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.

Experts say that we should expect to see summer temperatures regularly topping 40 degrees C in the near future, so understanding heat gain and what you can do to counteract the effects will soon become essential for comfortable living.

Heat gain – which is also known as thermal or solar gain – is the transfer of heat into your house from a variety of different sources, with the main one being the sun. During the summer, solar radiation intensifies, so your buildings will absorb more heat, but there are numerous ways in which you can reduce the impact of this.

The majority of homes in the UK don’t have air-conditioning units installed (although this may well change in the future), but you can use plantation shutters or similar to particularly good effect if you’re keen to keep your home cool in summertime.

A huge percentage of thermal gain comes through your windows, so your choice of window treatment is paramount. Shutters are a particularly good choice because it’s very easy to control the amount of light that comes into the room, but you could also go for blinds, curtains or even window film, depending on your budget.

Other ways to help keep your home cool and make it more energy-efficient include painting your external walls lighter colours, improving your property’s insulation and making your attic area better ventilated to help prevent the house from overheating.

There is no doubt having a big window beats a small one. With the latter, the option to let in more light simply isn’t there, but with a larger window, it is. Indeed, many will have been revelling in the extra light provided by the summertime (up to 16 and a half hours in late June), but will also benefit from maximising what little light there is in the winter (fewer than eight hours in December) a few months from now.

However, there is a very good case for having full height wooden shutters in place, because this permits complete flexibility in how you manage the amount of light you let in.

In summer, one drawback of long days is you can be woken up early by bright sunlight, disrupting your sleep. But that is not the only seasonal issue you can face. Another is that during spring and autumn, the sun can be low enough in the sky to get right in your eyeline.

This is occasionally being a problem in winter too, albeit for shorter time periods and less often because of frequent cloud, giving Brighton a December average of two hours a day of sunshine. However, the midwinter sun gets as low as 15.8 degrees, so it can dazzle if it’s in line with your window.

This is where full height shutters can be perfect for keeping out the worst if the sun. Because you don’t have to close them entirely like curtains, you can still allow a bit of light in if you wish, without being dazzled.

Full height shutters are also very stylish and perfect for a home with tall windows, so when you do have them closed at night you can give the room both a classy and cosy look. Book an appointment with us today and see how we can enhance your windows with great shutters.