You must be wondering what is the history of shutters or blinds, what made people install such a thing in their homes. Why are they still used today, what is their purpose?
It is believed that the first shutters that were made, originate from ancient Greece. The purpose of making them and placing them on the windows was to protect the interior of the home from outside light, better ventilation in the home, and protection in the hot summer days. The first shutters made for house windows in Greece were made of marble.
Slowly this trend spread across the Mediterranean, Spain, and Italy, and slowly began to spread to the rest of the world through the migration of colonies. Of course, the primary purpose of the shutters was protection from outside light and ventilation, but over time people began to use them as a decorative tool to make the home more beautiful from the outside. Also, they used them as a means of protecting the privacy of the home from the prying eyes of neighbors and strangers.
There is also a story about Louis XIV involving shutters, which takes place in 17th century France. Namely, Louis XIV loved to spend time in the countryside at his castle in Versailles, and one of his favorite activities was to enjoy the view of the beautiful ladies bathing in the ponds in his garden at Versailles Castle. But the pretty girls not only caught his eye, but they also caught the eye of the castle guards. Louis did not like this fact at all. So he decided to enclose the garden where the ponds were with movable shutters, which would limit the guards’ visual view inside and give them more privacy.
Imagine the windows of your home as the eyes of the face, aesthetically they are the most beautiful thing that adorns the face and helps us to have a beautiful view of the world. That is why we must protect them from any external influences. Thus, the windows of the home, with the help of the shutters, protect the interior from various insects, too much light and heat, as well as from the eyes of strangers. Over time, people began to adjust the shutters to suit their needs. They made a type that was used for the outside of the windows of the house, and shutters that can be mounted on the inside of the house.
Are you planning to renovate your home, or do you not like the simplicity of the look, and it seems too ordinary and boring. You want to bring in a little magic and life, fortunately, it takes a lot of investment and effort to achieve this. If you are thinking about how to choose the right style of shutters for your home, keep reading this article, we will do our best to help you. As you know, there are basic divisions of indoor and outdoor shutters, but when it comes to the style you should choose, here your choice can be expanded because there are more styles. Of course, the materials from which they are made have a wide range: wood, vinyl, faux wood, synthetic foam, etc. Let’s see what types of shutters there are:
- Louvered window shutters. This type is widespread in many directions in architecture and is perhaps the most widely used of any type. What do they look like? The frames are composed of several horizontal slats that are overlapped. How to choose the ideal color, this is too easy, if the facade of your house is any shade of white, for the shutters you will choose as dark a color as possible, so they can stand out. Or if the facade is a darker color then the shutters should be lighter.
- Raised Panel. They are usually made of wooden components and are very similar to kitchen cabinets. In addition to wood, they can also be made of vinyl and composite. Like the previous type, you need to contrast the colors to make them better expressed. They are used in many architectural styles such as Victorian, Ranch, Colonial, French Country, Greek Revival, and many others.
- Board and Batten (BnB). This style is too simple and rustic if you are a fan of this style. It is very common in Mediterranean and French Country-style houses. As the term itself says, they are composed of several boards that are arranged vertically and are joined horizontally or diagonally in the frame with another piece. It is best to choose a natural wood color.
Bahama shutters. They are mostly used in places that are prone to hurricane attacks, thanks to their strong construction. They are the same as the first type, ie louvered shutters, but the difference is that they are fixed at the top of the window instead of on the sides. They are strong enough to withstand strong winds and heavy rains. If you own a house in a place where there is too often such weather then this is an ideal choice for you.
- Cut-Out Shutters. This is in my opinion the most fun type of blinds. Where the raised panel and board and batten type meet, but do you know where the fun is? In the center, at the top or bottom of the frame, you can make a hole in the shape you want. There are hundreds of templates to choose from, such as a heart shape, a diamond, a tree, any kind of animal, an anchor, or cross, it’s up to you to decide.
- Plantation shutters. You have probably seen it in movies in South America where they grow cotton, coffee, sugar cane, each of the farms has this type of blinds which by the way got its name from those plantations. They are very functional because they have wide louvers that are easy to use and clean.
Whichever type you choose, I’m sure you will not go wrong because each one is unique in its way. But if you are still hesitant about the choice, I recommend you visit diamondwindowshutters.co.uk because they offer a wide selection of blinds, regardless of size, color, purpose. Whether it is interior or exterior, for a kitchen or bedroom, do you need blinds for windows or doors, you will go to the right place because they will give you the answer to your every question.