Have you got / would you get solid panel shutters?

zoothornrollo_2

We are thinking of getting them for the two windows at the front of our house: ground floor living-room window (big full-height recess/reveal - or 'square bay' if you like) and 1st floor bedroom window (not recessed).
It's a period property, and windows are original wooden frames but casement not sashed.
We just prefer the solid / raised panels aesthetically; don't really like plantation shutters, don't really know why. I've never really liked venetian blinds, as I always want either full light or full closure, not halfway between.
But a couple of the 'sales' people we've had round have been surprised we wanted them; one even went as far as to mention that one client who had insisted on them regretted it, as it made the house feel 'boarded-up' when they were closed.
We would probably get tier-on-tier (like stable doors), so that - espcially on the ground floor - you could have the bottom half closed for privacy during the day, while still getting lots of the light from the upper half.
But another issue here (again pointed out by one sales rep) is that the split - if done at halfway - would not match the horizontal glazing bars in our windows (as it would for a sash window). And therefore would look 'untidy' from the outside....
Anyway, all opinions welcome  

theoretica

Shutters limit what you can put near the window inside more than most other systems - as you need swing room.  I love them in my bedroom for the darkness and insulation, but personally like a privacy solution that lets more light in during the day - I have a voile curtain in just the bottom half of my front windows.  You could tape paper up on the window to get an idea of the look and light transmission?

frankersBri

I don't have shutters, but I thought I would share what I have just done on my downstairs living room windows.

I installed Purlfost on the lower half of the windows. It lets in 80%+ of light and I get privacy from people looking in. I then have a roller blind that I can lower when I want fully blocked windows. 

Much cheaper than shutters, and easily removed if you decide you don't like them and want shutters after all

Rosa_Damascena

Picture of the windows and your preferred installation?

zoothornrollo_2

Living room window:

zoothornrollo_2

Bedroom window:

zoothornrollo_2

Shutters would be something like this but split into tier-on-tier

another_casualty

No disrespect , but imho those shutters look horrible . Maybe it's the grey ..
Tbh, if it were me I'd get thick white chunky Venetian blinds .
The blind in your bedroom looks like the thin slats which I'm not a fan of .
I have thick white Venetian blinds in my flat , and people seem to like them .

Your bedroom looks dark btw . ( sorry 😸) 
I'd remove the curtains , but that's a personal taste ...

Rosa_Damascena

another_casualty said:

No disrespect , but imho those shutters look horrible . Maybe it's the grey ..
Tbh, if it were me I'd get thick white chunky Venetian blinds .
The blind in your bedroom looks like the thin slats which I'm not a fan of .
I have thick white Venetian blinds in my flat , and people seem to like them .

Your bedroom looks dark btw . ( sorry 😸) 
I'd remove the curtains , but that's a personal taste ...

Actually I quite like the shutters, but agree they are not right (IMHO) for the room. I'd be going for obscurity to maximise the light.

Eta: I really hope the curtains are functional because they sure don't do the windows any favours.

Chickereeeee

another_casualty said:

No disrespect , but imho those shutters look horrible . Maybe it's the grey ..
Tbh, if it were me I'd get thick white chunky Venetian blinds .
The blind in your bedroom looks like the thin slats which I'm not a fan of .
I have thick white Venetian blinds in my flat , and people seem to like them .

Your bedroom looks dark btw . ( sorry 😸) 
I'd remove the curtains , but that's a personal taste ...

Plantation blinds can have much wider slats, as they are stiff. Wider slats = more light when they are open. You can also angle the slats so that they are very small to your eyeline, or to maximise light from the sky, or to maximise privacy.

You can also have divided plantation blinds, with framing to match the glazing bars, and nothing  - other than the slats themselves  - over the glass area.

Plantation blinds are the most flexible option.  The main thing the can't to is provide complete blackout.

Rosa_Damascena

frankersBri said:

I don't have shutters, but I thought I would share what I have just done on my downstairs living room windows.

I installed Purlfost on the lower half of the windows. It lets in 80%+ of light and I get privacy from people looking in. I then have a roller blind that I can lower when I want fully blocked windows. 

Much cheaper than shutters, and easily removed if you decide you don't like them and want shutters after all

I put up similar to offer privacy in an en-suite created from a bedroom and was surprised how good they looked for just a few quid! I wasn't a fan of old-fashioned obscured patterns but this changed my mind.

Recently had my windows changed, and the DG supplier was far from impressed. If you don't need a blackout function I would go for voiles, they let in light and offer privacy, so it really is the best of both worlds and not too much of an investment. I'm not keen on blinds at all, they are bulky and collect dust like nobody's business = more housework for me.