There are several different styles of plantation window shutters, also known as interior wooden shutters. Depending on the layout and appearance of your window, plus your personal preference of use, a certain style will suit more than others. To help you, I have listed the 'Top 3 Shutter Styles'.

Top Opening Shutters

The number one, most preferred style of interior wooden shutter is the ‘top opening’ shutter.  Without doubt, this style of window shutter will give you the best of all three styles.  Also known in the trade as ‘Tier-on-Tier’, they best suit portrait style windows where the windows are tall and narrow.  The shutter is spilt into two sections, upper and lower, allowing the top half of the shutter to open independently of the bottom half, just like a stable door. 

Top opening shutters not only provide a great style to any window, they provide privacy via complete closure, or the choice for partial privacy with the lower half closed whilst the top section remains open to allow maximum light into your room.  Equally as beneficial for all rooms, but particularly so for street-level windows, or in bedrooms where you want to maintain a view of the garden, yet retain some bedroom privacy!  These are most popular on traditional Sash windows, as they are generally the perfect size and shape for the central split to line-up with the top of the Sash window central meeting rail, where the two sliding Sash sections meet.

Full Height Shutters

Full height shutters, usually with a horizontal dividing rail for extra support, is the second most popular style.  This style of window shutter is divided with a middle rail that generally lines-up with a rail on your existing window, such as a top fan light.  The result means you can adjust the louvre blades either side of the rail to obtain privacy or let light in.  Having a matching rail also means when your louvres are fully open you do not get a shadow showing through the louvres from the window rail.

Full height shutters will be suitable for all types of window, though they are most popular on UPVC double glazed and wooden casement windows.

Half Height Shutters

The half height shutters, also know in the trade as Café style, do as their name suggests, the shutters only cover the lower-half of the window. Most often fitted where privacy is required, such as in a kitchen or front living room that is overlooked by the street outside. This is the only style of shutter that would suitably accommodate curtains and/or window blinds in the top half of the window, above the shutters, if such an appearance is desired.

You can fit half height shutters on any window. They are most popular on Victorian Sash bay windows.

NB: Above are the most popular styles of interior shutters. Matching the shutters to your window is very important, yet some companies over look this consideration. As an expert, I can provide the best advice on all styles of windows, whether wide, narrow, shaped windows or French doors. For my best advice, register on my website www.opennshut.co.uk to enter your window sizes and upload digital pictures of your windows. I will help you in person!

 

 

Information provided by www.opennshut.co.uk The UK's largest online showroom for shutters and blinds, packed with helpful information and expert advice.