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I held a large sample panel in white in the window, and asked the clients to step outside and take a look; they were horrified! Installing any shade or shutter that showed white to the exterior would ruin the affect they worked so hard to create in building this home. So we began to look at the window treatments as not just a functional necessity, but an addition to the overall appearance of the home that needed to work in harmony with the rest of the construction materials.

Shutters were still desired for their inherent beauty and function. We reviewed the readily available materials, but decided that any other wood grain would contrast too much with the grain of the Fir. The answer was to match not just the color of the surrounding trim and moldings, but to match the wood as well.

The result was astounding. It appeared that the shutters were made in the same mill as the moldings, and had been installed by the same finish carpenter.

When selecting all window treatments, but especially plantation shutters, be sure to think out of the box. Consider the appearance from within and from outside. Make sure you are working with a designer or shutter specialist that truly knows the product and is able to offer more than just the usual fare. To our knowledge this was the first time Fir was used as a shutter material for a home in New England. After seeing the beauty of this home, I am sure it will not be the last.

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We just completed work on a beautiful custom home in Gilford, NH on beautiful Governor’s Island in the middle of Lake Winnipesaukee. This architect designed home is nestled within the trees along the waterfront giving the impression that it has always been right where it is. The main design theme of the home is Craftsman style, where the wood used in construction is the main design element.

The primary wood used for moldings and detail is straight grained Fir. A wood commonly used throughout vacation homes in Northern New England. This wood has a distinctive grain pattern and natural color that is right at home in the woodsy waterfront setting.

When we first met the clients, it was immediately decided that shutters would be used only in the bedrooms and bathrooms for privacy and light control. Other shadings would be used in the main rooms. The clients had assumed that a painted shutter would be most appropriate. But I was concerned about the appearance of a white shutter from the exterior. As described above, the home is constructed of all natural materials on the exterior. The Cedar shakes and beams that surround the windows are fully natural in appearance. I was concerned that a ‘wall of white’ showing through the window would ruin the affect.

To be continued

Has Your Amesbury, MA Window Been Well Dressed?

Plantation Shutters

The last post in this series on maintaining privacy and view for ocean and lake front homes.

The window covering industry has developed a number of products in the last few years to address this need. Principally Hunter Douglas has developed what has become a whole new category of treatments called soft shadings.

These treatments are for the most part a combination of a blind and one or more sheer fabric layers. The best known is probably the horizontal soft blind called Silhouette. available in louver sizes from 2″-4″, the view through the sheer fabric is great, and privacy is assured by tilting the veins at night. The vertical pairing to the Silhouette is the Luminette. This beautiful treatment combines a fabric vertical blind with a crisp sheer outer facing. Open or closed this treatment is always beautiful.

The newest entry in this category is a product called Pirouette by Hunter Douglas again. This roman shade look alike is attractive as a shade, but continue to pull the cord and the roman ‘pleats’ gather together to uncover a sheer layer that provides day time privacy and UV/Glare control.

Continuing our discussion of privacy control for beach and water front homes we have our next option;

2. Louvered treatments, both horizontal and vertical blinds are very functional for water front homes. This category includes the common mini and vertical blind as well as the very traditional wood venetian blind. The most popular option in this category today is the plantation shutter. Shutters are ‘furniture for your windows’ . they are beautiful by themselves and are incredibly functional. The larger louver preserves the view, and a flick of the wrist ensures privacy. All Horizontal blinds and shutters should have the louvers tilt horizontal or up at all times to protect from UV damage.

Maintaining privacy for beach front homes is always a challenge. Any window treatment that can be seen through during the day, will allow those outside to see into the home at night. The solution for these situations is to choose a product that can easily close or tilt for privacy. There are a number of options to choose form today.

1. Traditional draperies with sheer under drapes. The sheer drape provides UV and glare protection during the day, and some level of view through. The over drape can be closed in the evening for privacy

We will explore other option in the coming days.

As we discussed earlier, protecting the furnishings of a home from the harmful effects of UV radiation, while preserving the view out of the windows is a challenge. Some of the more common answers include; sheer draperies, solar screen shades, shading systems such as Silhouettes or grass cloth shades. All of these options handle the task of blocking UV to some extent. But all also inhibit the view through the window.

Thre are two options to consider that block the UV to a very high level, without diminishing the view. The first is Plantation Shutters. Shutters with 3 1/2″ or 4 1/2″ louvers allow an almost uninterrupted view while bouncing the harmful rays of the sun back outside. It is important to note that the louvers should be tilted horizontally, to slightly up. If the louver is tilted down, the suns rays are invited into the home.

The second option that can be used alone, or with any other window treatment, is window film. The newer window films from 3M are called Prestige films. These are non-metallic films made of ceramic materials. They are non reflective, and have a minor change to the quality of light within the room.

As we continue this series of tips, I am reminded of a product we completed about a year ago in Amesbury, MA for an Interior Designer. The Designer and the client had very specific ideas, and requirements. The home was oriented along the river in such a way that direct sunlight was greatest during the mid-day hours. The front of the home was quite traditional, and actually fairly small looking. the embankment rear of the home was very dramatic, and somewhat more contemporary. this dichotomy posed an additional challenge.

The answer to these challenges varied by room. The client had Conrad woven grass shades in an area not affected by the renovation. He loved these shades and wanted to maintain that type of look at a lower budget; he also hoped that we could deliver this type of look without the ’stack’ of the roman shades. Our proposal was to use a well made woven grass fabric on a roller shade. This fabric would afford a reasonable ‘view through’ while filtering the UV for heat and glare. The shades rolled up tightly and were covered by a valance we created in our workroom of the same fabric.

These shades took care of the glare and UV issues, preserved the view and were a minimal affect on the over all design.

Preserve the view