You might think shutters restrict you to having a room in complete darkness or stark daylight. And given the solid, opaque woods often used to manufacture them, you’d be forgiven for thinking this.
But in reality, the opposite is true!
Café style shutters are perfect for you if you want the best of both worlds: privacy and light control! In this blog, we’ll do a deep dive into what they are and why you should consider them for your home or business…
What Are Café Style Shutters?
As the name might suggest, this is a style of shutter made popular by cafés and restaurants – particularly those in Western Europe.
Café style shutters, or half-height shutters, refer to any shutter covering the lower portion of a window but leaving the top half exposed. This allows light to filter through into a room at an angle that isn’t bothersome or blinding whilst simultaneously letting you have total privacy at eye level.
They look beautiful both inside and outside, accentuating any window as a key feature of the room. If you’re wanting to give your property that slight edge, then café style shutters are a smart and elegant investment.
How Do They Work?
You might be wondering: how can you have light and darkness at the same time? Surely the room would just be dark anyway, even with half of the window exposed?
That’s where you’d be wrong!
Café style shutters are louvred, just as full-length shutters are. This means that – with a tilt-and-turn stick – you can manoeuvre the angle of the wooden slats to let in as much or as little light as you like. The panels are mounted to a frame with a hinge, too, meaning that you can have the shutter panels completely open and let 100% of the window’s natural light into the room.
Want some privacy? No problem! Simply tilt the louvres completely down and enjoy time away from prying eyes outside. Meaning you can read a book, catch up with a friend or work in peace without needing to switch on the lights.
The Best Spaces For Café Style Shutters
These shutters are ideal for any ground-floor room requiring a little bit of extra privacy. By letting light in but keeping prying eyes out, this option is great if you live on a busy main road or pavement. After all, who wants to feel like a goldfish in a bowl inside their own home?
This style looks especially elegant when paired with a bay window. This type of window can be difficult to dress, so finding a stylish and durable solution – without compromising on practicality – is a welcome breath of fresh air for homeowners like you.
And it’s not just homes, either: this shutter style is a popular choice for ground-floor business premises. If you have an office, restaurant or café (who could have seen that one coming, hey?), then café style shutters are perfect for giving a perfect soft glow to a room without losing out on natural light. This means that your employees, colleagues and customers can work and socialise without straining their eyes!
Other Benefits Of Café Style Shutters
Oh, yes – there’s more!
If you’re still not convinced about buying shutters, it might help to know that there are a multitude of benefits to having them, including:
Energy Efficient
The big question on everyone’s minds: how can you reduce your energy bill? Whether you’re refurbing your home or your premises, you need to consider heat transfer through your windows. Café style shutters insulate your window in a way that most commercial blinds and curtains simply cannot, meaning you’ll shave some pounds off your monthly bill as a result.
Easy To Clean
Shutters are easy to clean as it is. In fact, we’ve done a blog about how to take care of and clean your shutters here!
They are even easier to clean than full-height shutters because they’re easier to reach! With only the lower half of the window covered, you’ll have a simpler time trying to dust off any debris with a microfibre cloth.
Loads Of Styles To Choose From
At The Scottish Shutter Company, we offer six different types of shutter material, each with its own wood or PVC composition. You can fall in love with each one for its texture, colouring and overall look – not to mention the dozens of colours to choose from!
They Can Be Paired With Curtains
Still want curtains in your home?
Have the best of both worlds! Café style shutters leave space for a curtain pole above the window, meaning you can have curtains in front of the shutter if you like the maximalist look.
Which Rooms Can’t I Have Café Style Shutters In?
In theory, there is nothing stopping you from having café style shutters in every room of your house or premises!
But in reality, this type of shutter won’t be quite so practical in some spaces. Take bedrooms, for example: if you’re trying to sleep at night and live somewhere with a lot of light pollution, the last thing you want is to contend with brightness preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep.
How Much Do They Cost?
Depending on the style, the material and where the shutters are manufactured, prices will inevitably vary.
Roughly, you can expect to pay between £180 and £300 per square metre for half-height shutters, plus the installation cost.
Here at The Scottish Shutter Company, we offer a free in-home consultation or showroom appointment with one of our shutter experts, letting you share your vision for your dream space with us. Can’t get to our showrooms in Dundee or Edinburgh? We now offer virtual appointments too!
So if you’re considering café style shutters for your space, why book your no-obligation appointment today?
There are more pictures of our Cafe Style Shutters in our Gallery – CLICK HERE, and we’ll take you right there.
