Choosing a shutter style comes down to how you use the room — and how much light and privacy you want. Here’s our quick guide.
Full height
Full-height shutters cover the entire window with one continuous set of panels. They provide a clean, balanced appearance that works with most window shapes and interior styles.
They are a good choice when you want:
- Complete window coverage
- A simple and uncluttered appearance
- Better control over daylight throughout the day
- More privacy in bedrooms and living rooms
- Shutters that suit both modern and traditional interiors
A mid-rail can be added to taller shutters. This divides the upper and lower louvres, allowing you to tilt them at different angles. For example, you can close the lower louvres for privacy while leaving the upper louvres open for daylight.
However, a mid-rail does not create two separately opening panels. If you want the upper and lower panels themselves to open independently, tier-on-tier is the better choice.
Café style
Café-style shutters cover only the lower part of the window. The upper section remains completely uncovered, allowing plenty of natural light into the room.
They work particularly well when:
- The window faces a pavement or neighbouring property
- You need privacy mainly at eye level
- You want to keep the room feeling light and open
- The upper part of the window has a decorative feature
- You want to use less material than a full-window shutter
Café style is popular for kitchens, dining areas and ground-floor living rooms. It can also work in bathrooms where the lower section needs privacy but the upper window is not overlooked.
Remember that the uncovered section will always allow light and views through. Café-style shutters may therefore be unsuitable for bedrooms or rooms that need full privacy after dark.
Tier-on-tier
Tier-on-tier shutters cover the whole window but are divided into separate upper and lower panels. Each tier can be opened and adjusted independently.
You can keep the lower panels closed for privacy while opening the top panels fully for daylight. You can also close the upper panels to reduce glare while leaving the lower section open.
Tier-on-tier is especially useful for:
- Ground-floor rooms facing a busy street
- Bay and sash windows
- Victorian and Edwardian properties
- Home offices where daylight changes during the day
- Rooms that need flexible privacy at different times
The horizontal split creates a more detailed appearance than full-height shutters. It usually looks best when the division lines up with the existing horizontal bar or transom in the window.
Ready to explore a style? See our full plantation shutters collection and decide for yourself.