Plantation Shutter Designs

There are a wide variety of shutters available for windows nowadays. One of the many varieties is plantation shutters. Even though they were invented and first used over one hundred years ago, they are still considered stylish and classy to this day – there is just that something about good, colour coordinated plantation shutters or wooden blinds that adds that touch of class to any home’s decor.

History of Plantation Shutters:

Plantation shutters, as you may have guessed, get their name from the plantations of the olden days when wealthy landowners still kept slaves. It was only these type of people, the well to do of their day, that were able to afford this luxury. Since there was not really such a thing as glass windows in those days, except for stained glass windows in the churches, they would put wooden shutters up, installed on the outsides of their home, to keep out some of the elements while letting in some light, as well as for decorative purposes. They came in handy in particular if the plantation or mansion was located in a hurricane prone area, as the plantation shutters could be shut to provide extra safety to the residents of the house. The only downside to plantation shutters, however, is that since they were installed on the outside of the house, and only by those well to do enough to afford them, they marked the house as one owned by a wealthy person, tempting robbers or burglars to try to break in and steal.

Fortunately plantation shutters are no longer only owned by the wealthy and upper class. They are quite affordable nowadays, depending on what kind you get as well as the material they are made out of. The most expensive is the ‘made in USA’ hardwood shutters, but there are cheaper options available that actually look just as nice, such as basswood and faux wood plantation shutters, (also known as composite wood. Modern day shutters are made of individual shutters that are then set into panels, with each shutter being somewhere between two to four inches wide. These individual shutters then sit in panel that range from one to one and a half feet long. Unlike the plantation shutters of years past, instead of installing them on the outside of the house, modern day plantation shutters are installed on the inside of the house. They still serve the purpose of beautifying the house and improving the home’s décor, as well as keeping out dust and inclement weather as the need arises. You can buy these from a variety of shops or stores, or order them online and have them custom made, although it goes without saying that if you purchase custom made plantation shutters they are likely to be quite a bit more expensive.

There are a variety of different materials that you can buy plantation shutters in.  The most expensive is some form of hardwood, such as Cedar, Alder, or poplar wood.  But if you cannot afford this, then don’t worry – a softer wood such as basswood, or composite wood (also known as faux wood) are not only more economical, but also look great.  The other option for plantation shutters is vinyl.  The  most popular of the above options is either the real or faux wood, which is most often either painted brown or simply stained. 

As was mentioned above, you can either find a shop that sells the shutters you want that are the exact size that you need, or you can go online and find a company that will custom make them, which costs a fair bit more.  If you do have the finances available for this option, you should make sure to get your measurements exactly right and note exactly what stain you want, as online companies make it clear they do not offer refunds if you give them the wrong measurements or wrong specifications for stain or paint for your plantation shutters.