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Decorating Around Plantation Shutters: Dos and Don’ts

Are you considering installing plantation shutters on the windows in your home? Here are some home decorating dos and don’ts you’ll want to consider.

Do choose curtains wisely.

Plantation shutters look great when paired with curtains; but especially if you have shutters that open into the room, curtains surrounding shutters can become cumbersome. The trick to pairing curtains with shutters is to select and position your curtains wisely. Hanging panels positioned alongside your windows, for example, allow you to maintain optimum usability of your shutters, as they will not interfere with opening and closing your shutters. Tiebacks installed to the sides of your windows can also keep curtains out of the way when needed.

Don’t feel like you absolutely need curtains.

On the other hand, don’t feel like you need curtains to complete your “window look.” In fact, if you opt for custom plantation shutters for your windows, you may very well see the finished look and admire the simple sophistication that shutters bring to your windows. Plantation shutters truly do stand out on their own as a window treatment, and the addition of curtains might be superfluous in your space.

Do consider your “shutter opening area.” read more…

Plantation Shutters For Doors

Plantation Shutters for Doors

Many homeowners choose plantation shutters for the windows throughout their home, only to take pause when it comes to the windows on and surrounding their doors. Plantation shutters, however, are a great option for all of the doors in your home, and you’ll find that shutters can be custom-made and fitted to a variety of door types in the home. This means that with plantation shutters, you’ll have a window treatment that works seamlessly throughout your home. Here is a look at just some of the applications of plantation shutters for doors.

French Doors

Plantation shutters can, of course, be fitted to just about any French style door that features a large glass window. Shutters for these doors are typically mounted directly over the glass. One major advantage to having a plantation shutter over this style of door is it eliminates the banging that blinds would have. In addition, plantation blinds will not get caught in the door the way that curtains would. When mounted, shutters can still be raised and lowered to let in varying amounts of sunlight. Plantation shutters can be mounted even on French style doors that feature uniquely shaped windows.

Sliding Doors

Yes—it’s possible to have custom plantation shutters made for your sliding doors as well. Plantation shutters are a wonderful option for sliding glass doors because they offer a sophisticated alternative to read more…

Plantation Shutters for Uniquely Shaped Windows

Shopping for window treatments can get difficult when your home has uniquely shaped windows, such as circle windows or arched windows. The good news, though, is that there is a window treatment to solve this problem, and that window treatment is the custom plantation shutter. Here is a look at some of the most common shaped windows in homes and how custom plantation shutters can be made to fit them perfectly.

Circle and oval

Does your home have a circle or oval window? If you’ve considered blinds or shades for your windows in the past, you probably ruled out finding a suitable window treatment for this window. With plantation shutters, however, you can have a shutter custom made with precisely cut slats that cover only the circular shape of the window. Shutters can be made to have all horizontal slats, or they can be made to have slats that are oriented around the center of the circle (sunburst).

Arch

Many of today’s windows feature an arch shaped window on top of a standard rectangular window. Arched windows actually come in many different types and have different names to classify them, including half-circle, eyebrow, quarter round, ellipse, and circle top. Whether your arched windows are perfect semi-circles (half circle), or they feature straight edges along the sides (eyebrow with extended legs), plantation shutters can be custom made to suit read more…

4 Ways to Make Your Home More Private

4 Ways to Make Your Home More Private At a time when it seems that social media is making our lives less and less private, it’s nice to know that there is still a great deal that we can do to ensure that we maintain some privacy in our lives. One way to help keep part of your life out of the public eye is to make your home a sanctuary that offers you privacy. Here are some ways that you can help make your home more private for you and your family.

Install a fence.

Installing a fence is, of course, a good first step to take in making your home more private. A fence will allow you and your family to spend time in your backyard without being under the watchful eyes of others—not to mention it will keep out unwelcome intruders. The most private of fences are wooden or vinyl; they will feature either a solid wall-like surface, or alternating slats that are positioned close to one another. But even if you opt for a cast iron, aluminum, lattice, or picket fence, you can still invest in a privacy screen for your fence.

Try creative landscaping.

Fencing isn’t the only way to add privacy to your yard and property; you can also customize your landscaping to provide the ultimate privacy. Consider planting taller shrubs or trees at your property line, or creating raised beds around your property line for planting medium sized plants. With the help of a professional landscaper, you can even landscape your yard in such a way that you create “pockets” in your yard, where you won’t be able to see your house or another part of the yard. Hedges are another create shrub to landscape with if you want to up your privacy. read more…

A Brief History of Exterior Shutters

Like plantation shutters, exterior window shutters seem to have their beginnings in Ancient Greece. Believe it or not, these shutters were actually designed first for the inside of a home before they were designed for the outside of a home—not the other way around. These original interior Greek shutters were made from marble, and then eventually wood once the demand for these shutters rose significantly. The original purpose of these shutters was to provide protection against the Mediterranean climate. (You can read more about these early plantation shutters in our blog post about the history of plantation shutters.) These original shutters would soon feature a louver that would allow the shutter slats to be moved upward and downward to control light and ventilation. Shutters pointed downward could shelter against rain, and closed shutters could provide privacy as needed.

Fast forward to Tudor England, the turn of the sixteenth century. Glass at this time was still an expensive luxury, and many windows featured only a glass pane on the top half, with shutters installed on the bottom half. These shutters were often made simply of wooden boards, and the shutter would be opened and closed to let in air and light as needed. Closed shutters would offer security, privacy, and insulation against extreme temperatures. Soon in the 1700s, once windows commonly began to feature glass on both the top and bottom panels, interior shutters would be used increasingly as a decorative element that covered the top and bottom panes, in addition to being functional.

How To Make Your Bedroom a Sleep Oasis

How To Make Your Bedroom a Sleep Oasis - Wasatch Shutter Over half of Americans don’t get the amount of sleep that they need each night. It might seem like a small thing to miss out on, but lack of sleep can cause major risks to both personal and public health.

Lack of sleep leads to accidents behind the wheel, at work, and while operating machinery. Additionally, getting less than the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night greatly increases your risk of chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity.

One of the biggest things you can do to improve your nightly rest is to change your bedroom. Turn it into a haven of sleep. Try incorporating these changes into your sleeping space tonight and see if you can spot the differences in the quality of your sleep… and the quality of your life!

Get a White Noise Machine

White noise blocks out distractions that will disturb your sleep. Additionally, white noise can work as a signal to your brain that it’s time to relax and sleep. If you make it part of your sleep routine, it can become a powerful tool.

Keep Electronics Out of Your Room

read more…

Planning Your Room’s Lighting Design

Planning Your Room's Lighting Design - Wasatch Shutter A room’s lighting can set a mood, create depth and space, highlight the strengths of a room, improve the functionality of a space, and even regulate our sleeping & waking cycles.

Here are some tips to guide your room’s lighting plan:

What kind of mood do you want to create?

Different rooms should set different moods. For example, we like kitchens to feel bright, cheery, and functional. A bedroom, on the other hand, should be comfortable and relaxing. Bright lighting and task lighting can help a kitchen fulfill its purpose. A bedroom should allow for low lighting and block outside light when you need it to. read more…

Spring Cleaning Your Windows

Spring Cleaning Your Windows - Wasatch Shutter Over time, your window sills and tracks become home to a host of things: pollen, dirt, leaves, bugs, and more. If left unchecked, this buildup can make it difficult to open your windows and potentially damage the tracks. It is important to take the time to give your windows a thorough cleaning at least once a year. Here is what to do.

Tracks

Start by taking a vacuum hose along your window tracks and vacuum out any large items such as bugs and other debris. At that point in time, try to loosen any dirt with a rag before you add water, and then vacuum again (if you skip this step, you will just end up with a muddy mess). Then spray down the tracks with your cleaning agent of choice (be it Clorox or water mixed with vinegar) and wipe down the tracks with a thin object such as a toothbrush (an electric toothbrush works quite well) or a Q-tip.

Blinds or Shades

If you have wooden or vinyl blinds, gently wipe them down with a damp cloth to clean them. If you have fabric shades, take a vacuum hose and vacuum them, paying special attention to the folds in the fabric. Some shades can be placed in the washer on a gentle cycle, just check the tag. If you have curtains, throw those in the washer to clean them and get rid of any dust (if you can — if not, gently hand wash them). read more…

DIY Window Treatments

DIY Window Treatments If you are looking up to spruce up your home but would like to do so in an inexpensive yet classy way, a DIY window treatment may be exactly what you need. There are many ways to personalize your windows without breaking the bank, from window films to a custom valance. Read on for 6 DIY ways to personalize your windows.

Peel and Stick Window Film

You can add flair or privacy to a window with peel and stick window film. You can purchase all sorts of films, solid as well as patterned. Check Walmart and online retailers for one that fits your style. Once you order it, feel free to cut it into fun shapes and patterns to personalize your space.

No Sew Curtains

Knotted Chiffon Curtains

To make this cute DIY curtain, you will need chiffon, a curtain rod and scissors. Cut pieces of chiffon about 6” in width and about 6” or so longer than your window. Attach the pieces to the curtain rod using a cow hitch. Voilà! An adorable DIY curtain.

Repurposed Items

You can repurpose the items around your house such as napkins, old bedsheets, scarves and other things as curtains. Simply sew or glue ribbons on the back of the repurposed item about every 6”. If you are using a sheet, you can create tabs by cutting open the top hem of the sheet on the sides, and then cutting tabs on one layer of the sheet 2” wide every 4”. Slide a rod into the sheet along the tabs. read more…

Window Treatments for Formal Rooms

Are you looking for the perfect window treatments for a formal living room or dining room? Here is a look at the many window treatment options you might consider for a formal room.

Plantation shutters

There truly is no other window treatment that can match the sophistication of plantation shutters. Plantation shutters are unique in that they can be custom made to fit any window shape. This means that even large windows that feature an arch along the top—often found in formal settings—can be fitted with them. Plantation shutters are also made in a variety of materials and finishes, allowing you to coordinate your window treatments with the various woods and finishes you’ll find in your formal living room or dining room. You’ll find ones made from faux wood, basswood, alder, cherry, oak, walnut, mahogany, and more. Faux wood shutters can just about mimic the look of real wood, but nothing can truly match the luxury and sophistication that real wood shutters offer. So if you’re looking to give a formal room in your home an added touch of sophistication, real wood shutters might be the way to go.