Interior shutters

In the fall of 2010, when we were in the midst of building our house, I started a post on interior shutters (and never posted it!).  I was coming to realize that interior shutters might be the best solution for some of my windows given that I have European in-swing casement windows in most of my house.  In-swing windows are wonderful – so easy to operate, so beautiful to look at, and window cleaning is very easy - but they make window treatments a huge challenge in certain spaces!

I have been slowly but surely collecting images of interior shutters over the past few years, and here are a few of my favorites.

I just found this gorgeous image from Atlanta designer Margaret Kirkland’s portfolio.  What a stunning house – and of course I noticed the interior shutters on the French doors in the back.  The three interior doors are interesting because they translate as interior shutters too.  This is a beautifully detailed and designed house – I would love to see more of it.

Here is a close-up of the folding shutters from the same house. The depth of the bookcase creates a great place for the shutters to  ‘stack’. Via Margaret Kirkland’s website.

I love this bedroom for so many reasons – the limed beams on the ceiling, the beautiful bed treatment, and of course the charming casement windows on either side of the bed.  I especially like the small folding inside shutters on the window – what a great way to block the light without using window treatments (especially for those upper windows).

When looking for images for this post, I came across this one – an interior shutter painted blue.  It looked familiar (one of the issues with pinterest and other internet images is that pictures often become separated from the source)…

Then I realized that it was part of an Atlanta house I have long admired, with interiors by Barbara Westbrook.  These interior shutters are particularly interesting to me as they are one of the few images I found where the shutters are flush with the wall – which makes them more prominent and more a part of the décor (they were more than likely added to the house during a renovation).  In fact, if you look closely, I am not even sure there is enough space between the windows for the shutters to be fully open.  Image via House Beautiful.

The blog Belgian Pearls has been a rich source of images of interior shutters over the past year.

This picture clearly shows the accordion style of the shutters, particularly on the left shutters. Via pinterest.

The upper shutters are separate from the lower shutters. Via pinterest.

I prefer the look of solid shutters – not the plantation shutter style – but I thought this image was pretty and the folding style of the shutters works well for wider spaces.  I also love the details of this picture – the arch before the area that the bathtub is tucked into, the chandelier above the tub.  Via pinterest.

Another tub with shutters on the window.  Note the gorgeous circle detail on the shutters.  Image via Belgian Pearls.

Love the green color of these interior shutters. Source unknown.

It looks like a radiator is below this window, but the window is also recessed to provide the depth for the interior shutters. Source unknown.

This interior shutter has hinges and multiple sections due to the width of the window. Via Belgian Pearls.

In this picture, you can actually see how the inswing window rests against the shutter when both are open.

One of my favorite images of interior shutters, via Verdigris Vie.  When I saw this picture, I got an idea for how interior shutters could be used as a solution for a tricky area in my house.  Note how both sides of the shutters have paneling, making them equally beautiful when open and shut. 

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In the master closet, we have a window that has drawers underneath, and required some sort of covering for privacy reasons.  We thought about multiple solutions – a roman shade or curtains were initially considered – but we wanted ease of opening and closing, and realized that if we had a shade it would end up closed most of the time (making the closet a very dark place).  The hanging sections on either side of the window reminded me of the deep recess of the European windows in the pictures above, so I asked my architect if we could do a solid interior shutter.  He sketched one up, and we had a shutter company fabricate it.

Here is a quick iphone snapshot of the finished product!  We did molding on the front and back of the shutters as they are viewed from both sides.  The interior shutters have proven to be an excellent solution for the space – they are easy to open and close, and look great both from the outside of the house and the inside. We had them painted in the same custom paint blend used in the bathroom, a greyed blue.

Have you seen interior shutters used much in your area?  I suppose plantation shutters are a form of interior shutter, and they used to be very popular in Atlanta when I first moved to town, in the late 90s.  It seems as if plantation shutters are often fixed, and they typically have the slatted openings.  For my project, the solid shutter seemed like the best solution for the space and for the style of my house.

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French windows

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Over the past year, I have learned a lot about the little details that go into designing a house.  As it turns out, one of the details that is of fundamental importance are the windows.   In the book Get Your House Right, the chapter on windows begins with this statement:

“Windows are more than a means of providing light and ventilation.  They are the ‘eyes’ of the house.  They connect to the world around it, framing a view from the inside and offering a glimpse of interior life to the passerby. Windows, more than any other single element, will determine the character of your home”.

Given that we are building a French style house, we are using casement windows.  Casement windows are hinged on the side and swing open (as seen above), either inward or outward depending on the design.   Traditionally, casement windows in Europe open inside and fold in against the pockets of the thick walls – which is the origin of the term ‘French door’ as these windows would often come all the way to the floor and operate like a door (source 1, source 2).

I am certainly no expert on casement windows, but most of the casement windows that I have personally seen swing out; this seems to be the preference or style in the U.S.  Here is a picture of outswing casement windows, which typically (although not always) use cranks to open and close.

In some spaces, like the kitchen, it often makes more sense to have outswing casement windows so they don’t open over counter space, and don’t interfere with the kitchen sink (which is frequently placed under the window).  Joni of Cote de Texas has a beautiful outswing casement window in her kitchen.  In my future kitchen, we are debating whether to make the casement windows swing in or swing out, but we are strongly leaning towards having them swing out.

These windows (in picture above) would be perfectly charming with an inswing, but the structure of the window and the cabinets that surround it makes the whole thing work better with an outswing.  Also, it allows for the roman shade window treatment, which an inswing window would prevent.  Image via Traditional Home.

My ‘favorite house’ has casement windows that open out.  If you look closely, it appears that there is a screen and a window, the screen also with the ability to open or close (I love seeing new things in a picture I have looked at so many times!).

The doyenne of French-Texas decorating, Betty Lou Phillips, has many examples of casement windows in her books.  Most of them seem to be outswing.  Image from Inspirations From France and Italy.

More outswing casement windows in a lovely family room decorated by Betty Lou Phillips.  Outswing casement windows seem to be more the norm in the states.  I have heard that it is actually hard to find window companies in the States that make inswing casement windows. Image from Inspirations From France and Italy.

However, my architect tells me that in authentic French window design, the casement windows should swing in.  I emailed the Sharon, author of the wonderful blog My French Country Home (Sharon was born in England, but has lived in France for many years), to find out her opinion on casement windows.  Sharon told me that she has never seen an outswing casement window in France, although in Britain they are very common.  Here is a picture from Sharon’s home – note the hardware mounted on the center mullion.

The windows swing open to allow for an expansive, unfettered view of the outside – isn’t Sharon lucky to get to gaze upon this scene every day?

Here is a picture from a magnificent home in France  featured in Sharon’s latest post…of course, I immediately noticed the inswing casement windows! (Click here to visit Sharon’s blog).

Greet from the blog Belgian Pearls (a designer who lives in Belgium)  also confirmed that traditional European casement windows swing in – as seen in this window  in the library of her home.

La Vie en Rose, a charming book on French homes that beautifully depicts the French way of living, is full of beautiful images of inswing casement windows (and no outswing that I could find).

In a post a few years ago, Cote de Texas posted on authentic French elements in homes, Joni notes the importance of casement windows that open like doors.  These clearly swing in.

The tall windows swing inwards, in a beautiful dining room in a home in France.

Take a look at the window on the right – it opens inward.  Often the walls in old French homes are several feet thick, and the windows are recessed into deep openings.   Image via Cote de Texas.

A charming casement window opened wide to let in the sun and air.  Image via La Vie en Rose, by Suzanne Lowry.

With inswing windows, more consideration has to be given to the placement of furniture – for windows that will be used frequently, it might not make sense to place furniture with lamps near the window (apparently this lamp has just enough clearance!). Image via Belgian Pearls.

A charming dormer window, that clearly opens inward.  I am especially enchanted with the even tinier dormer window on the right.

Although I saved this image for the picture of the window, I am enamored with the idea of a settee underneath a window that is wide open. Image from  The New Eighteenth-Century Style by Michele Lalande, via Trouvais.

Stephen Shubel’s beautiful apartment in Paris – the dining table is set just far enough away from the inswing window to allow each their own space. Image via Trouvais. (See her gorgeous post on his apartment here)

A beautiful building in Paris, saved in my inspiration files.  This time I am looking for casement windows, and find evidence of an inswing in the upper right windows…

Two windows, clearly opened, and clearly inswing.  I love the scrolls in the detail surrounding the window.

Thank you to the stylist who opened the upper left window for the photo shoot – it was very useful when searching for pictures of inswing casement windows!  Image via Cote de Texas.

I went through some of my favorite pictures so I could analyze the windows, and see how homes that are in the US (that are in my files!) have inswing casement windows.  The best clue that a casement window is inswing: the hardware can be seen from the inside, like the window on the right side of the fireplace. 

The window on the landing of this beautiful French style house in Atlanta has inswing casement windows. Architecture by Pak-Heydt.

Based on the design of the hardware seen on the window in the family room of the same house, I feel quite certain that these windows are inswing as well. Architecture by Pak-Heydt.

One of my favorite houses featured in Veranda has inswing casement windows, although based on the location of the concrete planters, they probably don’t open these windows too often! Interiors by Betty Burgess, image via Veranda.

 

Beautiful inswing casement windows seen on the house tour last weekend – I was already formulating this post in my mind, so I took a quick snapshot.

I think I have made a very strong case for the fact that inswing casement windows are quite traditional in French architecture!  My architect certainly prefers them for my house.  Truthfully, I have never really been the type who has the windows wide open (maybe because of the bugs and mosquitos that are part of life in Georgia), so perhaps whether they open in or open out is not really a huge factor (except in the kitchen).  Inswing windows would certainly be easier to clean, and I do think that they are charming, and would make my house very special.  Decisions, decisions!

The whole subject of windows has been interesting to investigate.  It seems that sash windows are much more common in the states than casement windows.  Readers, what kind of windows do you have?

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Summary of books mentioned in this post:

La Vie en Rose, by Suzanne Lowry – purchase on Amazon here.

Get Your House Right, by Marianne Cusato and Ben Pentreath – purchase on Amazon here.

The New 18th Century Style by Michele Lalande – purchase on Amazon here.

Inspirations From France and Italy - by Betty Lou Phillips - purchase on Amazon here.

To subscribe to my blog by email, click here. 
To follow my blog on Facebook, click here. 
Twitter: @TTIBlog 
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Visit my online store, Quatrefoil Design: www.quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com
To see design, architecture, art, and decorative books that I recommend, please visit the Things That Inspire Amazon store.

Note: a small commission in the form of an Amazon gift certificate is made through the purchase of books from the Things That Inspire Amazon store.