Internal Shutters

With the current enthusiasm among self-builders for all things sleek, white and postmodern, you might think there is nothing left of European influences that has not been adapted to suit UK tastes. From cool stone flooring to cunning combination windows and crisply rendered exteriors, we have appropriated them all.

However, there is one area in which we have been slow to follow, and that is the use of shutters. Of course, as with so many of these supposedly ‘new’ trends, this is actually a revival as opposed to a completely new concept. Both the Georgians and Victorians often used internal shutters in their homes, and some lucky renovators may even find they are still intact, waiting to be restored to their former glory.

However, in Europe the trend for shutters never really died out and it is from here that the most recent shutter trend has emerged. As in so many adaptations of continental designs to the UK, things have changed a little. In most European countries, windows in houses almost always open inwards, meaning that the shutters, often used for security but also to keep out high levels of daylight, are placed on the outside.

In the UK, where the windows in our houses nearly always open outwards, interior shutters are gaining rapidly in popularity in bi-folding, louvred form, whereas externally fitted shutters are usually purely decorative.

“Today shutters are seen as chic, minimalist, low-maintenance and a lot easier to clean than curtains or blinds,” says Matthew Downs, Editor of Blinds and Shutters magazine. “They started at the top of the market, with a price tag to match, but now they are much cheaper and rapidly increasing in popularity.”

“People are fed up with curtains and blinds that don’t work properly,” says Justin Akhurst of Surrey-based Custom Made Shutters. “Another advantage of shutters is that they are more robust than blinds. They also fold to sit neatly inside the window recess. In the UK – or at least in the south-east where my company operates – people seem to be moving towards shutters very rapidly because they can also look very smart and are regarded as providing a rather exclusive look.”

Many self-builders and improvers also choose shutters for security. “While we would never suggest shutters deter burglars like a security grill, they do form some kind of deterrence,” Justin says.

“If you tilt the louvres at a downward angle so that people can’t see in, and arrange for the lights to go on and off remotely it will give the impression that there is someone in the house.”

If you are contemplating installing shutters in a self-build it is obviously best to design them into the building. In general, if you are thinking of installing shutters it would also be a good idea to ensure that the walls of your new house are at least 200mm thick. Retrofitting shutters is also becoming common, particularly when a fairly recent house needs an update. This was the case with Martin and Corinne Taylor from Kent. They moved to their 10-year-old, five-bed detached brick home last year and wanted to replace the rather tired-looking blinds. “One of the great things about shutters is that you can see the shapes of the windows from the interior,” Corinne says.

“Our house is a quality design built in a very local style. We have windows in clusters of three, with arched heads. The curtains that were previously installed were hung on poles that obliterated this feature when they were closed. We wanted to be able to see our interesting arched windows, so the answer lay in blinds or shutters. With roller blinds it would be possible to keep the arch details visible, but I find roller blinds very flat and unexciting. Our shutters are hardwood and cost £295/m2 from Custom Made Shutters. We are very pleased with them. Shutters are expensive, but you get a lot for your money and they are not necessarily more costly than the very best lined curtains.”

As well as a premium range of louvred shutters, such as those chosen by the Taylors, most shutter companies have two other grades. The cheapest range is usually painted MDF and generally costs under £200 per square metre, and the mid-price ranges average from £260-280 per square metre.

Louvred shutters like this can be equally effective in older properties. At their farmhouse near Cobham in Surrey, Simon Cooper and Debbie Whiting successfully fitted them in a room dating from 1650 which has few straight walls and regular surfaces. “Fitting them in this room was a nightmare for the tradesman, despite the fact that there are lovely deep window reveals,” says Debbie. “However, they look wonderful. We have also had them fitted in our garden room, which dates from around 1900. As the walls in this room are slightly thinner and the windows bigger they protrude slightly beyond the window cill when they are open, but we don’t mind this.”

THE ESSENTIALS

• If you are planning on including shutters in your self-build, ensure your walls are at least 200mm thick
• Expect to pay approx £300/m2 for hardwood shutters down to around £200/m2 for painted MDF
• If renovating a Georgian or Victorian property take a look to see if the original shutters are still in place

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