The beauty of plantation shutters is that they make as much or as little a statement as the homeowner wants them to.

In a light, airy room, a set of white or off-white shutters will add to the light feel without ever getting in the way, whilst simply painting them a darker or brighter shade will create in itself a statement piece.

It is perhaps telling that one of the most famous houses in the history of cinema appears to have been carved out of white marble except for the notable black pairs of exterior louvred shutters that cannot help but catch the eye.

Twelve Oaks might be the true star of the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, even above Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable, and many of the film’s most famous scenes are framed in a segmented light only possible with perfectly placed louvred shutters.

The house itself was more in line with the Colonial Revival architectural movement, with its vast array of columns, double-hung shutters and symmetrical facades which exaggerate features from the historic buildings depicted in the original Margaret Mitchell novel.

This caused some mild controversy, although as history has remembered the film adaptation far more vividly than the book, the iconic appearance of Twelve Oaks is defined by black louvred shutters and white columns than the original 1836 house.

The author of the original book was somewhat unhappy with this change, expecting a more historically accurate house to be used. Ultimately, the striking and deeply staged and cinematic feel of the cinematic Twelve Oaks and its beautiful shutters ultimately ended up winning out in the public consciousness.

It may have also had an effect on reviving plantation shutters as a popular design feature in the United States and making louvres a hugely popular summer house feature in other parts of the world that drew similar inspiration. 

Right now, householders will not spend any time worrying about too much sunlight coming into the house. With the shortest days of the year down in Sussex lasting fewer than eight hours and lots of gloomy weather, any natural light at all is welcome.

However, you don’t need to have been among the revellers at Stonehenge on the solstice to know the days are now starting to get lighter. This won’t make much difference at first, but the inevitable turning of the seasons means that six months from now, there will be plenty of light pouring in.

That may not always be good news, however, as bright summer light can be dazzling, while the illumination it provides can also make it easier to see inside your property, not something you will welcome if prying eyes can see in easily – a major concern for those whose windows face straight out onto the street without a suburban garden hedge or fence in the way.

Here is where solid panel shutters can be so useful. Because they have solid slats instead of lighter louvers, a key benefit of them is they can be used to keep almost all the light out, which is great when it is too dazzling. This can also be extremely handy to maintain privacy, a most useful thing for the windows of a room you may get undressed in.

Solid panel shutters also offer strong insulation. This is something that can be useful both at this time of year and in the summer. In the latter case, it keeps the inside cool when closed by stopping the heat from the sun from getting in, while in winter it helps to keep the heat inside the building.

They are also useful at keeping out excess noise – again a useful feature in an urban setting – and have great traditional charm, making them ideal for the Regency architecture of Brighton and Hove especially. Solid shutters are more than just a solid choice.

If you are choosing a new set of shutters, you may wonder if the benefits of the kind you choose will be greater at some times of the year than others. However, there is no risk of that happening with half-height shutter blinds.

Sometimes known as café-style shutters, these shutters are designed specifically to offer the greatest flexibility. Of course, all shutters do this to an extent, because the louvers are all controlled by strings that you can pull or loosen to shut or open them, enabling you to control the amount of light coming in, as well as whether those outside can see in or not.

The second of these considerations covers the issue of privacy; there will be plenty of times you need them closed, especially if your home faces straight out onto a street, as opposed to a situation where you may have more cover from prying eyes, such as having a garden with a hedge between you and the pavement.

However, at this time of year, you may think more about the effect of the light. This particular kind of shutter, when facing due south, will allow unfettered illumination to pour in through the window when the sun is high in the sky, as it is in summer. The sun is too high to dazzle, but floods the room with lots of lovely light and warmth.

However, when the sun is low, the shutters can either be opened to let the sun in or closed to keep it out. Here in Sussex, the December sun can drop to below 16 degrees above the horizon even at midday.

The benefit of shutters is that they allow the flexibility to deal with two weather scenarios; if it is cloudy, which is normal, you won’t get dazzled by the sun, but you can benefit from keeping the blinds open so you maximise the little light that there is. By contrast, when the sun is visible at this time of year it can be dazzling, making closing the blinds necessary.

Such flexibility means that, whether it is all about getting the amount of natural light you want or maintaining privacy, half-height shutters offer the best of both worlds.

There is a certain archetype when it comes to louvred shutters, and that is that they have to be a relatively neutral colour, which typically is characterised as either pure white, silk white or off-white.

The reason for this is to create the greatest amount of light reflection possible in a room, which in turn helps to make it look bigger. Whilst this can be important if you are looking to sell your home in the near future, not everyone goes to a shutter company looking for pure kerb appeal.

If you are not looking specifically to maximise room size, and you are not wedded to the idea of creating a summer getaway in the dead of winter, you might wonder whether all louvred shutters necessarily need to be white, and the answer is a resounding no.

One of the advantages of neutral shutters is that they go with every interior design style from Scandinavian minimalism to maximalist cottagecore. This means that choosing shutters that are not a neutral shade requires a greater focus on the overall aesthetics of the room.

Typically, this means choosing a shutter colour that matches the accent colour of furniture, fittings or an accent wall itself. This helps turn the shutters into a feature of the room’s design in itself and is a perfect way to personalise.

Black, navy and other dark-coloured shutters are also effective for very similar reasons; they provide a strong counterpoint to lighter-coloured rooms and can add a luxurious finish to nearly any room they are added to by virtue of being such a unique choice.

In any case, shutter experts can see your room design and give you advice for which types of colours will work and which might conflict with the ultimate design goals for the room, but do not feel like there is any limit to which shutter colours can work.

Of all the different kinds of blinds, shutter blinds do the most to keep light out. That may make them less useful in some rooms of the house, such as the living room or kitchen, because of their all-or-nothing utility. However, there are places where they are entirely useful.

The bathroom can be one of these, because it helps maintain privacy. But the most common place to find them is the bedroom.

An obvious reason for this is to be found in summer, when the late sunsets can make it hard for children to sleep and early sunrises can wake everyone up too soon. While the longest daylight hours in Britain are to be found in Scotland, even down here in Brighton the sunrise and sunset can be over 16 ½ hours apart in Midsummer.

All of this provides a good reason to think about investing in such blinds as summer approaches, especially if the window faces toward the rising sun in June. But shutter blinds can also be very useful even in the darker months that we are now into.

The most likely reason for this is artificial light. The coastal towns of Sussex may not be like Blackpool with its seafront illuminations, but there are plenty of cases where lights will commonly be close to windows.

It may be that the window is near a street light, or it could be close to a security light that is frequently illuminated, not because burglars are lurking but because it is being tripped by a roaming cat.

With Christmas approaching, there may also be lots of festive lights outside homes that can add to the light pollution.

When shutter blinds were first invented in Classical Greece, such nocturnal light pollution would not have been a major consideration. But in a modern setting, it is not just summer that creates the need to shut extra light out to help people get an undisturbed night’s sleep.

A lot of people are opting for louvred wooden shutters, because of the curb appeal, the beautiful way they frame windows, the better control of light on sunny days or the fact they last a lot longer than blinds whilst requiring far less maintenance.

Another big reason why shutters are popular during the winter is a matter of security. Whilst plantation shutters do not resemble traditional security shutters, there are options available to make louvred shutters a key component of your security system.

Shutters by themselves can help improve security simply by stopping people from looking into your home and seeing that there are valuables that could potentially be stolen, but aside from that, various options for security plantation shutters do exist.

One option for external shutters is simply adding a latch to fit a padlock, but whilst easy to install, it is not necessarily the best option from a security standpoint, can only be used on the ground floor, and whilst it will stop some rather more casual burglary attempts is unlikely to stop a committed criminal by itself.

A better option is an integrated security shutter, which features a lock built into the shutter that stops the shutter from being forced open by locking down panels at the top and bottom.

In terms of appearance, they look like other wooden louvred shutters, but at their core tend to be a stronger material such as aluminium, which also helps to avoid attempts to force the shutters open or break them to get access.

This is often beneficial when security is paramount but more conspicuous options such as grates, bars and metal roller shutters are less desirable because of the aesthetic implications of fitting such conspicuous security measures.

Louvred security shutters are a significant investment due to the specialist work involved but could be worth exploring as a beautiful alternative.

With summer having well and truly ended, and the autumn chill starting to bite, the benefits of high quality plantation shutters change from keeping heat and the glare of the sun out of the room and keeping the warmth in.

Shutters are ideal for this because their relatively thick frame helps to create an additional barrier to stop heat escaping through the window, but this is not the only way they can help in winter.

For example, with condensation, damp and mould a concern for many over the winter months, ways and measures to reduce condensation forming on the windows are ideal, and shutters can really help in this regard.

For example, it is important to ensure that air is circulating around the home as much as possible to avoid condensation, but the potential for a sudden chill can often give homeowners pause.

A louvred shutter solution gets around this by providing an added layer of protection, allowing you to open your windows slightly without worrying about the cold. Allowing just a tiny amount of air can make all of the difference when it comes to air quality, condensation and avoiding mould.

Additionally, having a relatively consistent indoor temperature avoids the cold snap conditions that can cause a lot of condensation to form, and this is something that well-fitting shutters can help with.

They work in the same way as a draught excluder, stopping heat and energy from easily escaping, which not only helps to prevent condensation and by extension damp, but also helps to reduce heating bills in the process.

Finally, unlike curtains and cloth blinds, shutters are made from strong solid materials with moisture-resistant coatings, meaning that a simple wipe is sufficient to effectively maintain them.

Curtains and cloth blinds can get damp and can even potentially develop mould in particularly suboptimal conditions, which generally means they need to be replaced.

You don’t have to venture overseas to see café-style shutters, although you will undoubtedly encounter them many times in some continental destinations. But you can see them here too; after all, it adds to the vibe of many a Sussex seaside café.

If you are a café owner, you may think of installing them to add style and character to your establishment. But there is no reason to assume they are only for cafes. They can look great in homes as well and also have lots of practical benefits.

By allowing unobstructed views (and light) through the upper window but enabling you to restrict these (or eliminate them altogether) lower down, it is great for managing privacy.

This can be particularly useful for a ground-floor window that faces straight out onto a main road, with a lot of people walking or driving past, especially in a densely populated area like the central parts of Brighton and Hove.

With these in place, you won’t have to worry about strangers peering through the window, which may also aid home security. It’s an extension of the same principle that someone eating or drinking in a café won’t want strangers disturbing them from the street outside.

Because café style shutters are also extremely stylish, they are also versatile in the sense that they look great in all windows. And with this comes practicality too, as they can be installed in just about any configuration, from bay windows to flat ones, from tall to square.

None of this alters the historical reality that cafe-style shutters were originally invented for exactly that reason. But when you have something this versatile, why restrict it to just one setting? Many householders who have them in their homes will agree that you don’t need a till, tables and a selection of cakes in the room to it suitable for them.

If you are looking for new panel shutters, you will, we hope, be impressed with the quality and appearance of the different products on our website. But you may be wondering what materials to go for.

A choice between basswood and polyvinyl (PVC) panels is certainly a good one to have between two very durable and high-quality materials. But what are their relative qualities?

Basswood is a hardwood with a light colour, smooth texture and fine grain. Timberblogger describes it as a “lightweight yet durable wood that is often favoured by woodworkers and craftsmen for its unique qualities.” 

More specifically, it is easy to carve and shape and is well suited to being used in furniture, cabinets and panels – in short, just what you would need in blinds. While not the most durable wood, it is light in weight, which is a highly desirable quality for a moveable and flexible window covering. It is easy to paint as well.

Polyvinyl, or PVC, is a form of plastic with a very wide range of applications. Durable and long-lasting, it is waterproof, a good insulator and has long been used as an alternative to wood as a material in windows and doors, as well as shutters.

The British Plastics Federation stated: “Unplasticised PVC is one of the stiffest polymers at normal ambient temperature and shows little deterioration after many years in service.”

Overall, what this means is that the PVC panels will have the edge in durability while still offering high quality, lasting for many years and providing good insulating qualities.

Basswood will provide a more natural look with its fine grain and may fit well with a general décor with a lot of wood. Like any wood, it is a good insulator.

This goes to show that there is plenty of choice and quality on offer, ensuring you can find the best shutters to suit your home and its decor.

There is a fine line between a beautiful hot summer’s day and an unbearable heatwave, and in recent years a lot of homeowners have struggled with the latter.

A heatwave, in particular one that pairs high temperatures with high humidity, can quickly go from highly enjoyable to painful or even dangerous, particularly if you live and work in a place that gets especially warm in summer.

However, respite can come from an unlikely source in the form of your wooden shutters, regardless of the form they take.

Part of the reason for this is the same reason why the right shutters can help you sleep better at night; they block out light and heat.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, it is best to keep windows and shutters closed during the hottest points of the day and then open windows in the evening to allow cool air to circulate at night.

However, naturally, this should not mean sitting in darkness, meaning that the controlled light of louvred shutters can avoid glare and oppressive heat whilst letting the sunshine in.

Alongside this, many shutter designs are white, off-white or an otherwise light pastel colour, which makes them perfect for reflecting sunlight back rather than absorbing it, further reducing the heat coming into a room.

The materials conventional shutters are made from as well are a surprisingly important factor and can make shutters worth it on their own.

Wood is a natural insulating material, and this not only means that it helps to keep homes warm in winter but also absorbs heat during the summer without conducting and transferring it to the rest of the room they are installed in.

The thicker they are and the higher quality wood they are made from, the better they will be at this, and this not only will make homes more comfortable, but they will also reduce energy bills.