Cafe Style Shutters
Cafe Shutters are designed to cover only the lower section of your windows. These are the perfect choice if you want to prevent passers-by peering into your home. The top part of the window is usually left with nothing at all covering it, except maybe a roman blind or curtain for evenings.
If you are going to keep these folding window shutter panels closed most of the time, with the slats tilted at a very slight angle, we suggest you go for wide folding shutters panels. Fewer shutter panels on the window will create a more open, spacious look to your interior. If, however, you plan to open your shutters regularly, you may want narrower panels to fold back more discretely.
Tier on Tier shutters
Tier on Tier shutters (also known as double hung shutters) are designed to let you open the top section of shutter panels independently from the lower section. These are a great choice if you are concerned about privacy but still want to allow maximum light into your room. New! Now includes Horizontal T-Bar for additional panel support and ease of fitting.
Say, for example, you have a lounge or bedroom window overlooking a busy road. With tier on tier DIY folding window shutters, you can have the lower tier of panels closed with slats tilted, giving privacy but retaining flow of light and fold back the top shutter panels so maximum light can enter the room.
We usually advise narrow width panels, hinged together for tier on tier folding window shutters. This means they can ‘concertina’ or bi-fold onto each other neatly when they are opened, keeping the windows clear.
That's probably why these folding shutters are very popular for Victorian and Edwardian style 135° angled bay windows (sash window type bays).
Tier on tier shutters work well if you are going to open the top panels on a fairly regular basis. If, however, you are likely to leave the top shutters panels closed, a better option might be full height shutters.
Full height shutters
Full height shutters are classic plantation shutters which cover your whole window in a panel that opens as one piece from top to bottom. You can have up to 4 panels across the width of your window.
Full height DIY window shutters create an open, simple and clean-lined look, especially when your window framing and shutter colour reflects your overall colour scheme.
If you don't intend to open the panels back often, consider ordering fewer panels. This means you'll have less vertical wood sections, known as stiles, allowing more light into the room.
A wooden shutter mid rail or divide rail is often used to break the run of slats from top to bottom on full height plantation shutters. You can then tilt the slats on the lower portion of the shutter panels at one angle, and keep those on the top section fully open, giving a clearer view.