Greek beginnings

Greece conjures up images of sun-filled holidays, azure seas or, less happily, a debt-laden country that’s caused European finance ministers more than a few headaches in recent months. But for Lifestyle Shutters, it is really worthy of note as the place to which we owe the origins of the shutter.

Not quite the shutter as we know it, though: archaeologists have established that the ancient Greeks used shutters with louvres, but with a notable difference in that the material used was marble rather than wood. As with modern shutters, they were a versatile window covering enabling light and fresh air to enter and, when drawn shut, a measure of privacy and security. Greece was, and is, prone to alarming thunderstorms, so the shutters were used as storm-protection to prevent rain getting in.


A Samos view

The shutter concept spread to other European countries: glass, used by the Romans in their grandest dwellings, was not a practical choice for most people. Timber slotted into window frames became the protection of choice for many medieval Europeans. For the poorest people, bundles of thatch stuffed into the apertures had to suffice. The first glass windows, including those which became widespread in churches and merchants’ homes in 13th century England, were thin and fragile, so for protection from the elements hinged shutters would be fitted both inside and out. As glass technology improved in the late 1600s, sash and casement windows, with interior shutters for protection, became standard.

Perhaps appropriately for a city that gave its name to a type of blind, Venice was the Western world’s centre of glass production in the middle ages.

As for shutters in modern Greece, tourists on Samos or other islands will not have failed to notice the gaily-coloured shutters in village houses. Recreating this look in your own home will add a splash of Mediterranean brightness to your property. Bright blue, green, pink... at Lifestyle Shutters we can help you choose a customised paint finishes from a choice of around 5000!

But we don’t recommend marble shutters.