Plantation Shutter Styling

Louvers are the horizontal slats that rotate to open or close a shutter. Larger width louvers maximize incoming light and minimize obstructions to outdoor views. About 65% of our clients choose the larger 4.5" louvers, while about 35% opt for the smaller 3.5" louvers. We also offer 2.5" louvers, which are mostly used in Heights, Bellaire or West University homes where window casing depth is limited.

Tilt rods are the mechanisms that interconnect rotating louvers. Front tilt rods are visible and located front-and-center on a shutter, while hidden tilt rods are on the rear and do not impede views. Rear/hidden tilt is more robust, whereas the front/center tilt control is more likely to have parts that can break, since there are staples interconnecting the tilt control rod to the shutter louvers. Most of our clients choose the rear/hidden tilt, since it is maintenance-free and presents a cleaner aesthetic.

Shutters look best when the color of the paint matches the color of the surrounding window sill or trim. When the shutter color doesn't match the surrounding trim, the shutters look like an afterthought that wasn't well integrated. Even when the color is white, the specific shade makes a difference. We invested in a commercial spectrophotometer, so that we can automatically match the paint color on your existing window sill or trim to our Sherwin-Williams catalogue. We can paint to any Sherwin-Williams color.

Split-tilt is the ability to separate the louvers of a shutter into top and bottom sets, which increases flexibility by balancing privacy and sunlight. We do not require fixed "middle divider rails" or "mid-rails", which normally would obscure your view. Without a middle divider rail, there is more flexibility when choosing a split-tilt point, since you don't have to worry about your view being blocked. Bedrooms are often good candidates for 33/67, where more privacy is desired. 50/50 works well in rooms where some degree of privacy and light control is desired. Factors that affect the split-tilt decision include window sill height, window height, floor/level, neighboring vantage points and existing privacy from fences/trees.

Frames are the trim pieces that surround a shutter. If a window already has trim on all four sides, only a minimal frame may be required. Most commonly, windows have a bottom window sill with sheetrock/drywall on the left/top/right sides. In these cases, a we construct a three-sided frame to conceal the rough drywall edges, which results in a polished "trimmed" window that looks a little more finished. We offer both inside-mount and outside-mount frames. Most of our clients (>95%) choose inside-mount frames, but some clients choose outside-mount frames to retain their"tilt-in"window functionality.