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New Plantation Shutters

by | Jul 7, 2015 | Decorating Inspiration, Entry, My Dining Room, my house

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New Plantation Shutters

I‘ve always been in love with classic plantation shutters. I had them installed in my last two houses in Portland and they were always one of my favorite features. They make me feel like I’m living on a coastal plantation, with the ocean breezes flowing through the palm trees and into the windows. Shutters add amazing chunky architectural detail, they offer privacy control and yet still allow light to stream through. Plus, they are so easy to keep clean and they are beautiful, too!

There were several rooms in this house that I thought would benefit from shutters and they have been on my wish list for years, but one thing or another was always higher on the list of “projects to do.” Well, my dreams finally came true a couple of months ago when we decided it was time to take the plunge and at least finish our front two rooms (the gathering room and dining room) with shutters!

New Plantation Shutters

Our dogs always go crazy looking out our front window at people and dogs passing by so we thought sometimes shutting shutters (its like a tongue twister!) might just make our house quieter, too. We wanted the shutters for the dining room to provide more privacy.

New Plantation Shutters

Our shutters are from Bali Blinds. They graciously offered to partner with me on a project years ago but I was so slow to get my act together that it stayed on the back burner. But finally I was ready! I was tired of the open windows and just wanted to finish the rooms, so I took a little shopping trip to JC Penney to look at my options. The sales person was really helpful in answering all my questions–I was mostly worried about measuring so I was relieved that Bali Blinds sends out an installer to measure and install because you really want your shutters to fit perfectly.

New Plantation Shutters

Because our house is a new craftsman style house and our ceilings are really high, I knew I wanted wide slats so they would make a real statement in the room. I brought some samples home so I could see the colors up against our white wood work to make sure they were a pretty close match. We decided on 3 1/2 in wide slats in “snowstorm” white.

New Plantation Shutters

There was an option of the little tilt bar being hidden in the back, which is kind of cool because they look extra clean and crisp. But I decided I really liked the center bar simply because I felt like it looked a little more traditional, which felt right for our home. You don’t really use the tilt bar for controlling the blinds so it really doesn’t matter where the bar is, it’s just personal preference. My mom recently installed shutters and went with the hidden tilt bar and hers look great, too, so it just depends on what look you want!

You can see that since my windows are “double” my shutters are basically two sets, one set for each window in each room. Each set is split in the middle so you can open them to clean the windows or even just let in extra light if you wanted to. I mostly just keep them shut with the louvers slightly open for privacy and light during the day.

New Plantation Shutters

I decided to have the shutters installed only part way up because our view above is so pretty with the trees and there was really no need for privacy higher up on the windows. I really wanted to keep as much light coming in as possible so we had them made to go up just to the lower window.

New Plantation Shutters

I am SO happy with how they turned out! Seriously, every time I see them in the house through the window when I come through my front door I say “HEY LOOK AT THOSE PRETTY SHUTTERS!” In fact, I say that even when I’m just walking through the house, too. Ha. You know how I feel about these kinds of architectural details. They matter to me! Shutters really add something no other kind of window treatment does. I love raising and lowering the louvers for privacy and light. Opening them up wide every morning is one of my favorite morning rituals.

My dream was to continue to install shutters around the house in my office, our TV room and other rooms but since we have decided that we are likely moving I’m thinking I’ll be installing shutters in the yet-to-be-determined new house instead. It’s going to be hard to leave these beauties behind, I didn’t get nearly enough time with them. Sigh. It’s really going to be hard to leave my whole house behind after how much love we’ve poured into it, but the shutters just might be the deal breaker for me where I just can’t bring myself to go. At least now I know that they really do keep my dogs quieter, so I won’t wait so long to install them in the next house.

Thank you to Bali Blinds for partnering with me on this project!

*My dining room copper lantern can be found here!

29 Comments

  1. Barbara (WA)

    Beautiful!

    Reply
  2. Maggie

    I agree totally love them. My friend had them installed in every window and when she sold the home the new home owner took them all down.. I could not believe it. Some view them as a 90’s thing but I truly love how they look. You have to have good measure’s and installers though. If you have paned windows and open the shutters they need to be aligned with the pane.. Otherwise they totally look wrong. If they are made from solid wood adhere to cleaning instructions also.. mostly just use a dry rag. Wet solutions can ruin them..

    Reply
    • Maggie

      Love them in your home. Very classy..

      Reply
  3. debbi siebert

    I love shutters. They are so elegant and classy. Beautiful addition to your home.

    Reply
  4. Elaine

    I love the blinds and am considering them for our home. I also love those blue and white printed drapes. Any idea what the name of the print if or where I might purchase them?? Thanks for the info.

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Thanks, I wish I could remember but we bought the fabric so many years ago I just don’t remember!

      Reply
  5. Linda Grubbs

    Lovely!…well done!

    Reply
  6. Kay

    So. We spent a few days at my sister’s near St. Louis this past week. We walked around their new neighborhood a little bit, + I was struck by how fantastic one house’s interior shutters looked from the street! I am totally on board with white shutters for our Dutch colonial! I, too, desire the halfway-up style. They’ll be a splurge for us, but so worth it.

    Reply
  7. Sarah

    Your new shutters are beautiful, they really finish the room off.

    Reply
  8. teddymom

    Now where is Jack supposed to look out for any funny business? Poor Jack.

    Reply
  9. Lisa E

    I’ve always loved this look but I am surprised you say they are easy to clean. I guess it wouldn’t be hard, but to me, more surfaces to dust…yuk. :)

    Reply
    • Ann C

      That’s what I was thinking also. How do you clean them that makes it easy?

      Reply
  10. Ann C

    I have wanted full shutters for years but was afraid they wouldn’t keep the cold out during our Michigan winters. I suppose I could have drapes also. You mentioned that you don’t use the piece down the middle…I thought it was for opening and closing the louvres. Can you explain? I noticed you said you chose 3 1/2 but the samples show 2 1/2 as the largest, was it a typo or do they offer them that big? Love the photos, and I never thought about how it would quiet the dog!

    Reply
  11. Paticia

    Can you tell us where your beautiful lantern hanging from the ceiling can be purchased ?

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Yes! It’s from Pottery Barn. I just went ahead and added a direct link at the bottom of the post if that helps you find it! :)

      Reply
  12. Katelyn

    Love the shutters! And love the super cozy wide chair. May I ask where you found it?

    Reply
  13. Rachel

    Absolutely Love them! Your home is incredibly beautiful x

    Reply
  14. Laura

    I am thinking about curtains to frame the window along with plantation shutters. Did you use a tension rod to hang the blue/white curtains? I don’t think I want a bar going all the way across. Love the look! Please tell me how you did it!

    Reply
    • valerie

      I would like to know too.

      Reply
  15. Wendy Cartright

    Wow, those shutters are gorgeous! I just despise the aluminum blinds I have over all of my windows. Curtains cover a lot of them, but they are still ugly. I would love to have some plantation inspired shutters put in.

    Reply
  16. Jorge McMillan

    I love the style of these plantation shutters and how they just add a classy feeling to the room. My wife and I are trying to find some ways to add style and value to our home but can’t seem to find anything we like. We haven’t looked at shutters yet and I think that they would be a great route to go.

    Reply
  17. Rebecca McKenna

    HI! Can you tell me how wide the window is? Or how wide each panel is? Trying to get an idea of what it would look like with my 46.75 inch window. Thank you! :)

    Reply
  18. Melissa Llerena

    I love the shutters with the curtains! Can you tell me where to find these curtains please?

    Reply
  19. dibble

    HI! Can you tell me how wide the window is? Or how wide each panel is? Trying to get an idea of what it would look like with my 46.75 inch window. Thank you! :)

    Reply

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