Types of Shutters

Shutters are fast becoming one the trends in home design that’s hard to ignore. With a distinct appeal setting it far apart from other window treatments.

The right choice of shutters can entirely transform the appearance of the home from both the outside and from within.

Here, we’re going to explore all the different elements that make Lifestyle Shutters & Blinds products unique and perhaps even help you find the right option for your home.

The Designs

First of all, let’s look at the variety of different shutter designs, each of them offering not just a unique aesthetic, but different levels of functionality to suit different rooms.

These choices dictate the shape of the shutters, including how the slats are arranged and how much light or privacy they afford the homeowner.

>> Full Height Shutters

Perhaps the most common option for those looking to use plantation shutters as their sole window treatment. Full height shutters offer the most privacy, as well as the most energy-efficient option, comprising panels of slats that reach from the very bottom to the very top of the window. While a simple design, the adjustable slats still allow for a huge range of versatility.

>> Café Style Shutters

Popular for their unique charm, café style shutters cover only the bottom half of window, while allowing the top half to be more exposed. Cheaper than full height shutters, they allow privacy in the home while also opening it up to plenty of natural light but aren’t as energy efficient.

>> Tier on Tier Shutters

The most versatile option, tier on tier shutters consist of two separate sets of shutters, one on top and one below. It allows you to decide precisely how much light and privacy you want in the home, but without the energy efficiency issues that café style shutters have. However, they are a busy design and not suitable for bay window areas where they can clutter up the surrounding space.

>> Tracked Shutters

Most shutters open on hinges, much like most doors. Tracked shutters open and close on a track, folding in a concertina. They are great options for large, horizontally long doors, including patio doors where they can easily provide a great view outside.

>> Solid Shutters

These shutters are simply large, single wooden panels that open up on hinges. They offer none of the versatility of the other shutter options, but they are the best for privacy, energy efficient, retaining heat in the home, and preventing noise. Solid shutters are the best option for bedrooms or older properties with less efficient windows.

>> Shaped – Custom Shutters

No matter the shape of your windows, custom shutters can be made to ensure the best use of your home’s unique architectural features. Shapes that our shutters can fit include:

• Circle
• Quarter round
• Triangle
• Hexagon
• Octagon
• Sunburst
• Arched
• Angled
• Raked
• And much more

The Materials

While our individual products offer a more detailed look at the specifics of the different grains and varieties of materials on offer, most shutters fall into three main categories.

>> Wood Shutters

The traditional approach and also the most expensive. Real wood plantation shutters hold a timeless appeal to many homeowners. The life and warm glow of a real wood grain is next-to-impossible to replicate.

Wood is also the most structurally sound material available, making it perfectly suited for larger windows. Not to mention, it’s easy to refinish and paint over and over, meaning it has the most versatile aesthetic.

Wood is also the easiest material to work with, meaning it’s much more suitable to fit wooden shutters into oddly shaped windows, for instance, and allows some variation in elements such slat sizes.

However, the protective seals can degrade over time, exposing the wood and making it susceptible to moisture and sunlight, causing it to fade and warp.

 

>> Vinyl Shutters

The most inexpensive option, vinyl has one major advantage over real wood. It is both waterproof and weatherproof, meaning it is much more suitable for kitchens, bathrooms, and any areas where it might be exposed to direct sunlight.

Vinyl shutters come in a variety of designs, including pure white, which makes them more energy efficient, and a wood grain design.

They are also much easier to maintain than wooden shutters, requiring no maintenance to keep them in good condition.

However, it has its own shortcomings worth considering, too. Unlike wood, vinyl cannot be repainted, so once you choose a design, you have to stick with it. It is also significantly less sturdy.

This means that without dividing rails, larger windows can cause the slats to warp and bend under their own weight.

 

>> Composite Shutters

Also known as faux wood shutters, there are considered the middle-ground between the two other options and carry many of the advantages of both.

They are made a composite wood material, often sourced from recycled wood, and covered in the same PVC that vinyl shutters are made of. This means that they are significantly sturdier than vinyl and better suited to larger windows.

However, they are also water and weather resistant, making them suited to more humid environments and exposure to direct sunlight.

Like vinyl shutters, they suffer from having little aesthetic versatility. Once you choose your design, that decision is final. But with great wood grain designs available, they can both look and feel like real wood.

The Products

While the products available at Lifestyle Shutters & Blinds broadly fit into the three categories above, we believe that every homeowner should be specific about what effect they want their shutters to have.

That’s why we provide a wide variety of products with different materials, stains, finishes, slat sizes, and a wide range of paint finishes. This is ll to allow you the specification you need to choose the perfect shutters for your home.

>> Seattle

An MDF composite option coated in polymer, Seattle shutters are perfectly suited to heavy trafficked areas due to their sturdiness and the resilience of their coating.

With a strong surface that’s easily maintained with a simple wipe, they can be perfect for children’s rooms or patio doors.

They are affordable, durable, easy to maintain, and perfectly the contemporary aesthetic found in many homes.

 

>> Boston

A gorgeous, solid basswood option, Boston is very reasonably priced compared to its competitors. This is largely down to the use of MDF composite frames that complement the hardwood panels.

With a choice between five different white finishes, you can choose the aesthetic that best suits your home with our most competitively priced real wood shutters.

 

>> Georgia

Another hybrid option that compares MDF composite frames and slats with ABS copolymer louvers.

The very best in synthetic shutter design, It looks just as good with wood with variety of different paint options to match the Farrow and Bell and Dulux paint charts but is even more durable.

 

>> Boston Premium

Boston Premium uses the same beautiful basswood of Boston, but it is truly the premium option, using hardwood throughout with no MDF composite frames.

As it is purely made of wood, it is one of the most customizable and versatile products, able to fit any window in the home, regardless of what odd shape it may be

It also offers the greatest versatility in colour options, offering not just robust design but a bespoke aesthetic to boot.

 

>> Phoenix

The option for the sustainable homeowner, Phoenix shutters are made of eco-friendly timber that is as light as it is versatile.

The lightweight material makes it the perfect choice for tier on tier designs, allowing a greater range of control without the weight of our hardwood options.

Phoenix shutters also make for great conservatory options for the very same reason and come in a wide range of different colours.

 

>> Hollywood

These are our fully ABS vinyl shutters, making them immediately the best choice for bathrooms and kitchens due to their waterproof, weatherproof quality.

With the latest in closed-cell technology, these shutters have an unsurpassed strength and suffer no warping, denting, and chipping, making them perfect for highly trafficked areas.

We offer five subtle white shades as well as two off-white options, allowing you to choose the specific fit for your interior style.

 

>> Carolina

Made entirely of Forestry Stewardship Certified White Teak, the Carolina range is the very best we offer in terms of fully wooden shutters.

Remarkably robust, strong, and high-quality, these shutters are built with an engineered core that prevents the wood from warping. If you want wooden shutters that will stand the test of time, Carolina may be the option for you.

As with our Boston Premium range, these shutters can be fit to windows of all shapes and size, with a wide choice of painted, stained or custom colour finishes to allow for maximum versatility.

Need Help Deciding?

Beyond the different specifications mentioned above, Lifestyle Shutters & Blinds offer bespoke shutters unique to you.

With our made to measure services, we offer shutters of all sizes and shapes, able to fit all kinds of both traditional and bay windows.

Take a closer look at the services we provide and see if our wide range of shutters provides the option you’ve been looking for.

If you need help deciding, Lifestyle Shutters are here to help you. We’re are only a call away.