Shutter Styles

The first step in designing your new shutters is deciding which style suits your own particular situation. You have three different styles to choose from; Full Height, Tier-on-tier and Cafe style.

Full Height

Full height shutters cover the whole of the window from top to bottom. This style gives the cleanest appearance as the flow of louvres is uninterrupted. Ideal for bedrooms where maximum blackout is required, this style will look equally well on any window in the home.

An additional design feature which can be incorporated in your full height shutters is a mid rail or a divider rail as it is also known (above right). This is a horizontal piece of wood, generally located around the mid point, which splits the louvres into two sections, thus allowing the lower section of louvres to be closed independently of the upper section or vice versa. This option is popular with urban dwellers whereby the lower louvres can be closed for privacy while the upper louvres remain open to allow light enter.

The mid rail can be located at whichever height you choose but would usually align with any rail or sash bar in your window.

Tier-on-tier

Tier-on-tier style shutters allow the top shutters to be folded back while the lower tier remain in place. This style is very suited to rooms which face northwards and therefore tend to be quite dark. The lower shutter panels can remain closed over for privacy while the top panels can be opened back to allow maximum light enter the room. While they might be slightly harder to install, the functionality of this style is well worth the extra effort. As with the mid rail in the full height style, the split point (where top tier meets bottom tier) should align with any rail or divider in your window.

Tier-on-tier style shutters are more suited to narrower windows where panels tend to be smaller. Because the top panels are regularly folded back, we recommend opting for smaller bi-folding panels which will not protrude out too far into the room.

Cafe Style

Cafe style shutters cover the lower half of the window only. This style is ideal for providing privacy while allowing lots of light enter the room and are particularly popular with customers in towns and cities. Because their function is mainly one of privacy, the shutter panels tend to remain closed and the louvres tilted to alter the light or view.

Next decide on the number of panels you would like