Don’t Overlook Exterior Shutters on New Builds

The history of window shutters spans thousands of years, and for most of their existence shutters have been prized for their practical benefits over their aesthetic values.

The earliest known shutters were louver-style shutters created to help ventilate smoke from indoor cooking fires. As shutters evolved globally, they were adapted for other uses including storm protection, light control and privacy.

But over the past century, exterior shutters have become a predominantly decorative consideration among trade professionals. Some new luxury homes forego shutters, even when the design is closely aligned with a particular shutter style.

While shutters may not suit the architecture and window treatments of every new build, they still serve as ornamental assets and utilitarian conveniences for the right homes. Following are five reasons to keep shutters in mind when designing and constructing new domiciles.

Shutters Complete a Home’s Design

Most time-honored home architecture styles incorporate exterior shutters on at least some of their windows.

It’s nearly impossible to visualize a French Country home without rustic board-and-batten shutters. Or a Colonial house without bold panel shutters. Or a Victorian home without mission shutters.

Certain shutter styles may be deeply rooted in history, but that doesn’t mean all shutters are old-fashioned. Shutters are available in several classic and contemporary styles that may be personalized via materials, colors and additional options to enhance modern home designs and custom builds.

Shutters Enhance a Home’s Curb Appeal

When looking at a home, people tend to focus on exterior facets and attach — or subtract — perceived value from the home based on its appearance.

A Homes & Gardens article about value-elevating home features noted that potential buyers often fixate on windows, shutters, front doors and garage doors. Homes with well-appointed facades tend to make positive first impressions that buyers retain throughout a home tour.

Appealing, properly sized shutters are often a significant component of curb appeal. Size is as crucial as style, even if the shutters are only intended as decorative accents; ornamental shutters should appear as if they could close over their corresponding windows.

Buyers Notice Missing or Mismatched Shutters

The right shutters can augment a home’s curb appeal. The wrong shutters — or a lack of shutters — can detract from a property’s perceived worth.

Houses with shabby or missing exterior elements are among the top turn-offs for potential prospective buyers, according to a 2021 real estate industry survey about the influence of curb appeal. Buyers look for visual harmony among home exteriors, including how shutter styles, materials and colors align with a home’s overall design.

Houses with clean, cohesive aesthetics are also likely to sell faster and for more money than similar homes with less-inviting exteriors. A 2019 study published in The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics found that homes with visually appealing exteriors sell more quickly and for an average minimum of 7 percent more than comparable homes with incongruous or neglected exteriors.

Shutters Personalize a Home

Custom shutters provide the opportunity to make every home unique.

At Timberlane, each of our standard shutter styles offers nearly limitless personalization options. Different panel configuration choices and pattern variations facilitate the perfect shutter design for every house.

Meanwhile, materials include premium wood, maintenance-free Endurian® and weather-resistant aluminum so you can find the ideal composition for homes of any style in any type of climate. Shutters may be further individualized with a spectrum of paint colors (including custom hues) and stain finishes, as well as shutter cutouts and decorative hardware.

Shutters can Furnish Functional Benefits

As real-world issues impact residential architecture and homebuilding, many architects and other trade professionals are also rediscovering the advantages of operable shutters.

Like their historical counterparts, functional shutters today still deliver on-demand airflow, natural light and privacy. They can also help regulate interior temperatures and boost a home’s energy efficiency.

The average home loses about one-third of its energy consumption through its windows, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Well-built, operable shutters made of durable materials can limit thermal loss and gain for improved, year-round energy efficiency and substantial cost savings on utilities.

About Timberlane: Distinctive Shutters for the Finest Homes

Timberlane is passionate about making the world’s finest shutters.

Our knowledgeable design team has extensive experience collaborating with trade professionals and homeowners to create the consummate shutters for each project. Timberlane’s skilled artisans then handcraft each shutter to ensure a precise fit and polished appearance.

When you’re ready to learn more about custom shutters or request a quote, connect with Timberlane.