Decorating with Interior Shutters

Interior Window Shutters Provide Beauty and Energy Savings to a Home

By Mark J. Donovan




 There are many types of window treatments that you can add to your windows to decorate them. The most common types of window treatments include shades, blinds, curtains, and drapes. However, decorating with interior shutters is one of the better ways, as it adds something more than fabric to the windows. Interior wood shutters, or vinyl ones, add color, texture, and a unique beauty to windows.

They also provide privacy, and maybe surprising to many, they also provide added window insulation. Finally, they help to block ultraviolet light from entering the home.

Blocking out ultraviolet light not only keeps the home cooler during the summer months, it also prevents the fading of carpeting, furniture fabric, and wood flooring.

Interior window shutters have been used for centuries for interior decorating, however in recent decades they have faded out of style to some extent. Part of the reason for this is the cost. In the past, installing interior wood shutters was a pricy endeavor. However, with today’s vinyl faux wood interior shutters, prices are much more affordable.

Blinds, curtains, drapes and shades can provide elegance and functional purpose to a window, however decorating with interior shutters also adds depth and texture to a window. Effectively interior shutters provide window layering and window dressing not achieved with other types of window treatments. For the most part other window treatments simply provide sunlight blocking and privacy. Interior window shutters help to accent windows more crisply and help to complete an entire room’s appearance.

Interior shutters are still available in wood, however you can also purchase them in vinyl for a much more affordable cost. Many vinyl interior shutters are designed to look like various wood species.

Interior shutters come in a variety of slat sizes, anywhere from 1 to 3 inches. Vinyl interior shutters are also very easy to clean. They can be cleaned with simply a damp cloth.

The installation of interior shutters is easy to do. Even a basic DIY homeowner can install them. They require basic tools and can be installed in less than 30 minutes per window.

Just make sure that you fasten support screws into wall studs to ensure they do not pull away from the window or walls. If you are installing interior shutters that are meant to hang outside the window frame use drywall anchors if you cannot hit the wall studs. But if all possible, try to install the interior shutters such that the support screws grab into walls studs.

If you use vinyl shutters they require no painting. If you are installing wood shutters I highly recommend priming and painting them before installing them. You’ll do a much better, cleaner, and faster job of painting them on the ground than when they are mounted on the window.

For more information on Installing Replacement Windows and Interior Window Trim

  • See the Installing a New Window Ebook from HomeAdditionPlus.com.  The Installing a New Window Ebook provides easy to understand, step-by-step instructions, on how to remove an old window and install a new one. Pictures are included for every key step in the process.
  • See the Installing Interior Window Trim Ebook from HomeAdditionPlus.com.  The Installing Interior Window Trim Ebook provides easy to understand, step-by-step instructions, on how to install interior window trim around a window. Pictures are included for every key step in the process.

Related Information

Additional Window Installation and Maintenance Resources from Amazon.com

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