Furniture for windows: Interior shutters can add a touch of class, insulation

Published 4:49 pm Wednesday, May 21, 2008

If you’ve always lived in the dark Northwest, this is probably going to be a new concept: shutters.

Not the decorative kind that attach to the outside of the house on either sides of the windows, but interior shutters, the kind Scarlett O’Hara might have gazed wistfully through at Tara.

Interior shutters are mounted on the window casing, almost like furniture for your windows, said Janelle Hampton, owner of Quality Custom Blinds and Window Coverings in Marysville.

Interior shutters usually hinge on either side of the window and swing inward to allow access to the window. Shutter panels have louvers that swivel open to let in light and air, or close for privacy.

They come in panels and as bi-folds. Some have separate tiers that allow the top panel to be opened independently from the bottom.

Since they are custom made, they can go anywhere, including sliding glass doors and odd-shaped windows such as arches and circles.

Shutters can be mounted directly onto a window with a casing, or if the window doesn’t have a casing, it can be attached with a trim frame or L-frame — imagine a picture frame that snaps over the window. Trim frames are a good way to take a plain window surrounded by sheetrock and dress it up, Hampton said.

Shutters, while not unheard of in this area, are far more common in sunny locations such as Arizona, California, Nevada and Florida, said William DeSemple, director of shutter sales at Shutters Northwest, the largest shutter manufacturer and distributor in the Northwest.

Shutters first appeared in the United States in the South, because they block heat and light so well. But their insulating properties are a boon to people in colder regions; they also hold in heat during the colder months.

Some people in the Northwest want nothing on their windows at all, he said. However, shutter popularity is picking up in the Northwest, something he attributes to more people emulating the upscale look of Pottery Barn and Pier One.

His company has been making and distributing shutters for 25 years in the Northwest, but in the last five years business has seen double digit growth.

The majority of sales are for the classic white shutter, but local customers also are choosing dramatic stains such as black walnut and, of course, espresso.

Hampton noted the same increase, and said many of her customers asking for shutters are transplants from warmer climates, particularly California. She attributes the interest to shutter’s good looks. Shutters add a certain heft to a room. They’re classy, clean and handsome.

“They just have an incredible presence,” Hampton said. “If you look at a shutter from a distance, it looks like cabinetry in the window.”

Unlike the shutters of grandma’s era, today’s come in a range of materials, styles and colors, she said. Most people think of plantation shutters with their wide louvers, but Hampton said customers can choose from thin 1 1/2-inch louvers all the way up to 4 1/2-inch louvers.

Shutters are a premium product, and they usually cost more than most other window treatments. Real wood is the most expensive material choice, followed by artificial woods and vinyl. Most customers choose the artificial wood, which costs about 20 percent less than real, DeSemple said.

Wendy Albee, an owner of Albee Interior Designs in Bothell, admits she isn’t the biggest fan of interior shutters, mainly because she believes in as much natural light as possible. However, she said interior shutters add texture to a room and a rich wood element. She has advised clients to use them in master bathrooms and dens and other situations that call for privacy coupled with an upscale look.

As more housing developments pop up with houses built close together, she said she’ll probably be recommending interior shutters to more people as a privacy solution.

Since these are an expensive custom product, precise measurement is crucial during the installation process, she said. Most quality window treatment businesses can recommend a trained installer or have one on staff.

Reporter Debra Smith: 425-339-3197 or dsmith@heraldnet.com