Plantation Shutters
Plantation window shutters are so named because of their similarity to the external wooden window shutters that were found on American Plantations, to prevent the heat from filtering into the internal rooms of the house.
Now used predominantly inside the home, wooden plantation shutters add an elegant, classic look to a room's décor, offering privacy, ventilation and lighting versatility.
Colonial Shutters
Though they may look similar, there is a marked difference in Colonial and Plantation shutters.
Plantation Shutters originate from the southern states of America, from the sugar and cotton plantations. They are large and dominate the window. They are also typically on the inside of the window glass. They have larger louvres which helped with temperature control on the hotter days.
Colonial Shutters were typically found in the North East, or colonial America. The biggest difference is that they are fitted to the outside of the window. They are also made up of more, smaller slats, which helps insulate heat better that the larger slats of the Plantation Shutters.
Types of Wood Plantation Shutters
Café Plantation Shutters
Not all shutters are designed to cover the entire height of the window opening. Café plantation shutters, (or Café style shutters, as they are also known), cover only a portion of the window opening. Wooden Café shutters tend to be used when you want to maximise the amount of light streaming into the room, but retain the privacy that the wooden shutters afford you.
Full Height Plantation Shutters
A full height window shutter set cover the entire window opening from top to bottom.
Tier on Tier Plantation Shutters
A Tier on Tier shutter set is where two or more shutters are utilised to cover the entire height of the window shutter.
Full Height Concertina Shutters
Occasionally, windows are too wide for two full height shutters to cover the width of the windows and it is necessary to use hinged folding shutters to achieve full window coverage.This style of shutter is known as the concertina plantation shutter.
Tier on Tier Concertina Shutter
Although very rare, there are occasions where several shutters are required to fill a window space in both height and width, on these occasions, the choice would be tier on tier concertina shutters. This style of shutter can be awkward to fit and is only used where no other alternatives can be found.
Materials
The majority of plantation shutters are made from wood, with a large proportion of the market being for wooden shutters, painted to a colour to suit the décor; white shutters being the most popular in the marketplace.