Window dressings are one of those decor elements that may not cross your mind when you’re planning your interior design, but they can dictate the whole feel of a room. Windows determine the presence of natural light and can direct the flow of air and energy through your home. They can also expose a bit more of your private life than you would like. In times long past, external shutters were used to let in the daylight at dawn and keep out the darkness at dusk with little in-between variation. Fortunately, modern windows treatments provide much greater options for the privacy-conscious homeowner.

Climate and Lighting

In terms of heat transmission, the thicker and more solid the construction the better your window treatment will be at keeping out the heat and cold. Curtains can be a beautiful addition to a room and can offer a great amount of privacy, but it is difficult to adjust the amount of daylight you want entering a room with curtains alone, as they can be unwieldy and are essentially limited to two options: open and shut. Other types of screen shades can be extremely effective for blocking light and ensuring privacy but these do not pose an opportunity to add to the elegance and design scheme of a room. Shutters not only block unwanted visual exposure, they can serve as effective noise blockers as well when properly made and fitted.

Plantation Shutters for Privacy

Blinds and curtains that offer the most privacy are not always the most attractive. Plantation shutters afford full privacy while being sturdy and elegant and a definite design statement. While obscuring the view to the inside, plantation shutters can still allow a breeze to pass through when the slats are partially opened. If you want a window treatment that will disappear into a room, you will do well to stick with a simple screen shade to keep out light and prying eyes. But, if you want something to make a real statement and add to the elegance of your room you will want something more solid and interesting. Plantation shutters add a rustic yet sophisticated look to a home’s windows and doors. When they are fully shut, you achieve full darkness and minimize heat loss; when they are open fully they let through 100% light and air. But, they can be swung shut and by moderating the slat position, you can adjust the light to your ideal level.

Some options that offer privacy are not very visually customizable. Curtains, of course, can come in any fabric you can find, but blinds and screens really only come in one or two neutral colors. The solid construction of plantation shutters, typically wood but occasionally synthetic materials, can be painted to meet your exact desire. You can stick to white or brown and let them fade into the background or work them into a bolder design theme and match their color to the rest of your interior.

We all value privacy at home in a world where our personal lives have become so public. While each option suits different needs differently, plantation shutters provide the best of all worlds.