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Indoor shutters (also called interior shutters) are one of the most attractive and versatile window treatments you can choose for your home. They look great anywhere, from country farmhouses to Modern apartments in the city. Indoor shutters are simple, sturdy, and easy to use. And because they’re available in dozens of painted colors and wood-grain finishes, shutters can be made to fit with almost any décor. If you haven’t considered indoor shutters for your windows, you really need to give them a look.
Graber offers some of the finest indoor shutters available today, both in real wood and in a composite material that resists heat and moisture (ideal for bathrooms). Shutters provide outstanding light control, and their heavy material can provide some insulation against heat and cold. There are few things in a home that will outlast a Graber shutter, and because they’re expertly measured, custom-made to your window’s specifications, and installed by professionals, you can expect them to look beautiful and operate flawlessly from day one—and for years to come.
What Are Indoor Shutters—and Are They Worth It?
Indoor shutters are simple. They follow the age-old shutter design—a solid frame holding a set of adjustable louvers (sometimes called slats). And, as the name suggests, indoor shutters are installed inside your home over the windows. They provide an easy way to adjust the amount of light that comes into your home and provide excellent privacy. Adjusting the louvers is as easy as grasping a louver in your fingers and lifting it up or down—the control arm connecting the louvers will ensure they all move up or down together. They’re simple, sturdy, and very easy to use.
You’ll hear indoor shutters also referred to as interior shutters or louvered shutters. But you’ll also hear names like café shutters, double-hung shutters, and tier-on-tier shutters—all terms referring to various configurations of shutter panels being hung on the window. You might also hear the terms hidden tilt and standard tilt. These terms refer to whether you can see the control arm that holds the louvers together—hidden-tilt shutters have this mechanism hidden from view.
Shutters are made from hardwood as well as composite materials. Graber makes shutters from both real North American hardwood—basswood, to be exact, an ideal wood for making louvers—as well as a composite material that stands up to heat and humidity. Both kinds of shutters are incredibly strong and will last for decades—and this long life and the fact that each shutter is custom built to fit the exact dimensions of your windows means your interior shutters could add value to your home.
The beautiful, built-in architectural look of interior shutters, along with their extreme durability, make them a wise choice for homeowners looking for a window treatment solution they’ll never have to worry about or replace. Maintaining shutters is simple—just a quick once-over with the upholstery attachment of your vacuum cleaner once a month keeps them looking new. Put all that together and you have a window treatment that is more than just a window covering—it’s basically part of your home’s architecture.
Where Do Interior Shutters Work Best?
The simple answer is that interior shutters are so versatile that they could work in any room in a home. But since most people won’t be putting shutters on every window (although some people choose to do just that—and it can look stunning) let’s look at some of the rooms where shutters are typically found.
Living rooms and formal studies are classic territory for interior shutters. The real wood grain seems to lend itself to a formal living room or study, and the easy light control makes shutters a smart choice. Coordinating your shutters with Graber Wood Blinds in matching colors is a great way to bring a very satisfying, finished look to your room.
Composite shutters are at home in bathrooms where the shutters’ durable composite material can stand up to the heat and moisture. But shutters are also popular in bedrooms where the solid frames and sturdy louvers create a sense of security and coziness. Many kitchens utilize the traditional look of shutters, particularly in white paint colors. And any street-facing room is well served by shutters—they look great when viewed from the street.
Another reason to choose shutters is the potential for whole-room coordination. Graber shutters can be matched with colors and finishes in Graber's wood and composite blinds collections. By matching the colors and materials of the window treatments in your room, you create a beautiful, finished look.
What Are the Benefits of Indoor Shutters?
The biggest reason why you should consider shutters is their simplicity. To adjust your privacy and light control, you simply grab hold of a louver using your fingers and move that louver up or down—thereby opening or closing the louvers and letting in more or less light. There are no operating cords of any kind. There’s something so basic and easy that many people consider shutters the gold standard for window-treatment ease.
Shutters also provide some insulation against heat and cold. Not only do shutters block drafts, they give you an insulating barrier against heat and cold. The wood or composite materials serve as an insulating layer. You get a more comfortable room and lower heating and cooling costs. This protection is especially welcome in bedrooms.
And shutters are very easy to clean and maintain. Dust with a feather duster or vacuum with your upholstery attachment on a monthly basis and you’ll have very little else to do. Your sturdy shutters will last and last, with very little help from you. No other window treatment is as durable.
What Are the Disadvantages of Shutters?
Shutters are the longest lasting of all window treatments. But that extreme durability is reflected in the higher cost of shutters when compared to other window treatments. People who own and live with quality shutters for decades understand the value of these time-tested window treatments. But cost is still a factor that you do need to consider. And shutters can take longer to build than other window treatments, which means a longer wait for the finished custom product—and that makes sense considering the solid materials and design.
Some people do not like the “hard” nature of shutters. If you’re looking for softness in your window treatment, shutters are not your best option. But shutters can be paired with drapery to soften the look. And choosing café height shutters also reduces some of the hard surface on the window. The café-shutter style goes quite well with short curtains for a softer look for kitchens, living rooms, studies, and other rooms where a more casual feel is desired. Whichever configuration you choose, you can depend on your Graber Dealer to carefully measure and design shutters that perfectly fit your windows.
What Is the Difference Between Shutters and Louvers?
Louvers are the hard slats that are stacked and installed in a hard frame. The louvers and frame together constitute the shutter. Louvers come in various sizes, with wide louvers providing the most view to the outdoors when the louvers are open. Wide louvers are most often found on larger windows. Shutters are often mounted on another frame that is mounted in the window casing. A finished shutter is custom-made to fit a particular window and is among the sturdiest of all window treatments.
Which Styles and Materials Should I Choose?
Graber offers both wood and composite shutters. Wood shutters are the classic option. Found in the finest homes or anywhere quality and tradition are prized, real wood shutters are unmatched in their appearance and feel.
Composite shutters, on the other hand, are also quite attractive, but are available at a slightly lower cost and can withstand moisture and heat—making them ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. Composite shutters will not peel, warp, or crack. They stay straight and function perfectly for decades in bathrooms. No window treatment is more durable than a composite shutter.
When it comes to color and finish, you have an incredible range of options in both wood and composite shutters. Both offer rich, wood-grain finishes that can be matched to your home’s existing woodwork or paired with matching Graber blinds. For a traditional living room, study, or dining room, you can’t beat a wood-grain finish.
You can also choose from a range of painted options that have a more casual look. Many homes decorated in the modern-minimalist style use white or off-white shutters as a backdrop for their darker-colored room elements. Utilizing the hidden-tilt option and modern frames creates a very simple look that works extremely well in such a modern-minimalist setting.
Choosing Shutters for Different Room Types
Different styles of shutters lend themselves to different types of rooms. Living rooms, kitchens, baths, offices, and bedrooms all dictate a different kind of shutter. Here are some basic guidelines—although personal preference should always be your most important consideration!
Living rooms—Privacy and light control are generally not the top concerns in a living room. Aesthetics are often the most important issue, making wide louvers the top choice for most living rooms, which tend to have some of the largest windows in a home. Those wide louvers allow for a nice view when open and fit quite well with big windows. Living rooms are also a great place to coordinate the wood-grain or painted finishes with other elements in the décor.
Bedrooms—Your best option for bedrooms is choosing shutters with smaller louver sizes. These smaller louvers close tightly and provide the best light control and privacy, and they look great on smaller windows. Layer drapery over these bedrooms shutters for added light control and excellent insulation against heat and cold.
Bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms—Composite shutters are your go-to when decorating windows in these high humidity, high heat environments. Composite shutters won’t warp, peel, or split and can hold up to tough conditions for many years. For rooms where privacy isn’t a concern, choose café height shutters—they have a casual look and can really give a room an inviting feel.
Home offices—For a clean, classic look in your home office or study, choose a simple hidden-tilt shutter in a minimal, modern style. You’ll gain excellent light control and enjoy great sightlines to the outdoors when the shutter louvers are open.
Find more ideas in Graber’s Design Gallery.
How Should I Measure For and Install Shutters?
Measuring for shutters is a challenge. Because they are made with hard materials, your measurements must be precise. Errors of an eighth of an inch can mean the mounting frames won’t fit into your window.
Fortunately, your Graber Dealer knows how to correctly measure your windows for shutter installation. They consider many factors—whether it’s an inside or outside mount, the depth of the window casing, any differences in symmetry, light gaps, and smooth operation—to come up with shutters that look flawless in your windows and operate perfectly for decades to come. And Graber Dealers understand installation so well that customers are often amazed at how little time it takes to completely transform their home with high quality shutters. It is a testament not only to the installers’ skill but also to the precise construction of the shutters that allow them to be installed so quickly.
How to Clean Indoor Shutters
Indoor shutters are very easy to maintain. An occasional dusting with a feather duster or vacuuming with the upholstery attachment will keep your shutters clean. Any spot cleaning should be done very carefully on wood shutters—avoid using water as that can leave water stains. Composite shutters can take a soaking, making them ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. You might also want to check the hinges and other hardware from time to time to make sure they’re in good working order. But overall, there really isn’t much to do to keep your shutters working perfectly.
Elevate Your Home with Indoor Shutters
Shutters do it all. A set of Graber interior shutters provide outstanding light control and privacy—and they can do that job for decades. You can choose from a full range of wood-grain finishes and painted colors. And, you have the option of choosing composite materials that can withstand the heat and moisture of bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. On top of that, your Graber Dealer can help you find the ideal louver size and frame style to suit your windows and your lifestyle. And when your shutters are delivered and installed, you can count on years of worry-free performance and easy maintenance. There really isn’t another window treatment that can match an interior shutter.
Schedule a consultation with your local Graber Dealer today.
FAQs about Indoor Shutters
Do Shutters Increase Home Value?
Because shutters are more like architectural features of a home and less like simple window treatments, many homeowners feel that their interior shutters add to the value of their home. When someone walks into a home with shutters on all the windows, there is a sense of permanence and quality. If you want to impress potential buyers, shutters are a great choice.
Can I Layer Shutters with Drapery?
Perhaps the sturdiest, most impressive of all window treatment combinations is drapery layered over a shutter. This combination provides not only a stunning visual impression but it also gives you a huge range of light control and privacy options. And drapery combined with a shutter will give you outstanding insulation against heat and cold.
What Louver Size Should I Choose?
The first consideration when deciding what size louver to choose is your own preference. You should always select the louver size that looks best to you. If you still cannot decide, consider that the larger the louver the clearer your view to the outdoors when the louvers are open. Also, larger windows tend to look better with wider louvers and smaller windows with narrower louvers. But your first consideration should always be personal preference—you should love how your shutter looks.
Are Shutters Good for Bay or Arched Windows?
Shutters look quite attractive in bay window and arch-shaped windows. And Graber’s expert craftspeople can build shutters to fit almost any window. The simplicity of the adjustable louvers also adds to shutters’ compatibility with unconventionally shaped windows.
Can Indoor Shutters Improve Energy Efficiency?
Indoor shutters provide some insulation against heat and cold. That’s because of their ability to protect against drafts around the edges of the window and also because their heavy construction serves as an insulating layer. So, if you’re trying to create a cozy room, shutters are a great solution.
What’s the Typical Lead Time for Custom Shutters?
Shutters are not like other window treatments. Their premium materials, extreme durability, weight, and hand-crafted construction all take time. Expect your shutters to take several weeks to build, finish, package, and ship—a small amount of time compared the decades that they’ll be part of your home.
