Shopping for window shutters for your interior can be hard since there are so many styles and colors on the market. But I’ve found that knowing how to tie the window shutter style into the rest of your décor will make it a lot easier to come to a final decision. Obviously, the shutters you choose should look good from both the inside and from the outside, and I like to encourage homeowners to experiment, since the shutters that will end up looking best on their home might not be the ones that are labeled specifically for their home’s design, like “Colonial” or “Americana”.
Style-wise, louvered shutters are definitely the category with the most broad-range of choices, and many people like to use them since they are so low-key and traditional. They fit well into nearly every décor style, and I often recommend this style of shutter because of the extra sunlight that they let into the house. This is especially effective if they are used on a nice, large window in the front of the house or in a room where a lot of family time is spent. The main drawback to louvered shutters is that they are harder to maintain than other types of shutters, since the spaces that let in the sunlight are kind of like dust magnets.
Another good option is a combination between louvered and raised panels. I notice that these panels are stronger and easier to maintain than louvered shutters, and they still let in a respectable amount of sunlight on pleasant days. They have less dust problems and look good on many types of homes, from Colonial to Craftsman. In my experience, they tend to be more functional than louvered shutters, although slightly less attractive in some cases. The ease in cleaning them makes up for the extra raised panel, and you won’t need a lot of time and effort to get dust and dirt out of the crevices. They definitely look attractive from the outside, too, which is a big consideration for me when I’m looking for shutters for someone’s interior.
Generally, whatever style you choose, it should tie in closely with the inside of your house, and compliment the outside. The color is also a major consideration, as it should coordinate with both the inside and the outside. For this reason, in my opinion, it might be a better idea to choose neutrals that compliment both parts of the home. Choosing shutters for a red-facade house with a blue living room décor, I might use deep beige to tie both aspects of the home together. At the same time, be careful of washing out color by choosing blank white as an all-purpose shutter color. Even neutrals complement certain color palettes, and choosing window shutters for your interior should involve a thought-out decision for every aspect, including color.
Good luck!
