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Fascinating Facts – A History of Shutters
The origin of window shutters is varied and interesting, with a number of amusing rumours, but the most common reasons throughout history for choosing shutters have always been to control the amount of light entering a room, to allow air to circulate and of course to provide privacy and security for the home. The American influence has led to the name ‘plantation shutters’, but it appears that the origins of window shutters lie in Europe.
Shutters – The Beginnings
It is believed that window shutters originated in Greece, and were made of marble with fixed louvers. If you consider the tropical environment, you will realise that window shutters provided the perfect solution to the harsh sunlight and high temperatures. Once the concept of shutters moved into other areas of Europe, shutters were made of wood rather than marble. The use of wooden window shutters allowed the introduction of movable louvers, as the shutters were lighter.
In Elizabethan and Tudor periods the introduction of glass influenced shutter styles. Wooden window shutters provided a cheaper alternative to glass, and the use of half-height or café-style shutters provided a cost effective window covering, as only half the window was covered by expensive glass. Solid shutters were also used to provide insulation and protection from the elements, or to provide added security as they could be secured shut from the inside.
Once glass became cheaper the use of solid wooden window shutters for weather protection declined. However, wooden window shutters continued to be used for decoration. In Europe exterior wooden window shutters have continued to be used to provide insulation and protection from the elements, keeping heat and sunlight out in hotter months, and in during the cooler seasons. In some areas wooden window shutters were still used for decoration and in some places murals including painted shutters decorate the outside of buildings.
In England the Victorians were fond of the boxed wooden window shutter, where a series of shutter panels were made that folded back into a box at the side of the window opening when not being used. When in use the wooden window shutters provided a panel that covered the entire window space.
The Rumours
The term ‘peeping Tom’ can apparently be linked to wooden window shutters. It is said that Lady Godiva rode through the streets naked in protest of a tax imposed by her husband. The people of the town stayed inside to avert their eyes, however, Tom is said to have peeped through the shutters and the term ‘peeping Tom’ was born.
It is also rumoured that Louis XIV had shutters installed in his residence in Versailles, as he liked to admire the beautiful women of his court using the garden pools to bathe. However, he didn’t want them to distract the guards who were supposed to be protecting the palace, so installed shutters which allowed him to peep through but prevented the guards being distracted.
The origins of Plantation Shutters
It is likely that wooden window shutters first appeared in America due to the influence of the Spanish who travelled there and settled. Plantation shutters is generally a description applied to louvered shutters, and these wooden window shutters were given this name as they were often found in the mansions on the American plantations, with wide louvers and usually painted white.
Plantation shutters are the style that have now returned to the UK and appear to have influenced the recent re-emergence of wooden window shutters in the last twenty or thirty years.
Modern Shutters
Today shutters are still made of wood, although there are alternatives such as MDF which have made wooden window shutters more affordable. Wooden window shutters are available DIY as well as fitted, and they can be made in a variety of shapes to suit any window. Modern wooden window shutters have increased in popularity as they provide a durable alternative to curtains, and provide added benefits of insulation and protecting furniture from sunlight damage while being low maintenance.
Modern wooden window shutters are an investment for any home, but most of all wooden window shutters provide a simple yet elegant solution to the age old problems of controlling light, air circulation, privacy and security.
Sam Dunster is a professional interior decorator. For more information on Plantation shutters, Wooden shutters , decorative interior and exterior window shutters and blinds in UK or Wooden, Louvre, MDF, Plantation , DIY shutters he recommends you to visit
Website: http://www.opennshut.co.uk/
