Shutters for all shapes

 Of all the points in favour of the wooden shutter, one that is sometimes overlooked, perhaps because it’s a functional point easy to take for granted once the covering is in place, is that they can be made to fit windows of varying and awkward shape.

Hexagonal or triangle or arched, the shutter gets to the places the curtain cannot. How could a curtain cope with a circular porthole?

Fanlight windows, which graced many a doorway to houses designed by the great Robert Adam, whose ‘neoclassical’ ideas introduced light and refined lines to 18th century architecture, are known to be particularly difficult to get right. It’s a job for the expert.

In a similar vein, an Art Deco window with its sinuous lines would quickly lose its allure if no satisfactory covering could be found for it.

As it happens, few windows are a perfect square shape anyway, which is why a custom fitting for shutters is invaluable for the best possible result.

The Lifestyle Shutters craftsmen have the know-how to ensure that your shutters are mounted level and true, and that they will close perfectly.

And, because we work in close consultation with the home owner, each window receives a bespoke dressing.

We’ve added a couple of photos of non-rectangular fittings to give you a taster of what we can do.

Café-style shutters and the Continental touch

By the time you read this you will have enjoyed a well-earned extended break from your computer screen and an August family holiday abroad.

Among the prime pleasures of an overseas break, especially in a European country, is to eat or drink in the congenial surroundings of a tapas bar, bistro, or cafe: call it what you will, sitting in one of these hostelries is the best way of observing the locals, watching the world go past, and achieving something close to blissful relaxation.

At some point in your travels you are bound to come across interior window shutters that allow you to eat your restaurant lunch away from the gaze of passers-by yet still get the benefits of the sunshine – and fresh air – streaming through. They may well have been the appropriately-termed ‘cafe-style shutters (particularly associated in many minds with France), where only the lower portion of the window is covered by a shutter.

Cafe-style shutters don’t have to be confined to cafes. How about bringing a taste of the Continent back home with you by arranging for Lifestyle Shutters to fit cafe-style shutters to your dining room or kitchen? The result will be a stylish, year-round reminder of your holiday experience.

Once in place, perhaps on a sash window with two halves, a simple adjustment of the louvres will give you total privacy when you want it – but at the same time all the light and air you need will enter through the uncovered top half.

For some homeowners, they are the solution for a ground floor bedroom, too. But not everyone relishes being woken early in the morning by sunlight blazing through the uncovered top half of the window arrangement, so a ‘tier-on-tier’ layout would be a fine alternative.

You might have a different idea in mind, or an awkward-shaped window to find a covering for. So bear in mind that full height, cafe-style and tier-on-tier are not the only options available to you. There’s the tracked window version, where shutters can be bi-folded away to allow uninterrupted views. And there are shutters to fit porthole windows, hexagonal windows and more. The team at Lifestyle Shutters can help you arrive at just the right design.

They say travel improves the mind: who says it cannot also improve the home?

Rooms, windows and shutters for life and work in the future

The more hours we spend in our homes, the more important it is to get the design and feel of them right.

It’s an apt time to be thinking about our living environments in a week that has seen the start of a new Channel 4 series, The Secret Life of Buildings, and an Evening Standard piece on the ‘workhomes’ of the future, which will be designed with both working and dwelling in mind.

In the UK, the number of people who work mainly from home has doubled in the last twenty years. There are social and personal benefits to avoiding a daily commute, but these can be cancelled out by the problems caused by a living space that isn’t fit for purpose.

Among the issues picked up on by the Workhome Project, initiated by Dr Frances Holliss (the architect interviewed for the Standard’s feature), is that of public-private space. A journalist might work quite happily from a spare bedroom, and the same space might seem fine for a graphic designer: but if a client wants to pay a visit to the latter’s studio, he/she might have to be led through the hallway of a family home and up the stairs, areas of the house lacking ‘professionalism’ (especially if there is the odd children’s toy in the way).

Solving this scenario would need some creative thought, but simple adaptations in bedrooms of the future, probably involving sliding doors, will separate working areas from those reserved for leisure. Downstairs, sliding covers could be pulled over kitchen units to make the space fit for doing business in.

What have shutters got to do with this?
Firstly, their value lies in their versatility. They suit both the room and the needs of the moment. You can open them wide, use them as ‘blackouts’, or let in just a little or quite a lot of light as you wish. They are perfect for keeping the glare off your computer screen as you work.

Secondly, from a company such as ours you get a bespoke service. We can’t redesign your room layout for you, but we can give you professional advice on the best shutters for you, from planning stage to completion.

For it is the lack of a personalised touch that bothers Tom Dyckhoff, presenter of The Secret Life of Buildings. He shares the view that homes will have to change to suit our 21st century lifestyles, being of the firm opinion that new homes in the UK are too small, with the windows - ‘about the size of a pizza box’ – particularly inadequate in an age when plentiful natural light is highly prized.

But at the heart of the problem, in his view, is the gap between the designers of the building and those who will eventually live in it. An office block might be built with a developer’s immediate needs in mind, with no scope for feedback from the workers who will take up residence (at the time of construction it might not be known what type of companies will one day occupy it). Similarly, in domestic homes, the emphasis might be on ‘one size fits all’, with the input of architects ending with the initial design template.

‘Workhome’ or not, your rooms have to work – for you.

A window of opportunity for your business

When it comes to commercial shutters, we don’t design and fit shutters for offices with functionality our sole consideration – though, of course, they are functional in that they give a measure of privacy to a room, keep you and your staff cooler in summer and warmer in winter, and don’t require the hassle of dry cleaning.

We firmly believe that quality shutters make a room appealing to the eye, and in a commercial space that eye belongs to a potential client or customer. First impressions count, and if a room feels both light and spacious (effects which well-chosen shutters can produce), and the materials used in the fixtures and furnishings lend them an air of distinction, the person entering for the first time will want to stay and eat (if it is a cafe), or be reassured that they are dealing with a company that gets all the details right and thus be readier to strike that all-important deal.

Naturally, our company has built its reputation on getting the details right. Our profession is high quality design, and the team at Lifestyle Shutters can advise you on all aspects of the available fabrics and trims for your premises’ interiors. Our own premises feature a showroom where you can see our full range of shutters.

As well as serving a practical purpose, a window dressing can become a promotional tool. A logo on your blinds will help people to remember your name and will keep you in the frame even when you have shut for the night, the wording on your blinds giving your organisation exposure to everyone who walks past your window.

There’s another financial implication in the shape of a lower insurance premium, as our fabrics are flame-retardant. And the insulation provided by shutters could just lower your heating bill, too.

Over the years, Lifestyle Shutters has worked on projects for restaurants, hotels, a chiropractic clinic and an office for an environmental services business.

Our shutters can be customised to fit any type of window in any building, so whether your business is banking or bagels we will work with you for the ideal solution.

Farrow & Ball colours added to all wood shutters collections

At Lifestyle Shutters we strive to offer you the widest choice of painted shutters possible. In previous blogs we have wrote in depth about how painted shutters can be an ideal solution for many homes in particular period properties such as Edwardian or Victorian.

Because we aim to give you the widest choice available we are delighted to announce that this month we have added Farrow & Ball colours to our standard paint finishes to all wooden shutters collections.

New colours by Farrow & Ball available: 

• Wimborne White 239   
• Pointing 2003
• White Tie 2002
• Clunch 2009
• Off-White 3
• String 8
• Pavilion Gray 242
• Hardwick White 5
• Blue Gray 91
• Elephants Breath 229 

How window shutters can save your hotel money

At Lifestyle Shutters we've often been brought in by owners of commercial properties to advise them on the various window dressing solutions that are available. The recommendations that we make are always based on the specifications of the design brief that may include the property's interior decor, budget and project time frame.

We are always very happy to meet with prospective customers to offer our professional opinion and, one of the advantages of this, is we get to know the customers and the challenges their business can face. For example we were recently contacted by a five star, beautiful grade 2 listed Hotel in Fleet, Hampshire who had spent over £3600 every year dry cleaning their curtains. The same hotel had additional problems with sun damaged carpets which needed to be replaced and being an old building, heat retention was a real problem. 

As strong proponents of window shutters we knew that with our beautifully crafted interior shutters we could offer them advice on the perfect solution. Below are the twelve top reasons why we believe interior shutters are perfect for Hotels.

The Benefits of Our Interior Shutters  

• Effectively black out rooms to ensure a good night’s sleep
• Provide a fresh, welcoming and inviting feel to every environment
• Dramatically improve heat retention in rooms, thereby lowering heating costs
• Carry a lower fire rating than curtains, which could reduce insurance premiums
• Eradicate expensive curtain dry cleaning bills
• Redirect harmful UV rays to eliminate ageing, sun damage to carpets and furnishings
• Create a timeless, elegant and uniformed look inside and out
• Increase security - you can fit them with locks and bolts
• Are maintenance and allergy free and will not discolour - giving a lifetime of use
• Give hassle free control of light and privacy
• Reduce outside noise
• Enhance any decor - from 4 poster beds to Hydro-pools. Shutters suit every interior

Why do commercial property owners commission Lifestyle Shutters?

Our experience has taught us a thing or two. With us you get a dedicated service from experienced professionals who have the capability to project manage large scale installations, whether it's 1 or 1000 windows we've got it covered.

With over thirteen years of experience working with some of the South East's top interior designers, architects and master builders we have an unsurpassed reputation as one of the UK's leading shutter providers.

From design and manufacture, through to a bespoke, project managed and beautiful installation. We work around your needs and requirements, allowing you to get on with your busy and hectic work schedules.

We have an 'Absolute Service Promise' to provide you with the best solution for your window dressing. We are here to create a hassle free beautifully crafted and perfectly tailored new look to the interiors of your property.

If you would like to know more about Lifestyle Shutters and our services you can contact us by email at info@lifestyleshutters.com or you can arrange a free design survey. 

Plantation Shutters for a Sussex farmhouse

We take pride in the projects we undertake and therefore are delighted to share with you another one of our recently completed jobs. This property, a country house, is situated in the village of Blackboys, East Sussex. It has recently been renovated but has managed to retain all the original Edwardian features which have being painstakingly refurbished.

The home owners were interested in plantation shutters because they wanted a window furnishing to retain the heat during the cold winter nights, but with the stipulation that the shutters should match the original Edwardian decor.

The solution was our phoenix wood solid shaker style shutter that matched and complimented the decor perfectly. As a natural timber reminiscent of an English Oak it is perfect for this farmhouse bathroom, painted white the beautiful grainy texture of the timber is still visible.

Window shutters are a perfect solution for period properties as you are able to order from an extensive range of timber and over 3000 paint finishes that allows you to tailor your window dressings to exactly match your decor.