There are many different types of window shutters available to choose from. Plantation window shutters are very popular these days, mainly because they are both functional and they look really good. Unlike plantation shutters of old, today the shutters are installed inside the home and window. Back in the ‘plantation days’ they were attached outside the home to the outside of the window, but these days they are made specifically to be fitted to the inside of windows.
Modern day shutters are made up of individual shutters set into panels. Each individual shutter is somewhere between two to four inches wide. They sit inside panels ranging from one to one and a half feet in length. While they are probably very different from the colonial plantation shutters of years past, still they have a unique appeal even today.
During the colonial day, glass was not easily available. In fact, it was mainly used for stained glass windows in castles and churches. Wooden shutters, however, provide protection from the rain and wind, yet give a view of the outside world. It was soon discovered that wooden shutters kept the home safe from extreme weather changes and gave privacy to the home owners. They were also made to be easy to open, thus helping to control the flow of light, air and sunlight through them.
Plantation shutters, as they’re called nowadays, were originally used by plantation owners to protect their homes from hurricanes. Whenever a hurricane was approaching the shutters were closed tight and fastened, offering extra protection to the rooms and homes of the people living in hurricane prone areas.
One downside to having them in those days was that they also indicated that the owner was quite wealthy–usually a rich landowner, the only type of person who could afford this type of window covering. It has been said that homes sporting wood shutters were often the target of thieves and robbers in olden days, as well as slaves who rebelled against their owners.
These days plantation shutters are a delightful addition to any home, and look particularly lovely when added to a decorative window, or one using decorative window film for example. Prices vary depending on the make and the type of material they are made from, meaning that anyone who is redoing their home, or building a new house, should be able to afford some kind. More expensive, “made in the US” hardwood blinds can be very expensive, but there are shutters made out of softer wood, or even vinyl and faux-wood that are very nice and affordable. Home Depot plantation shutters are mainly only custom made these days, but other shops may carry standard size blinds.