Choosing the Right Plantation Shutter Material for your Window

Often, some customers feel overwhelmed by the many plantation shutter solutions they’re faced with, which is perfectly normal when deciding the best solution. But, Totally Shutters are on hand to help walk through the entire process one step and one decision at a time.

In this blog post, we will discuss the different plantation materials that we offer, each possessing its unique advantages. The two materials that we offer for our plantation shutters are Paulownia hardwood and waterproof UPVC:

Paulownia Hardwood

Our Paulownia Hardwood shutters are a great choice if you’re looking for a particular colour of shutters, as they can come in a wide range of colours and stains.

Paulownia is a strong and lightweight hardwood that comes from a sustainable source. Boasting an engineered core, Paulownia offers excellent dimensional stability, reducing the possibility of warping.

Paulownia offers exceptional stability which is perfect for high access areas. Due to its engineered core, Paulownia offers excellent dimensional stability which hugely reduces warping.

Due to the hardwood construction, Paulownia shutters aren’t as waterproof as our UPVC shutters.

UPVC shutters

UPVC shutters are sturdy and immune to damage from water. If direct water contact or moisture is a concern, UPVC shutters is the perfect choice.

UPVC shutters are most popular for kitchens and bathrooms. They look great behind your sink, where there is always potential for a splash, or in a wet room where they will get direct contact with water.

Not only that, UPVC shutters are our most affordable shutter material and come in a number of different styles.

 

For more information on finding the right plantation shutters for your home, or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Improve Your Kerb Appeal with Plantation Shutters

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A pretty exterior isn’t just easy on the eyes when it comes to selling your home, your home’s kerb appeal can make or break a sale.

It takes potential buyers just eight seconds to decide whether they like or dislike your property. If you’re looking to sell your home or have it valued, kerb appeal can be worth almost 10% of your home’s value, so it’s worth sprucing up the front of your home before letting agents and buyers view it.

Improving your kerb appeal

Along with cleaning your windows and front doors, weeding and sweeping the ground, highlighting your exterior’s best features will help to increase your property’s home appeal.

Often curtains can look good on the inside but the view from the outside can tell a different story, giving a terrible first impression. Net or shabby curtains can appear dated and this impression from the outside can taint the rest of the visit.

First impressions are very hard to override. If your house looks dated from the outside, people will expect the rest of the house to be dated too before they have walked through the front door.

Will plantation shutters add value to my home?

Stylish yet practical, plantation shutters set the highest standard of style in terms of window dressings. Plantation shutters help make your home stand out when listed on the market.

Not only do they offer privacy, light and style to your home both inside and out, but they come with the property as they are made-to-measure which means the buyers won’t have to invest in the window dressing themselves.

 

Maximising the kerb appeal of your home is essential if you’re thinking of selling your property in the future. For more information, or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Can Plantation Shutters be Used on Sliding Doors? Absolutely!

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At Totally Shutters, we are seeing an increase in customers opting for plantation shutters on sliding doors within their homes.

Open plan extensions with doors that span the entire wall is an interior must-have for lots of homeowners. These incredible, impressive doors do not lend themselves to blinds or curtains, which is where plantation shutters for doors come in.

Plantation shutters for sliding doors

As sliding doors are usually made up of large panels of glass, plantation shutters are the perfect addition to sliding doors. Shutters on sliding doors offer complete privacy as well as full control over the light levels.

At Totally Shutters, we have two main options available for sliding doors: bi-fold track shutters and bypass track shutters.

Shutters on a track

Plantation shutters on a track are ideal for large doors, as they can bi-fold to the side(s) or they can bypass to the side(s) giving you full access to the door when required.

Tracked shutters are perfectly suited for wide sliding doors and large windows where you don’t want a bottom frame piece.

Bi-folding shutters

Bi-folding shutters are a concertina-style, which means you can push them back to the side of your sliding door and have them neatly stacked in front of each other. This is great as it allows your open-door space to be free from obstructions with the freedom to fold the panels back over the open door.

Bi-folding shutters are ideal if you have young children or pets that you want to benefit from the outdoor air without them running in or out.

Bypass shutters

Bypass shutters are also on a track but the panels slide in front and behind of each other. If you have a single sliding door, then this design is perfect as it will fall in line with your current door design seamlessly.

 

Plantation shutters for doors are available in all our quality hardwood ranges, available in all paint and stains. Our shutter specialist will create a bespoke design to best suit your sliding doors.

For more information, or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All shutters for sliding doors come with a 5-year guarantee.

Plantation Shutter Design Ideas From the Experts

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Often, when showing a customer the many plantation shutters design options available during their free no obligation in-house survey, the Totally Shutters surveyor is asked: “what would you recommend?” So, we thought we would highlight a few of our favourite plantation shutter design ideas for you to steal for your home or business:

Shutters with curtains

A popular choice, many people choose to have both plantation shutters and curtains. Full-height plantation shutters particularly look stunning layered with a soft curtain. If you opt for a fabric that is heavier such as velvet or linen, then insulation levels will be exceptionally high.

White shutters in an all-white interior

An all-white aesthetic never looks anything other than ordinary and is a classic look that goes out of style. White walls, upholstery, lighting and shutters are all-white and then add a few grounding elements to add contrast such as striped cushions, flooring and art for a designer look.

Plantation shutters with a pop of colour

Neutral walls and furniture with plantation shutters that provide a pop of colour, draws attention to your window, helping create a stunning statement in your home. Why not match the colour of your plantation shutters to match the colour of your door?

Grey plantation shutters

We have seen an increase in customers wanting grey plantation shutters for their home, and it’s not hard to see why. Grey shutters retain all the sophistication of white shutters while adding a comforting contrast. Grey walls tone into darker grey solid wood shutters beautifully.

 

Our plantation shutters come in a range of styles, finishes and colours, and with our colour-matching service, we can create your dream shutters in virtually any colour.

For more information, or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Add Warmth to Your Windows with Wood Grain Shutters

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Autumn is just a few weeks away, and with the colder months closing in, it’s now a good time to add a touch of warmth to our homes to make them feel cosy and homely.

Add warmth to your home with wood grain

The finishes you choose for your interior have a huge part in creating your home’s atmosphere. Thick rugs and autumnal colour palettes help fix your home for winter, but a more permanent solution is to add a wood finish to your property.

Plantation shutters finished with a wood grain are perfect for adding warmth to your home and windows. Wood grain plantation shutters complement all interiors, whether contemporary or traditional.

For an understated shade that doesn’t leave your home feeling cold, plantation shutters with painted finishes in white and grey could be an alternative solution.

Plantation shutters help create warmth

Made-to-measure plantation shutters are made to fit your window and designed to complement your interior. Wood grain plantation shutters can be stained in a variety of different shades and can be stained in warmer colours to add a glowing look at your window all year round.

What’s more, plantation shutters help to create warmth in your home during the colder months. Working as a barrier at your window, they help to keep the chills out and warmth in.

Plantation shutters are flexible too, giving you the option to keep the frames closed and drafts at bay while allowing the autumnal light in by positioning the louvres to suit you.

 

For more information on wood grain plantation shutters or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey in time for Autumn, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All bay window shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Blackout Blinds Behind Shutters

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Whilst plantation shutters won’t provide complete blackout in a room, there are solutions to help achieve this. Blackout blinds behind shutters is a great way to blackout 99% of all external light.

Blackout Blinds Behind Shutters

Blackout blinds behind plantation shutters are an excellent and cost-effective way to achieve near blackout. At Totally Shutters, we have worked with clients to achieve this approach ourselves.

The combination of blackout blinds and plantation shutters ensures maximum blackout and minimal noise for any room at any time of the day, great for nurseries, children’s bedrooms and shift-workers. Usually, honeycomb blackout blinds are recommended for this approach.

With blackout blinds, you can roll them up halfway and allow a small amount of natural light entering the room through the plantation shutter slats to create a sense of ‘it’s bedtime’ in summer months, but allowing a small amount of natural light for waking.

Plantation shutters with blackout blinds are a good option if you have never had shutters before and are used to Venetian blinds or curtains.

Shutter & Shade Range

Our shutter and shade range has an integrated room darkening blind as standard which helps to blackout 99% of all light. As well as providing complete privacy, our shutter and shade range blocks out external noise too, making them the ideal addition for bedrooms, nurseries and bathrooms.

Our shutter and shade range is more insulating than shutters and honeycomb blinds and offers superior light reduction. Shutter and shade is the best option for those wanting a complete blackout.

For more information on plantation shutters with blackout blinds and our shutter and shade range, or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All bay window shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

What is the Best Plantation Shutter Design for Bay Windows?

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Bay windows are a beautiful home addition, and here as Totally Shutters, we see them in all shapes and sizes. Bays are often splay bays or box bays and in some cases, only have a return at one end. The style and size of the bay will often be influential on the bay window shutter design that would be best suited.

The different types of bay window shutters

If your box bay is wide, having bi-folding panels in the central section may not be the best solution as you will have to bifold the large panels whenever you want to open a window. Instead, a t-post that reflects the design of the window may be better suited. This allows for easy access to the windows as you will only have a single hinged panel to open.

Usually, we do not recommend tier-on-tier shutters on bay windows as the panels end up poking far into the room when the top half is in the open position, and smaller panels can make your bay window look busy. However, if you’re lucky enough to have large windows then tier-on-tier shutters can be the perfect solution.

On smaller bays, tier-on-tier shutters can be detrimental in terms of light. It’s often believed tier-on-tier shutters let in more light because you have a separate top rail from the bottom set of panels. But in effect, a plank of wood in the middle of the window will block out light, having a huge effect on smaller windows.

With bay windows, a good size louvre makes all the difference. 76mm is the perfect size for large bay windows.

 

For more information on plantation shutters for your bay window, or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All bay window shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Planning a Loft Conversion? Get Your Window Dressing Right

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A loft conversion is the most cost-effective way of increasing the square footage to your home and the resale value of your house. However, a loft conversion is a huge job and there are lots of things to consider, and it can all get a little overwhelming.

When it comes to your loft conversion windows, Totally Shutters have you covered. We’re here on hand to make sure you choose the best loft shutters for your new space.

Why Loft Shutters?

In loft conversions, the windows are often the main attraction, so choosing the correct window dressing is paramount. You wouldn’t want to design a beautiful loft, only to choose the wrong window dressing that is bulky or blocks out the sunlight.

Plantation shutters are bespoke and made-to-fit so will your loft shutters beautifully. They’re incredibly versatile too and are great for all kinds of windows such as bay, dormer, Velux and even special shapes. This versatility means they will blend seamlessly with any decor.

Plantation shutters are the most practical choice for loft conversions and all rooms when compared to other window coverings. They offer maximum light and privacy control, they are great heat insulators, help to keep out draughts, and take up less space than curtains.

Choosing the Right Colour for Your Loft Shutters

Choosing the colour for your loft conversion comes down to a matter of personal preference. While our white shutters are our most popular choice, we have a range of different paint colours and wood stains available. We also offer a custom colour service where we will match your loft shutters to virtually any colour.

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For more information on plantation shutters for your loft conversion, or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All loft shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Are Tier on Tier Shutters the Right Option for My Room?

Tier on tier shutters are a popular choice. They are a versatile design, combining the benefits of both full height and cafe style shutters in one. But how do you know if they are the right choice for your windows?

Below we’ve compiled some facts and tips about tier on tier shutters to help you decide if they are the right window covering solution for you:

The Advantages of Tier On Tier Shutters

Tier on tier shutters come in one frame and cover the full height of your window. However, unlike full height shutters, they have a dividing point where the panels split into two tiers. This can be halfway up your windows, or in line with the rails and design of your windows.

The benefits of this design are simple; all panels can be tilted differently, offering maximum light and privacy control when needed. The top tier can be kept open to optimise the light in the room, while the bottom tier can be closed to ensure all-important privacy.

Like all made-to-measure plantation shutter styles, tier on tier shutters also offer insulation against extreme outdoor temperatures and offer noise reduction for external sounds.

The Disadvantages of Tier On Tier Shutters

Tier on tier shutters complement large windows but can be overpowering on small windows. With two sets of bottom and top rails, they can make a small window look busy and block out light where the tiers meet. Full height and cafe style shutters are more suited for smaller windows.

For more information on tier on tier shutters or any style of plantation shutters, or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Can Room Divider Shutters Help Update a Living Space?

Ever wished for extra room in your living space? Of course, expanding your property is one option, but that is expensive, messy and time-consuming. Room divider shutters can provide that extra private space needed immediately.

Of course, room divider shutters aren’t a permanent solution, and the amount of space will remain the same, but it will make your home feel completely different.

Why Choose Shutters Over an Extension?

An extension will increase the value of your property, but sometimes, a home extension is not possible due to planning restrictions, lack of space or budget. Also, if there’s a lot of people living at home, especially young children, the inconvenience would drive you mad.

Shutter room dividers are affordable, robust and visually beautiful. They help to immediately transform a large living space, breaking it into two more conveniently spaced living spaces. The huge advantage of shutter room dividers is that you can fold them against the wall when a large room is required again, such as for family gatherings and parties.

Where Can Room Divider Shutters Be Used?

Room divider shutters can be used to divide a large living/dining room or kitchen/diner, but they are also perfect for providing changing areas around pools or offering privacy where needed. Shutters can offer a quiet space for children to do their homework and adults to carry out office tasks.

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When we think of plantation shutters, we immediately picture them as a window covering. But, they can be manufactured to be used as a room divider shutter.

For more information on plantation shutters as a room divider shutter, or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.