Transforming our home with stylish window shutters

This post is in collaboration with California Shutters

At the time of writing, I have worked from home for a grand total of 15 months and have not stepped foot into my original office workplace since mid March 2020. I have been working at home, on my dining room table for well over a year now and as a result, I have experienced more than my fair share of frustrations around my new found home-working environment.

By far my biggest frustration is not however, what you might expect. It hasn’t been the kids mess on the table or the non adjustable chair, or even the lack of laptop stand or portable keyboard (the latter of which have now been resolved just in case H&S are reading!) – it’s been issues with sunlight and the glare of reflections on my laptop screen.

I work right next to my living room window and whilst the addition of daylight is an added bonus, the glare of the sunshine from around midday onwards becomes unbearable, so much so that I end up drawing our curtains – thick heavy set dark brown curtains, which then descend my day into darkness just when it should be getting started.

A few weeks ago we decided to bite the bullet and order some window shutters for our living room bay. Whilst they are a reasonable investment and therefore something to be taken lightly. we have been considering them for a while.

Why chose window shutters?

There are lots of advantages to window shutters which we felt made them the best option for us:

• Aesthetic – First up, high quality window shutters look elegant and timeless. Compared to the big and bulky curtains we currently have, they are a much more attractive option for our living room space and offer a much nicer curb appeal from outside looking in, particularly compared with half open half shut curtains that I continually alter as the day progresses.
• Made to Measure – Window shutters can also be made to fit any window size and shape, from the smallest bathroom window to the largest living room bay. Our living room is an angular bay window, and I can be confident that shutters are making the best use of the space we have.
• Light Control – Perhaps most crucially in my current working situation, window shutters allow far more intricate control over the light in the room, with the option to have them closed, open, slightly open or angled depending on your preference. Adjusting the angle of the shutters will allow me to restrict the amount of direct sunlight and glare on my screen whilst still maintaining a significant amount of natural light in the room. We have also opted for a midsection privacy bar, which offers the flexibility of having the bottom half of the window (next to my screen) closed,  whilst the rest can be angled more open.
• Privacy – Working right next to a busy road with a park means there are a lot of passers by. Regular traffic, dog walkers and children on the school commute. Having the privacy of shutters means I can block out both visibility for passers by but also insulate against some of the noise and sounds that could be distracting.
• Heat Insulation / Ventilation – Shutters are a great option in the summer, allowing you to open the windows and ventilate your home whilst keeping bugs and insects out of your living space. In the Winter, closing the shutters can help keep warm air inside and prevent heating loss through your windows, making your home far more energy efficient.

What are the options?

There are LOTS of different options for Internal Window Shutters in Birmingham; which I will be honest I hadn’t fully appreciated before we started to do our research. From full height shutters (ideal for taller windows or French doors), to tier-on-tier (which offer more flexibility and light control) as well as cafe style (bottom half only) and even solid wood shutters, there was certainly lots to think about!

We decided opt for pure hardwood tier on tier internal window shutters from California Shutters, largely because they solved the most immediate problem for me, which was light control.

For a living room / dining room bay window, they also offered a child friendly and aesthetically pleasing option that would brighten up the overall look and feel of the room.

We took advantage of California Shutters 25% off discount sale, which offered a good amount off their already competitive prices.

Fit Yourself or have installed?

At the time of writing lead times are around 12-16 weeks from order, and we are expecting to get ours installed towards the end of August.

The ordering process is very simple. My partner used the helpful online guides and videos to measure the size of our windows. We then had to decide whether we wanted to install them ourselves or whether we wanted them installed for us.  We considered a few factors here. First was the cost – the price is obviously cheaper to fit yourself and given that Mike is fairly DIY savvy, I was relatively confident that this is something that he would be able to do with ease. The biggest concern I had however was what would happen if we got the measurements wrong. The installed option came with the added benefit of a second check of our measurements – something which offered significant piece of mind when making a big investment. I felt that weighing up all options, the small additional fee to have this extra reassurance was worth every penny.

Once ordered online, a fitter came out to double check our measurements, but also recommended a few things we hadn’t considered, including the mid section bar to enable extra flexibility. Whilst Mike’s measurements weren’t too far off, he hasn’t factored in things such as the window handles, so having the fitter come and tweak the measurements appropriately was a good decision for us all in all.

Now our shutters are ordered, we wait (in my case on tenter hooks) for them to arrive! I am really looking forward to seeing the finished result!

Have you got shutters in your home? I’d love to see them! x