Plantation window shutters can be traced back to Ancient Greece where they were made of natural materials like marble and the louvers were fixed. In fact, plantation shutters are defined as “window covers” to control natural elements like light, wind, and rain from entering the building or home and were typical in places like Greece where heavy snow only happens in the upper part of the country. Over time, marble became expensive and not practical so the shift began to wood and movable louver blades.
Today, plantation window shutters are no longer just window covers but considered fine furniture and for indoor use. These shutters are seen in elegant dining rooms, lobbies of grand hotels, and in famous celebrity homes. They are also featured in a number of very popular well-loved films like Home Alone, Gone with the Wind, Father of the Bride, and Steel Magnolias.
Some of the celebrities who have been gracious enough to allow the public a peek into their homes reveal that they too have beautiful plantation shutters. A few of these celebrities are the twin brothers of “The Property Brothers,” Jonathan and Drew Scott who are real estate agents who buy and transform homes before putting them back on the market. Their “dream home” has plantation shutters, which they prefer because it maximizes natural sunlight and space and makes a room look dreamy.
Ralph Lauren, an amazing designer also installed these shutters in his Montego Bay beach house opting for large classic white shutters while Celine Dion and Sylvester Stallone chose to have a sleek shutter look for a more glamorous theme.
As is the case with most modern inventions, when plantation window shutters began to be a huge hit in this country, the rest of the world followed suit especially in Asia, Australia, and the rest of the Americas. The wooden shutters evolved to PVC and aluminum, and even metal shutters like the metal shutter houses in New York designed by Shigeru Ban, a renowned Japanese architect. Yet, they all still pale in comparison to beautiful, wooden plantation shutters!
In a nutshell, wooden plantation shutters are the elite’s choice because of the following reasons:
- The wooden shutters can easily blend into the existing room theme thereby offering the best flexibility
- There is a lower carbon footprint when using wooden shutters because the manufacturing process is simpler since it does not require additional raw materials to be added to create the shutters. Wood, if you buy the best type and the shutters are professionally designed, can last up to 60 years unlike PVC which has an average life span of 35 years
- In terms of design, you are also able to create beautiful, customized designs since wood is easier to manipulate