Decorative shutters add dimension and detail to residential and commercial exteriors. Selecting the right style of shutter also gives a facade of authenticity. When you visit a building supplies showroom to view shutters and hardware for your next development project, it helps to know about different shutter styles that may work with your architectural scheme. Here’s a brief guide for judging your needs.
A Brief Overview of Shutter Styles
1. Raised Panel
Similar in appearance to doors and cabinet fronts, raised panel shutters usually have two sets of panels—one at the top and one on the bottom—framed by horizontal and vertical rails. Their clean lines and traditional styling complement many home and building designs. However, shutters with surface textures that mimic wood grain are particularly suitable for older houses, including Federal, Georgian, Colonial, and Victorian homes, and for period revivals.
2. Louvered
Louvered shutters consist of overlapping slats set at a downward slant inside a four-sided frame, and once had a practical purpose. They were originally designed with movable slats that could be angled to shed water away and adjusted throughout the day to deflect the sun and catch cooling breezes. Like paneled shutters, they’re versatile and can be matched with many different styles of architecture, including elaborate Victorians or plain Greek revivals.
3. Board & Batten (Open or Closed)
Open board and batten shutters are rustic looking and simple in construction with evenly spaced vertical planks joined together with cross rails, known as battens. Because they have gaps between their vertical pieces, you can see through to the exterior siding. They may work best with cottage-style and casual-living homes, including Cape Cods and ranch-style houses.
When board and batten shutters are constructed so that planks fit tightly together and have no in-between gaps, they’re known as closed. Building supplies showrooms, both online and in-house, have both open and closed versions that can be assessed side-by-side, so you can determine your preference.
The veteran team at Tri-State Wholesale Building Supplies in Cincinnati, OH, will help you make the right window, siding, and shutter choices for your construction or remodeling project. Whether you’re exploring building supplies in vinyl, wood, aluminum, or something else, they’ll help you achieve any look. Visit them online to learn more about the beauty and benefits of maintenance-free shutters, or call (513) 381-1231 if you have questions.