Which Way Should You Close Your Shutters?

When people choose window coverings, how much they prioritise privacy will in many cases dictate what drapes they choose.

This is why so many people opt for blinds over curtains; there is a greater control not only over the natural light in the room but how much people outside could see into their home. People who choose solid panel shutters or plantation shutters over blinds prioritise their privacy even more.

However, when you close the louvres of your shutters, which direction the closed shutters are facing matters, as depending on what floor you are on, people can sometimes peer into closed shutters if they have not been closed the right way.

A carpenter did an experiment on social media that showed that if the blinds were closed facing down (where the closest edge of the blind to you is pointing down) and the lights are on, you can see inside a ground floor room from the outside.

However, if the blinds are closed in the opposite direction facing up, all someone will see through the blinds is the ceiling, and your privacy will be assured.

Interestingly, the opposite is true for upstairs rooms, which should face down to stop people from looking inside from below.

Whilst this is a useful hack to know in general, there are potentially interesting implications for future shutters that take full advantage of smart home technology.

There currently exist blinds that can be opened and closed remotely, and whilst these most often take the form of roller blinds, Venetian smart blinds also exist and unless they close completely flush, they need to take into account which direction the blinds are closing in to maintain privacy.

It may become the case that when smart shutters are sold to the public, they could need two closing options depending on which floor they are installed on.