There are blinds, curtains, drapes, shades… so many choices… so few windows. But then there is the alternative. Going with shutters means having the choice of letting in some light, all of the sunshine or none of it – much as with blinds – but shutters give you added protection against outside temperatures. They close and can even lock. Try that with blinds. And for noise reduction, nothing beats closing the shutters against all the racket on the other side.

Styles, sizes and colors

There are several styles of shutters, some of which fit better with certain styles of windows and complement specific decors. Colors can range from natural wood to colors that accessorize or offset the room or the furniture. Choose large shutters for large windows or several smaller sections with which to cover the entire window. Go top to floor, just window coverage or partial coverage with a valance on top. And with shutters, not only can you determine the amount of light you want to let into a room but you can direct it upwards, downward or straight across. Or open them completely for no block at all.

Ooh, look… that house has shutters!

Another positive point of shutters is that they not only help spruce up the interior of your home but they look beautiful from the outside as well. Did you even consider curb appeal when you started considering window treatments? Well you should have. And while on the subject of outside, nothing offers more privacy than shutters. Even heavy drapes can be moved aside by a good draft or breeze. Not with shutters. Closed means closed. No shadows will show through closed shutters either, as with sheers at night when the inside of the house is lit up.

Time to review

You now have more than enough reasons to go with shutters in your home. You can make a good argument against just about any other window treatment. Okay, let’s wrap this up. Here’s why you need shutters in your home:

• They are the most durable and strongest window treatment.
• They don’t make that annoying noise that some blinds make when the wind blows.
• They reduce the cost of cooling and heating.
• You don’t have to take them down in order to clean them.
• They can be fitted to oddly shaped windows.
• No sagging, no wrinkling.
• Blind and shades – boring! Shutters – eye catching, both indoors and out.