Custom Window Shutters in Portland

Custom shutters and window blinds are both very popular here for different reasons.
Shutters and blinds both enhance a room in their own way. It comes down to personal preference and taste. Custom blinds and interior window shutters are “hard” window treatments that control the light in your home, insulate, and provide privacy.

Plantation shutters integrate beautifully into a home’s architectural design and undoubtedly enhance curb appeal. They come in (standard) rectangular panels, French door cut-outs, track systems and specialty shapes. They are also adaptable to many difficult window shapes including arches, and angle tops.

Custom horizontal blinds come in an amazing selection of colors and textures in genuine wood, faux wood, and aluminum and are more affordably priced than shutters. The most popular slat sizes are 2” and 2 ½” depending on the material you choose.

With today’s homes having so many hard surfaces, we make our clients aware that choosing another hard surface like custom shutters or window blinds won’t improve the acoustics in a room very much. I encourage clients to add a fabric window treatment to absorb sound.

Often, clients begin with a layer of blinds or shutters for privacy and later add a pair of decorative, stationary side fabric panels to soften the look of their room, balance hard surfaces, and reduce noise levels.

Wood shutters are an exquisite choice when selecting a material. Nothing compares to the warmth of wood shutters, whether stained or painted. Personally, we like the feel and sound of a wood shutter over the other options.

Wood shutters are more expensive. However, with wood, you have many more color options. They can be stained or painted, and they can even be custom matched to your woodwork!

Wood shutters are also available in specialty shapes for difficult windows such as arches, angle toped windows, and arched top windows.

Faux wood / hybrid shutters are less expensive than genuine wood and are a blend wood for warmth and resins for strength. They are great when you want to mimic the look of real wood. They’re also available in many styles for specialty shaped openings.

Vinyl shutters such as Palm Beach Polysatin shutters by Hunter Douglas are the best shutter choice for high moisture areas. Their louvers are lighter and can even be motorized to tilt with Powerview!

Before selecting shutters, look out for what is surrounding the window to be addressed. For example:

o A ceiling-mounted light fixture could be located too close and block your ability to open and close the panels.

o Drawers placed too close to an opening can become trapped and not open anymore.

o Faucets, if they are too close to a window over a sink, can block access to open and close shutter panels, especially when it is time to clean windows.

Rooms in your home may require different types of shutters. Kitchens become a worry-free place to cook when faux or hybrid shutters are chosen. They need to withstand moisture and splatters and be easy to wipe down.

In bathrooms with high moisture, a vinyl shutter is the very best choice.

Wood Shutters are a handsome and elegant addition to a den or office. Their custom stain or paint can be matched to the home’s woodwork.

Even though this is mostly personal preference, it is important to consider what your plantation shutters will look like from both the inside and the outside of your home. A pure white color may be the best choice for the interior of a home; however, it may look too stark from the outside.Some neighborhood associations have established CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions) to ensure a uniform appearance from the exterior. Our shutter expert will always discuss these important details to help you make the very best decisions.

Wood and faux wood shutters are good insulators, and shutters on a window will make it look and feel warmer, especially at night in the colder time of year.

With an undressed window, you run into the challenge of having “a big black hole”.

We always ask, what does this window look like at night, especially in the winter when the days are short? The stunning view of the mountains or a beautifully landscaped back yard can dissolve into a black abyss of large panes of cold glass at night. Adding a fabric window treatment to your design can make all the difference in giving the room a warm and cozy feel 24 hours a day.

Plantation shutters will not provide 100% light-blockage on their own, but they are one of the most effective window treatments for controlling light into a room. They create near darkness when fully closed, and to minimize light gaps, we install light-stop strips. Ask us about this option!

There are two opening styles for shutters on a patio door:

With the Bi-fold track system, panels are hinged together. A three-sided frame holds the panels in place, and it functions like a closet door. Normally the number of panels are balanced on each side for uniformity while keeping the stacking to a minimum. One thing to keep in mind is that when the panels are folded back, they will project into the room, up to 30” depending on the type of material used.

With the Bi-pass track system, the panels slide past each other on a track to cover and uncover the opening. Some systems allow for the louvers to be fully opened when they are moved. A bypass track may be used when lack of space is a concern.

Yes, custom shutters are a great way to cover an arch. They can be either a sunburst or an elongated arch. On a sunburst arch, you close the louvers by sweeping a hand up on each side. In some cases, when it’s not possible to move the louvers, they will be fixed in place.

Yes, shutters are one of the few treatments that work well on angle or arch top windows.

Most of the time, the top louvers are fixed closed, beginning at the bottom of the top rail where the angle/arch starts. These specialty top shutters are available in wood, faux wood, and vinyl.

There are now several tilt methods available to move the louvers and control the degree of light and privacy.

o The first method is the traditional tilt bar located on the front center of each panel that connects the louvers and enables the user to open and close them together.

o The second option is a hidden tilt bar that is placed on the backside of the shutter panel and attaches to the end of each louver. This thin bar moves the louvers in unison when you tilt one of them. With the hidden tilt, you will not have a vertical bar obstructing your view.

o When opening and closing a plantation shutter panel, simply hold on to one of the louvers to move it together with the other louvers in the desired direction.