Size Matters – Small or large louvres or slats? - By: Peter Charles

Whether you are choosing interior shutters or wood slat blinds, it’s important to consider what you want carefully before deciding on the size of the louvre blades or wood slats. With a range of sizes now available it can change both the appearance and function of your shutter or blind and your home.

There are several things that the louvre or slat size will influence, but arguably the most important is the level of light entering a room, however it will also influence privacy, the view from the window and the style of your room. It’s also important to consider the depth of your window recess, how far handles protrude into the recess and therefore what available space is left for your chosen shutter blades or slats, and last but certainly not least the actual size of the window itself.

Light

The simple rule is the larger the louvres on your interior shutters or slat on your wood slat blinds the greater the amount of light entering the room. The colour of the blade will also influence how much light is reflected so its also worth considering lighter colours if you are going for small louvres or wood slats. However, for many it’s a compromise between wanting light and therefore a larger blade, and balancing the size of the window, recess depth and the size of the window itself.

Privacy

Of course many people have a window covering because they need privacy. Shutters and blinds are a great way of achieving this without obstructing light. With the added benefit of being able to angle light away from precious furniture to prevent it fading. Angling slats or louvres easily prevents unwanted prying eyes from seeing into your property. While louvre or slat size doesn’t necessarily influence how much privacy you gain, as regardless of size they can be tilted to ensure people can’t see in, the view in is more obscured with smaller blades when left open though.

Balance

If you have a small window then small blades or slats will look better, and if you have a large window large will be better suited. Small blades on large windows look cluttered and obstruct too much light and the view. However, on small windows a large blade will look out of kilter as there are too few in a small space.

For many the compromise between window balance and light means that they select a medium blade or slat size, so 64mm for an interior shutter and the 50mm or 64mm for a wood slat blind. For most average windows this looks best.

However, if you are lucky enough to have a wide expanse of glass such as a wide opening, doorway, or even a floor to ceiling wall of glass at one end of a room then you may want to consider large or extra large louvres. Shutters are available in 89mm and 114mm for those who have extremely large openings. Wood slat blinds may not be suitable for this type of opening and if your preference is for a blind it will need to be a vertical.

For those who want a combination of both shutters and blinds, it is now possible to purchase a Shuttermatch wood slat blind that is available in 64mm slats to match the medium louvre blade on a shutter. This gives a more consistent appearance from the outside of a property.

Recess depth

If you have a very shallow recess this may limit your choice, especially if you have handles that also protrude into the space. You could consider putting your shutter or blind on the outside of the recess as this may work better for you, or opting for a smaller louvre or slat combined with fitting as far forward as possible to prevent the handles interfering with the movement of the louvres or slats.

Style

If you want to create the feeling of a cosy cottage then small louvres or slats are more likely to do this, while large blades will create a studio feel especially on large windows. Another option is solid interior shutters, which were popular with the Victorians and suit period homes, and then size is less of an issue. Large blades with wooden flooring can also create a very modern look.

About the Author

Charles is a Wooden Shutters buyer and has a special interest in wooden shutter and window blinds. For more information on wood slats or louvre blades he suggests you to visit: http://www.opennshut.co.uk/

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