Guide to choosing shutters

The benefits of shutters?

Stylish finish

Shutters are a classic piece of design that add another dimension to the lines and shapes of a room. They look stunning and create a timeless focal point.

Invaluable light control

The two-way tilt of the blades of a shutter makes them adept at blocking light and providing ultimate privacy.

Help reduce heat gain and loss

In summer they help to deflect heat away. In winter, their snug position against the window lends them insulating properties.

Easy to clean

With no strings, ties or complex mechanisms in the way, shutters are the easiest window covering to clean; just run a damp cloth across them.

Built to last

In comparison to curtains and blinds that can age over time, shutters are designed to last for many years in the right conditions.

Material options for shutters

PVC

Perfect for any room, PVC shutters are extruded from high-quality PVC and assembled with aluminium inserts to ensure strength and stability. Unaffected by moisture and humidity, they’re a great option for spaces like kitchens and bathrooms, allowing you to control light, airflow and privacy with ease.

Outside of the kitchen or bathroom, PVC shutters are safe in high-temperature climates or rooms that receive greater exposure to the sun. They can also be used to create room dividers in your home, providing a level of sophistication and style as well as thermal and acoustic insulation.

Our PVC shutters are VOC free and easy to clean with a damp cloth, making them a safe option for your entire family.

See available colours

Aluminium

Aluminium shutters are suitable for both internal and external applications, perfect for anywhere from patios to living rooms. Durable and maintenance-free, aluminium shutters can also be manufactured to withstand the toughest of environmental conditions, with cyclone-rated materials available.

Best suited for outdoor applications, aluminium shutters can also be used to great effect in bathrooms and living spaces, depending on the style of your home.

All our aluminium shutters are finished with a high-quality powdercoat.

See available colours and sizes

Wooden

Wooden shutters bring a level of luxury and warmth that can only be achieved with a natural material. Crafted with care from authentic, high-quality Basswood (Tilia), all our wooden shutters are sustainably sourced from premium grade plantations and offer effective insulation in both summer and winter.

Lending themselves to living rooms and bedrooms, wooden shutters can be framed to your exact specification.

Different types of shutters

Slatted or solid panels

Shutters with solid panels have no blades/slats (has a ‘traditional’ door-like look) and close to block light and be and insulating barrier. Slatted shutters have louvred blades (similar to venetian blinds) you can tilt to let in varying amounts of light while keeping your privacy.

The following styles of shutters can be slatted or solid or a mixture of both in some cases.

Full height

Covers the glass in full. This is the most common and popular style of shutters. For extra variation in light control you can add a mid-rail divider which then means you can adjust the top or bottom sets of blades independently from the other half.

Cafe style

Leaves the top of the window un-shuttered, with shutters only covering the bottom half of the frame. Ideal for ground level windows and town houses.

Tier on tier

A very flexible option; independent panels on the top and bottom give greater adjustability to make the most of light, the view or to provide more privacy. You can open some and leave others closed, as well as the light control mentioned with full height shutters. Consideration should be given to which windows you apply this style too as the top shutters may become too heavy to support themselves on very large windows; in this scenario you would be better to have full height with a mid-rail divider.

Custom shape

Shutters can also be custom-made to fit unusual shaped windows.

How shutters operate

The beauty of shutters is that you can leave them as is and tilt the blades to block or let in light, or you can open them right up and expose the view in full. Depending on your requirements and the amount of space on either side of the shuttered window, they can be fixed in place or operated through a number of configurations:

Interior vs exterior shutters

Interior shutters

Interior shutters are also chosen for the style they bring but are super practical window furnishings giving the ability to control light and privacy, airflow and also offering insulating properties. They are easily accessible and easy to operate, easy to maintain and of course, offer all the benefits already covered on this page.

Exterior shutters

Exterior shutters are great if you live in an area with severe weather, acting as a shield against the elements and also defecting heat in summer. They also stop nosy neighbours peeking in and add a layer of security. But they are mainly chosen for their exceptional aesthetic appeal. Exterior shutters don’t offer the same practicality of interior shutters in terms of light control and airflow as they often have to be opened or adjusted from the outside. For this reason, it’s worth considering how much ‘fuss’ and frequency you’re prepared to give to using your exterior shutters to their fullest. It may be better to go with a fixed option.

Choosing a blade size

Also knows as slats or louvres, these are the movable pieces that run horizontally across the shutters. When having them custom made, among your choices will be whether you want to be able to move them individually, altogether or in sections. Blades are controlled by either a rod, by hand or sometimes remote control.

Another choice you have with shutters is how large or small the blades are. The reason blade size matters can be grouped by proximity to the window, light blocking and light filtering.

What rooms are shutters for?

The versatility of shutters is amazing; they really do work for every room.

• PVC shutters are best in areas with high humidity and moisture, sucha s kitchens, bathrooms and laundries
• Aluminium shutters are the best option for exterior shutters
• Wood shutters suit all other areas of the home; not suitable for outdoors or damp areas because they will absorb water

Considerations:

• The space around the windows shutters will be on matters. Shutters need a clear area around the window frame to be opened so certain operating configurations may not work in some instances; for example, windows hard up against the corner of a wall won’t accommodate a sliding panel but may have enough room for a simple hinged shutter.
• If insulation is your primary focus and your home needs an extra hand retaining warmth, there’s no reason your shutters couldn’t be paired up with a curtains or roman blinds.

Pairing shutters with blinds and curtains

It’s common to have more than one window furnishing per window to achieve everything you want. There are many combinations that work well. Whatever combination you choose, there’s a simple formula behind it - choose something for filtering light and retaining privacy during the day and for night time, something to block out light and prevent anyone seeing in when your lights are on.

What work together?

Your options will vary depending on your windows, but here is a basic list of configurations we’ve found work well when you want both on one window:

• Curtains over shutters
• Sheer curtains over shutters
• Roman blind over shutters (great option for the top of café style shutters)
• Curtains (including sheers) and roman blind over shutters

For further information to help you pair shutters, blinds and curtains. We go into detail on mixing patterns, coordinating colour schemes and a few other tips and tricks.

Read article

Décor ideas to accentuate your shutters

Matching wardrobe doors

In the bedroom, commit to the look and tie the whole room together with a matching slatted wardrobe door.

Batten and board in the bathroom

Shutters and bathrooms are such a natural combination; you can’t go wrong. To add an extra element of style and ‘wow’, add batten and board walls to the mix.

Brick walls

For a soft industrial ‘New York loft apartment’ look, team your shutters with brick walls or a brick-look wallpaper.

Lighting

Give your shutters a glow and make them a real feature with small art gallery style lights above the window.

Hardwood floors

There’s something distinctly ‘old-worldy’ about shutters – even with the contemporary design and clean lines – that makes the the perfect partner for your rustic and natural, hardwood floors.

Plants

Plants really bring shutters to life. Large potted greenery such as a palm, philodendron, ficus or monstera makes the perfect companion for shutters’ simplicity. Decorative orchids or vases full of blooms also work well in a room with shutters.

Frame them with ‘side’ curtains

Side curtains do a great job of framing and emphasising your shuttered windows and giving the room a chic, elegant feel. The purpose of these is just to soften the hard edges around a window, they are not designed to be pulled just frame the window.

Using shutters as room dividers

Using shutters as room dividers can turn a large space into two or more smaller ones or create distinct zones within an open plan layout.

Here are a few ideas to inspire you:

• A reading nook or homework zone
• Pop up home office
• Home bar
• Dressing room
• Workout zone/home gym area
• Screen off the arts and crafts or kids play area
• A sanctuary for home massage
• Separate kitchen/dining from living area in an open plan layout
• Create individual spaces for kids who share a bedroom

Why choose custom-made shutters?

The benefits

• You’ll get exactly what you want. A good shutter company (like Russells) will send a consultant to meet with you at your home and bring a wide variety of samples so you can see how different colours and materials look in your space.
• You’ll get experienced advice about which type of shutters are best for a room. For instance, if blocking light is the main priority, shutters with slats may not be the best option.
• Your shutters will be professionally measured and expertly made with special attention to detail.
• You can be sure the materials are authentic and reliable.
• Many specialist companies offer a product warranty.
• There may the possibility of a finance option to help make it affordable.
• Professional installation is often included as part of the service.

Budgeting tips:

• Shutters are a worthwhile investment, but the initial cost is higher than blinds and most curtains. Here are some tips to help you achieve your dream shutter look within your budget
• Complete the most lived in rooms first
• For rooms that do not need to have light blocked (such as the bathroom or laundry) consider frosted or textured glass instead of a blind
• If you are building new or undergoing significant construction as part of a reno, consult with your shutter company early as it could reveal options that won’t be possible once the build is complete