When I first viewed our house, it had louvered shutters closed across most of the windows with the slats angled horizontally, which made it feel a bit like a prison. I fully intended to replace them with softer, more textural treatments, but after living with it for a while, I have to confess that (although I'm not obsessed with the look) the functionality has won me over.
Light pours into the house from both sides, which can feel a bit like living in a greenhouse on summer afternoons. The louvered shutters do a great job of screening the sun at its strongest, while allowing the sea breeze to cool our interiors. I leave them open most of the time to avoid that slightly oppressive barred-window look, but I've grown fond of the comforting 'clunk' when you close the window treatment at night.
Would louvered shutters be my first choice if decorating from scratch? Probably not. Is that down to a touch of design snobbery? In part, yes. What I would choose is a shutter that's a little less ubiquitous and a little more contemporary, as I think they add real character when executed well. The question is, do designers agree? I spoke to both an architect and an interior designer to find out whether these shutters are really out of style.
Are Window Shutters a Dated Style?
A sleek folding timber shutter integrates seamlessly into the joinery in this contemporary country home
In short, the answer is no. Perhaps louvered shutters, specifically, have waned in popularity lately, but that's not to say all shutter styles are outdated. In fact, architect Oliver Leech says he's noticed a renewed interest in shutters, "which may reflect a broader desire for spaces that feel more protective and controlled," he explains. "As homes take on more roles, the ability to modulate light, privacy, and atmosphere becomes increasingly valuable."
He believes interior shutters can feel entirely timeless when designed and applied correctly. "They have a long architectural lineage, particularly in older buildings," he explains. "When proportion, detailing, and materiality are considered properly, they tend to sit very naturally within a space."
The key to getting it right? Restraint. "Keeping the design simple so it complements the architecture rather than competing with it," says Oliver.
For the home pictured above, Oliver and his team developed a shutter design that felt cohesive with the overall joinery strategy. The aim was to create something that felt integrated into the room and aligned with wall lines, window reveals, and other elements. "Solid shutters were chosen to reinforce that sense of calm and enclosure, allowing the space to shift from being light and open during the day to more private and intimate in the evening," he explains.
British architect Oliver Leech worked at a number of award-winning practices in the UK before founding his own design studio. Oliver's approach combines luxury with practicality, prioritizing light and natural materials.
How to Decide on the Right Shutter Design
"I think the more traditional shutter designs remain the most enduring, but have they ever really gone out of style?" questions New York interior designer Matt McKay, who designed these Jean Prouvé-inspired shutters for a Greenwich Village townhouse. "I love staying in European hotels where you can close up the shutters at night, it renders the room pitch black so you get the absolute best night's sleep," he adds.
This scheme called for a shutter that married the townhouse's history with a more contemporary interior, while still allowing light to permeate the spaces. Circular holes punched in the timber panels call to mind Jean Prouvé's 1950s room-divider design, which featured lines of portholes.
"For bedrooms, I'd choose shutters that block out light," says Matt. "In other areas, particularly common spaces, it's nice to have filtered light and cheeky peekaboo views, as well as shadow and softness."
Based in New York, Matt Mckay draws on a variety of design disciplines as well as an eclectic mix of inspiration gathered while traveling the globe. His projects artfully combine eras and influences while thoughtfully reflecting the day-to-day details of his clients' lives.
Fuss-free and functional, shutters (solid in particular) work just as well in modern interiors as they do in older homes. This Shelter Island abode by Brooklyn-based studio Workstead is a case in point.
Built in 1940, this weekend cottage was renovated and expanded with the addition of a new pavilion that honors the original house. "It boasts the same modest scale, gabled form, and cedar-shingle cladding as the existing residence, while interiors employ or complement original wood ceilings, shiplap cabinets, and millwork,' explains the designers.
"To distinguish the pavilion as a 21st-century intervention, windows and doors feature an intentional scale shift. The shutters were loosely inspired by the shutters from the original house," add the team, who refined the design with an even simpler construction, and mounted the shutters to one side of the windows to retain the effect of their slender outline.
How to Elevate Louvered Shutters
Choosing a colored shutter is one way to make the louvered style feel fresher and more modern.
One of the main reasons I've never fully warmed to my shutters is that I've seen similar designs installed in so many homes where other window treatments might have been more appropriate. Sometimes, they obstruct beautifully proportioned windows or simply look out of sync with the space or architecture.
That said, there's no denying that they're a practical solution in many ways. "Slatted shutters allow for finer control of light and ventilation, making them well-suited to living spaces where maintaining daylight while softening glare is important," says Oliver Leech.
Choosing wide shutter panels can help a slatted design feel more contemporary.
So, how can you make plantation shutters feel a little bit fresher? Choosing natural wood over plain white is one way to elevate the design, or consider a colored shutter. "We offer a custom color-matching service, so there's no need to do it yourself," says Vanessa Harris, brand manager at Shutterly Fabulous.
"We can color-match hardwood shutters to the core collections from Farrow & Ball [see designer's favorites], Little Greene, as well as the Dulux Trade color palette and RAL Classics," she adds.
Vanessa also notes that certain proportions can help your louvered shutters feel more contemporary. "A design with wider panels and larger slat sizes will offer a much more modern feel," she explains.
While full-height and tier-on-tier shutters tend to be the most popular styles, Vanessa says cafe-style designs are a burgeoning trend. "Demand is definitely growing due to people pairing cafe shutters with curtains for a layered look," she adds.
And, if you've been wondering about how interior designers go about layering window treatments, we've got you covered with an insider guide full of expert tips.