Blinds or Shutters: How Do You Actually Decide?

It is often the first question people ask when they begin to look into their window dressing requirements properly. Both blinds and shutters make a fine visual display and do the job, so how do you actually choose between the two? Here we consider the differences.

What is the main difference between blinds and shutters? It comes down to permanence and structure. Shutters are fixed to the window frame, giving a more structural look to the room. Blinds are situated above or within the recess of the window and tend to be more flexible in their installation and replacement potential. Neither is better than the other, but they cater to subtly different needs.

Which offers the best control over light? They both do an excellent job of it, but in subtly different ways. Shutters, with their adjustable louvres, give you the ability to direct the light in exactly the way you want it and offer the potential for total blackout when the shutter is closed. Blinds offer a fabulous variety of fabric to give a degree of control over how much light is allowed in, depending on how sheer the fabric is. If a variety of light effects are important to you, blinds have the advantage. If you seek total control and lasting durability, shutters become the more attractive option.

Which offers the best privacy? Shutters, hands down. A closed panel of shutters will give you total privacy with no light escaping. Blinds can leave small amounts of light in at the edges depending on the fit and fabric, and fabric blinds can become translucent when backlit at night. However, a well-fitted day and night roller blind can offer excellent levels of privacy and light control when needed.

Which is the easiest to keep clean? Shutters are generally easy to maintain on a day-to-day basis. A light wipe over the louvres with a microfibre cloth and they're done. Fabric blinds like Roman blinds can trap dust in the weave and require a little more care. Roller and Venetian blinds sit somewhere in between, reasonably straightforward to clean.

Which is best for awkward spaces? Blinds, again hands down. There are specialist blind fittings for all sorts of awkward spaces, such as skylights, pitched conservatory roofs, Velux windows and very wide spans that shutters can find impossible to cover.

Which adds more value to the home? Shutters are often viewed as adding more kudos to the home with their permanent and architectural feel, so they can add value to the home. However, well-chosen blinds in the right rooms can give the house that feeling of being well presented, which is important too.

Can you have both? Absolutely. In fact, it is a very common choice to have shutters in the main living space and bedrooms, and blinds in the kitchen, bathroom and conservatory. There is no rule that says you have to have one or the other exclusively.

So how do you actually decide? Think about the room the item is going into, the window in question and what you want it to do. Permanence, structure, low maintenance? Shutters are the answer. A specialist product for an awkward space, or a flexible amount of privacy and a fabric look? Blinds are the way forward. If you still can't decide, the most useful thing you can do is see both products on display before you commit.