Shutters Design Guide

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 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 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.

When it comes to deciding on the number of shutter panels, the golden rule is you should follow the design style of your window. If your window is divided into two sections by a vertical glazing bar in the middle, it's best to choose either 2 or 4 panels as the vertical solid pieces of your shutter panel (the stiles) will align with your window glazing bars. So should you opt for 2 or 4 panels? Well firstly you should ask yourself how often you will fold the panels back off your window. If you are more inclined to leave them in place and just tilt the louvres, you may be better with two panels. This not only gives a cleaner,simpler appearance, it will also allow more light enter the room.  If on the other hand you think you may fold them back onto the adjacent wall quite often, you could go with four panels so that they bi-fold back onto each other against the adjacent wall space.  The amount of wall space you have beside your window may also dictate how many panels you choose.

Each shutter panel is hinged to either a surrounding frame or to an adjacent panel. The normal folding configuration is for an equal number of panels to fold in opposite directions. For example if you opt for two shutter panels, one would fold left and one to the right; with four panels, two would fold left, two right and so on. If you would like your shutters to fold back 180 degrees onto an adjacent wall, the amount of wall space availabe may dictate the folding configuration. For example a 600mm window in your bedroom has a wardrobe just 100mm from the reveal on the left but lots of wall space on the right. You can choose one 600mm shutter which folds right and occupies approx. 600mm of wall space or alternatively you could bi-fold two 300mm shutters to the right and these will take up approx. 300mm of wall space when folded back-to-back.

If you choose three panels in a window, two will bi-fold one way and just one the opposite way.

A T post is a vertical post which is inserted into the shutter frame. It is generally used in larger openings where several windows are divided by glazing bars. T posts enable you to design your shutters to match the existing window design. T posts provide added strength to wide shutter frames. For example if you window is 3000mm wide and is divided into 6 sections, it is too wide to hinge 3 panels together on each side. By inserting a T post 500mm from the left and right, we can now hinge shutters 1 & 6 to their adjacent frame  while the centre 4 panels will hinge from T posts . This reduces the number of panels hinged together and the resulting strain on the hinges but maintains the style of the shutters with the window. The configuration for this example in our shutter designer would read LTLLRRTR.  In our shutter designer, you will be given the option of adding a T post if your window width is 2200mm or more. T post locations are recorded by measuring from the left. In our example above, the first T post (T1) location is 500mm while the measurement for the second T post (T2) is 2500mm assuming our window is divided into equal sections.

If you need any help when it comes to T posts, please be sure to contact us with your query.

A shutter frame is used for hinging the shutter panels to and generally surrounds the panels on three or four sides. The type of recess you have around your window will determine which frame is going to work best for you. If your window has a standard recess of 100 to 150mm then you can fit your shutters using any of the L or Z frames.

To decide which is the best option, ask yourself how often you are likely to open the panels back. Shutters mounted next the window using the L frame with open at a 90° angle to the window and protrude into the room whereas shutters mounted at the front of the reveal using the Z frame or outside mount frame will fold back 180 degrees flush against the wall. For bay windows choose the inside mount L fame. If you have a deep reveal, the inside mount with L frame may work best, for example a four feet wide window, with four x 1 foot panels,and one foot deep reveals would allow two shutter panels to bi-fold back neatly to left and two to the right, into the one foot of reveal space. For bay windows choose the inside mount L frame.

Choosing one of the three Z frame will help to hide any imperfections in your plastering around the recess corners. Also if as is the case with most openings, the width is slightly different at the top than at the bottom, the Z frame will disguise this and in effect square your window for you.

Use the Beaded L or any of the three Insert L Frames if you want your shutters set back within the reveal next the window frame.  Panels will open at a 90 degree angle to the window, back against the reveal. Use the medium or large insert frames to avoid any protruding objects like handles. Insert L frames can be face-fixed with the removable strip concealing the screw heads.

Use any of our threeZ Framesfor mounting your shutters to the front of the reveal, wrapping around the corner to give an architrave-type finish. Panels will fold back 180 degrees against the face of the wall. Great for concealing out-of-square windows where widths or heights differ.

Choose any one of the Z frames if you want to mount the shutters at the front of the reveal. The Z frame gives an architrave-type finish to the window.

If your windows are almost flush with the face of the wall, then you have little or no recess on which to attach a frame so you would mount the shutters outside the reveal using the Camber Deco Frame. This frame is also used where windows tilt or open inwards.

We always recommend a four-sided frame where possible. Easier to install and also allowing magnets to be fitted to the bottom of the panels for better closure.

If you choose one of the Z frames but have a protruding sill, you need to choose a three-sided frame will sill plate. This means the overlap part of the Z frame is trimmed off on the bottom frame, effectively changing it to an L frame, which will allow it to sit flush on your window sill.

L frames mounted within the recess are generally four sided.

If you have a deep reveal complete with window board, very often the window board can slope upwards towards the front of the reveal and catch the underside of panels that are opened out. By using a four sided frame, ie the frame continues across the bottom, the panels are raised up 22mm and so avoid any uneven sills. This is particularly the case with many bay windows.