Although shutters are extremely on trend at the moment, they have a timeless style that can easily hold their elegance throughout the years. Our team here at Kia Designs is particularly excited as we have got the opportunity to include this beautiful and trendy way of dressing windows into one of our current designs.
But it isn’t always easy to decide which style of shutters would be best suited for your home. Lots of different elements should be considered when choosing how to dress your window. For example, if you want to install shutters in a room that has a lot of moisture, e.g. a bathroom, then it is important to factor this in when choosing the material your shutter will be made in. Another big consideration the actual style of shutters, and with so many to choose from you might find it a little bewildering. Here’s where we can step in and show you a few things that will help you when picking the perfect shutters for your room, taking style and material into consideration.
There are five main styles of shutter:
Full Height Shutters
Full Height: These run the whole length of the window or door, and provide good insulation, privacy and light and sound cancellation.
Tier-on-Tier
Tier-on-Tier: This style of shutter allows for the top and bottom level to be opened independently of each other. Makes them great for rooms where you would like privacy, but where you don’t want to block out too much light.
Café Style: These kind of shutters are similar to Tier-on-Tier, but only consist of lower level shutters. A great alternative to the Tier-on-tier as they are just as aesthetically pleasing but usually cheaper and have a similar effect.
Solid Shutters: These shutters are completely solid and don’t have adjustable louvres. This means they provide great insulation and block out light very sufficiently.
Tracked: These shutters are a good solution to awkward or crowded spaces as they fold back by sliding along tracks, rather than opening up on hinges. Allows more visibility and space saving.
Shutters can also be made in a number of different materials, MDF, Hardwood and ABS. They all have very similar end results in regards to aesthetics. But design isn’t just about looks, here at Kia Designs we like to use products that can stand the test of time and look beautiful and work perfectly for years to come.
MDF: The most affordable option, it is pretty hard wearing and durable. However, it is not suited for damp areas like bathrooms as it likes moisture and is likely to warp and swell more than hardwood.
Hardwood: There are usually a number of different kinds of hardwoods used, the better quality the wood the more expensive the shutter. Hardwood is a good material to go for in the majority of situations as, like MDF, it is durable and hard wearing.
ABS: (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) This is an extremely tough polymer material, that copes well in the extreme hot and cold and different moisture levels as it is completely waterproof. This makes it ideal for bathrooms.
Hopefully this has enlightened you on how to choose the right shutters for your project. Stay tuned to see how we used shutters to enhance the design of one of our current projects.
