Everyone loves decorating their home. From choosing furniture to deciding what to hang on the walls, it’s a joyous experience crafting your dream home. There are simply so many choices and so many fun things you can do when putting your house in order. 

One of the things often overlooked or left until last tends to be window shades or coverings. There are, of course, many options to choose from. Blinds, curtains, or shutters all give different benefits. But, it’s the window shutters that win almost every time. 

What Are Window Shutters?

If you have never owned or even considered window shutters, you may be wondering what makes them different from standard blinds. The most obvious difference is that they are formed from complete frames, usually made from wood, instead of having louvers hanging on strings. This frame will consist of vertical stiles and horizontal rails upon which the louvers are mounted. This means they completely fit your window, giving complete coverage.

Also, they often swing open on hinges. This makes it possible to switch from complete privacy to completely unobstructed views very quickly. Though, different styles of shutters have different functionality. Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons you may want to choose shutters over any other form of window shade.

1. Beautiful Styles

Firstly, shutters can add a totally different feel to a room, due to their varying styles. Instead of just having a plain curtain or drawstring blind like everyone else, you could have something quite different. Styles like cafe shutters, where only the bottom half is covered and the top half remains open, keep prying eyes from your eye line, but also give a European design feel to a room. Bay window shutters, on the other hand, can completely dominate a window frame, looking strong and elegant at the same time. Window shutters improve a room, whatever style you choose.

2. Ultimate Privacy

One of the things that most people love about the switch to shutters is privacy control. Shutters allow for the complete hiding of your home, as you can see here, and it makes you feel safe both when you are at home and when you are away. If no one can see inside, then no one knows who’s home! Many people find this added layer of security gives them comfort and is a real bonus when they install shutters in their homes.

3. Unbeatable Light Control

Let’s face it, everyone knows what it’s like when the sun is beating down on your windows and your curtains just won’t block it outright. Fiddling with the crossover in curtains can be so frustrating, leaving you with slits of light pouring into your room at funny angles. With shutters, though, this is far less likely to happen. 

In fact, shutters give by far the best light control of any window shade choice, due to their completely framed nature. This framing, along with the full control of the louvers, means you can decide exactly how much light you want coming into your home. There really is no other choice that can perform as well as a full shutter when it comes to light control.

4. Insulation Bonus

Who would’ve thought it? Shutters look good and can help save you energy and money? Well, believe it or not, they can. Due to their solid nature, shutters actually help prevent more heat from escaping through your windows when compared to traditional blinds or curtains. The only thing better at keeping the heat in is double-glazed windows. Combine the two, and you’ll be saving more energy than ever. 

5. Easy Cleaning

Finally, shutters are so easy to clean when compared to fabric curtains or moveable blinds. They are fixed in position, so they’re not going to swing away from you when you try to clean them. Plus, all it takes to clean a set of shutters is a bottle of cleaning spray and a cloth. No need for machine washing, taking things apart, or any other awkward cleaning problems. Simply dust, spray and wipe, then your shutters will look as good as new.

Shutters are wonderful additions to any home, bringing style, energy-saving, and unbeatable light control. On top of that, they are durable, long-lasting, and cost-effective. There is simply nothing not to like about window shutters.