Window coverings have been around since the dawn of man to keep the elements out of homes all over the world. As technology has improved over time, shutters have been transformed from a simple wooden board into mechanically adjustable panels.
16th Century Sliding Shutters
On Tudor (1485-1547) & Elizabethan (1558-1603) homes, shutters used to be made out of solid boards and only covered the lower half of windows (due to the high cost of making glass). They could simply be opened to let the fresh air come in or closed to keep the elements out. In the open position, they also doubled as decorative panels.
Now fast forward to the 18th century where shutters start to cover whole windows. As wooden houses became more popular during this time, shutters moved to the exterior of homes as they could be easily accessible through the thinner wood walls. By the nineteenth century, shutters were being used as much for decoration as for their practical functions of protection! By the 1980’s, window technology and window covering choices had eliminated the functional use of outside shutters through the addition of mechanized louvers, slats and moving panes to deflect the elements.
Early 19th Century Shutters
Now the world boasts a crazy amount of different window coverings ranging from zebra shades to cellular blinds made of individual paper cells. Custom window coverings come in any form now to fit any window and situation in which they are needed!
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