There are many advantages to having shutters installed in your home which we cover in our blog post here. From energy efficiency to helping to improve the value of your home as well as completely transforming your home from an aesthetic perspective, the popularity of shutters has grown over the years.
One of the most common questions our customers ask us is whether or not shutters are blackout as they are concerned about the amount of light that streams into their bedrooms, particularly in the Summer.
Studies looking at the correlation between light exposure and sleep have continuously concluded that there is a direct link between the amount of light that enters your bedroom and sleep quality.
A darker bedroom is linked to a higher quality sleep helping to tune in more with your natural circadian rhythm. In turn, according to Bupa, good quality sleep has a whole host of health benefits including keeping your heart healthy, reducing stress levels and keeping your immune system strong. With these benefits in mind, it’s important to ensure the level of blackout in your bedroom is sufficient.
Darkness or blackout is also important for childrens’ bedrooms or nurseries to aid their sleep and an increasing amount of customers are opting for shutters to help with this.
Are Shutters Blackout?
Shutters are the perfect window styling to dramatically reduce the level of light that comes into your room especially compared with blinds and curtains.
The position of the louvres and frames allows very little light to come through and these can be altered depending on how much light you wish to filter through. Not only that, the louvres can be divided by a split or mid-rail. This allows you to operate the louvres within each section independently to each other and therefore giving you flexibility on light control but also privacy too.
Unlike blinds, the frames of the panels neatly frame the windows, so light isn’t able to seep through gaps down the sides or underneath, increasing the levels of darkness in the room.
To increase the level of blackout in your bedroom, we recommend pairing your plantation shutters with integrated blackout blinds. These fit in neatly and discreetly within the frame and are not visible when fully open. These can be motorised too, which means they can be controlled from the comfort of your own bed!
An increasing number of parents are opting for integrated blackout blinds with shutters in their children’s rooms or nurseries. Partnered with the fact they are easy to clean and cordless, they are the perfect window styling for these rooms.
Alternatively, solid panel shutters are a beautiful alternative to plantation shutters and can really help to accentuate the essence of period or Victorian properties . With solid wooden panels instead of louvres, they're able to shut out a substantial amount of light and are a popular choice for bedrooms which aren't directly overlooked or privacy isn't a concern.
Are Blackout Blinds Truly Blackout?
Whilst many blinds claim to be blackout, this certainly isn’t always the case and can be a source of disappointment when you expect complete darkness but still have small beams of light coming through.
Although helping to provide some significant room darkening compared to regular roller blinds, blackout roller blinds are still likely to let some light through due to where the blind sits within the window frame. Whether this is a preferred window styling for the purpose of blackout is a personal preference regarding the levels of darkness required for a particular room.
Bloc out blinds are a great alternative if you still wished to have blinds installed instead of shutters. Engineered side rails and a bottom seal prevent light escaping through the edges as with roller blinds and there is also the added benefit of noise reduction and insulation too.
Are Blackout Curtains A Good Idea?
Our customer’s choice of window dressing is unique to them, whether our customers choose to have shutters, blinds, curtains or a combination of all three!
Curtains are a great way of increasing the levels of darkness in your bedroom and can be paired with a blackout interlining which increases blackout levels further. This is also true of roman blinds which can help add a touch of luxury and texture to your windows.
Many of our customers like the traditional, cosy look and feel curtains gives to their bedroom and with a vast choice of fabrics, headers and poles, there is scope to really create a beautiful window dressing that completely transforms your room. However, depending on the size of your window and room, blackout curtains can look quite bulky and if you’re short on space, they may not be the best option for you.
Curtains are also a great way to help insulate your home as they’re able to cover any draughts coming through windows and doors. Choosing a dark material will increase insulation further, however if your bedroom is south-facing or tends to become warmer in the Summer months, a dark fabric will only increase this further, making it more difficult to sleep.
Blackout is usually a necessity in children’s bedrooms or nurseries and curtains are usually favourable over blinds due to no hanging cords. However, fabrics are more likely to hold dirty marks made by little hands and therefore may require more cleaning and extra maintenance vs other window stylings that are out of reach.
What window dressing is best for blackout?
Each window dressing has advantages and disadvantages when it comes to blackout. Each individual is different in regards to the level of darkness they require in their bedroom vs the aesthetic look of a particular window dressing, so there is no right or wrong answer.
Both solid panel and plantation shutters are great options as they not only provide a significant level of darkness alone, but plantation shutters can also be partnered with integrated blackout blinds to add an extra layer of darkness to your bedroom. They are also versatile enough to suit any room in your home without intruding on your space.
If you’re unsure about how to increase the levels of darkness in your bedroom, give us call on 0203 488 4271 or complete our contacts form and we will be in touch to arrange a design consultation with you.