room dividers and to dress doors also.

The full panel construction means they are excellent for blocking out light and also reducing external noise, which is ideal if you live on a busy road.

Full height shutters with a mid-rail also help to separate the upper and lower Louvres, creating a windowpane effect.

Café style shutters cover only the bottom half of a window, leaving the top clear, allowing all the natural light to enter the room, while still providing the level of privacy you need. This makes them perfect for kitchens or bathrooms, providing you don’t have overlooking buildings nearby.

If you require maximum adaptability, the tier-on-tier shutters are what you might need. The upper and lower shutters can be opened and closed independently of each other, allowing you to fully control the light in the room efficiently.

For those sunny days, when the sun is glaring in through the south-facing windows, there is more option to control the shutters, without having to plunge yourself into the gloom by only being able to close the entire shutter, which makes them perfect for the lounge or office, reducing screen glare.

Whichever style you choose, they are a smart and stylish investment to your home, that will attract the envy of your friends and neighbours, eye-catching even from the outside of your home.

 

Talk to our experts today for more information about window shutters in Brighton.

Window shutters are one of the best ways to improve your interiors and get the most from your window areas.

If you’re considering making changes to your window treatments, and unsure whether to go for shutters over curtains or blinds, we have a look at some of the best reasons to choose window shutters below:

Shutters vs Blinds

Both shutters and blinds are aesthetically pleasing window treatments, as well as being a way to control privacy, lighting, and airflow into a room.

However, shutters are of much superior quality and a more permanent solution that are made to fit your windows perfectly, even to unusual sizes or shapes of a window, meaning there is virtually no light leakage that you would find with blinds and a significant improvement on energy efficiency and noise reduction from outside.

Shutters vs Curtains

Curtains are seen as a more traditional window dressing. However, curtains are tortious for harbouring dust and allergens, and due to their size, material, and pleating, can be very difficult to clean, leading to curtains looking older and dirtier,

Shutters can be regularly and simply wiped down with a damp cloth, which not only keeps them looking amazing but also hygienic for you and your family. It makes them ideal for children’s rooms and nurseries.

Shutters will also allow you to more easily control how much light and privacy you need than curtains, as louvres can be adjusted on separate panels to suit your needs, 

If you’re looking for affordable window shutters in Brighton, visit our website today.

Wooden solid panel shutters are a beautiful aesthetic touch that helps to improve the privacy of a home, whilst allowing greater control of the light of a room compared to other types of blinds.

One other advantage they have over Venetian blinds, for example, is that cleaning the solid wooden panels and slats is so much easier.

Here are some of our top tips to keep your shutters looking superb.

 

Dust Regularly

Shutters are fairly hard-wearing and rarely build up a large amount of dirt, so the main priority of any weekly cleaning or touch-up routine for your shutters is to regularly remove dust.

There are plenty of different options, from feather dusters to microfibre mitts. However, one of the most effective for plantation shutters is to use a paintbrush, as the bristles can get into the mechanism, nooks and crannies of the shutters to get rid of all of the dust.

 

Clean Every Month

Generally, cleaning should be undertaken in moderation using gentle ingredients to avoid damaging the finish or the wood itself. A diluted solution of washing up liquid and warm water, dabbed onto the shutters with a cloth is ideal.

A monthly cleaning regime for indoor shutters is fine, as they are unlikely to build up that much dirt, grime or debris, especially if you are dusting every week. You can also polish the wood, but keep it in moderation.

 

Refinish As Needed

Whilst shutters will last a long time when properly taken care of, if you start noticing chips in the wood or the colours fading, it may be time to strip the old finish off and re-coat it with a new wood stain.