We are working with an Interior Designer on a beautiful Shingle Style home on Lake Winnipesaukee. This home has a fabulous master bedroom on the first floor with unparalleled views of the lake. At first the Designer had planned for Roman Shades in this room, but the expanse of glass, and the need for privacy made that many cords impractical. Our solution was to choose 4 1/2″ painted maple plantation shutters. The shutters will have a center divider rail at the mullion of the window allowing for privacy to the shoulder and maintain light and views above. The difficult part of the planning is in the french door immediately adjacent to one of the windows. Aligning a center rail in the french door exactly with the rail in the window shutters will be tricky, but some careful measuring and a close relationship with the fabricator will insure that the outcome will be perfect. We can’t wait to see the finished room and share some photos with you.

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Wood plantation shutters are some of the easiest window treatments to care for. A simple feather duster or brush attachment on your vaccum is all of the maintenance you will generally need.

If the louvers seem a little loose or droop when you tilt them open, you can easily adjust the tension. Just swing the shutter open, and you will see a small hole near the center of the panel. There is a screw inside of that hole that goes into the louver. Hold onto that louver and fit a screwdriver into the hole. Generally just a small twist is all you will need to set the tension perfectly. You can learn more about maintaining your shutters at http://excitingwindows.net/content/shutters/shutter_care.php

Easily adjust the tension on any wood shutter

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I held a large sample panel in white in the window, and asked the clients to step outside and take a look; they were horrified! Installing any shade or shutter that showed white to the exterior would ruin the affect they worked so hard to create in building this home. So we began to look at the window treatments as not just a functional necessity, but an addition to the overall appearance of the home that needed to work in harmony with the rest of the construction materials.

Shutters were still desired for their inherent beauty and function. We reviewed the readily available materials, but decided that any other wood grain would contrast too much with the grain of the Fir. The answer was to match not just the color of the surrounding trim and moldings, but to match the wood as well.

The result was astounding. It appeared that the shutters were made in the same mill as the moldings, and had been installed by the same finish carpenter.

When selecting all window treatments, but especially plantation shutters, be sure to think out of the box. Consider the appearance from within and from outside. Make sure you are working with a designer or shutter specialist that truly knows the product and is able to offer more than just the usual fare. To our knowledge this was the first time Fir was used as a shutter material for a home in New England. After seeing the beauty of this home, I am sure it will not be the last.

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