One of the first things you might notice when visiting a hot country is most windows are fitted with full height wooden shutters. So why are these preferable to curtains or blinds, even though they are known for trapping heat in?

Indeed, shutters are a great choice during the winter months, as they can keep homes nice and warm when it is cold outside. By providing another layer to block air from travelling through, it becomes harder for the chilly weather to seep into the house.

However, they are also the preferred option in hot countries too – for the exact same reason. As they block air flow, all the heat from outside doesn’t travel into the building.

By keeping out the sunlight and warmth, you can prevent interiors heating up. Shutters are ideal as they enable homeowners to crack open their windows for ventilation while keeping the sunrays out.

Unlike curtains, which do not provide a complete seal around the window and therefore, let some sunlight and heat in, shutters fit the window frame entirely, providing a barrier to stop air flow.

This is why houses in the Mediterranean all look as though they have been deserted during the daytime over the summer months, as everyone keeps their shutters closed so their bedrooms do not feel like a sauna at night-time.

When it comes to choosing the right shutter for your home, white is a wise choice as this also reflects the sunlight, helping to keep the house as cool as possible.

If you’re thinking about redecorating the bedroom or looking at adding some finishing touches to provide the ‘wow’ factor, then plantation shutters may be just what you need.

Plantation shutters look stunning in any room in the house and perfectly suit the latest trends for blue-hued bedrooms. We have a look at five reasons why you should add plantation shutters to your bedroom.

 

They’re a great space-saving option

A great way to create the illusion of space is with window shutters. Because they fit right into the window recess, there is no protrusion into your room. Curtains, especially on bay windows are fitted onto the outside of the window recess.

 

Temperature control

It’s important to get the right temperature at night for quality sleep. Solid plantation shutters provide a level of heat insulation for the room and can make a significant difference in keeping your room warm in winter.

Conversely, the adjustable slats mean you can control the airflow around the room during summer, helping to keep the room cool, without compromising on your privacy.

 

They can help allergy sufferers

Curtains can harbour all manner of dust, mites, pollen and allergens, which can be problematic for allergy sufferers. However, wood shutters can simply be wiped down, and you will not have to worry about your allergies.

 

They add the wow factor

Plantation shutters are timeless and will never go out of fashion, as well as being elegant and versatile, and will still look great if you redecorate.

 

They keep out noise

Plantation shutters can help to reduce external noise because they provide a barrier between your window and your room. Whether it’s cars driving past, planes flying overhead or people passing by, shutters are an effective method of reducing noise levels.

 

If you’re looking for plantation shutters, visit our online store today.

Solid window shutters have a fascinating history that predates the glass windows they protect today, and outside of the marble louvres of Ancient Greece and solid hide protection, are one of the first window covering systems ever invented.

The most popular type of shutters, however, are the versatile, endlessly elegant and functional plantation shutters, which provide effective ventilation, home protection and control of natural light.

Initially, however, the concept of louvre shutters did not actually come from plantations, but instead, like the popularity of most window coverings, from the Sun King himself, King Louis XIV.

He insisted on the use of window shutters, in part so people could sleep comfortably in his royal domicile without being spied upon, and the royal cooks could use the kitchen without an abundance of sunlight burning them or making the kitchen too hot to use.

This, along with King Louis’ obsession with curtains on every wall, bed and other conceivable space, made him a very important part of the story of shutters, and it would only take a century or two for louvred shutters and curtains to spread beyond the Royal Courts of France.

Where these shutters would get their name would be in the Antebellum era in the southern United States, where the large plantation manor houses, often designed with overt inspiration from Gothic Revival and other European design movements, would employ shutters on every window.

After the end of the plantation era that coincided with the end of the American Civil War, many of the exterior window shutters were kept for decorative rather than practical reasons, helped by the development of more practical and affordable glass sheets that began in the latter part of the 19th century.

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.