Café Style Shutters

What are café style shutters?

Café style shutters cover only the lower section of a window. The idea comes from traditional European cafés, where shutters gave privacy at street level while daylight came in above.

Why choose café style shutters?

They're an easy way to get privacy in a street-facing room without making it darker. Because they use less material, they can also be a more affordable way to get the shutter look, which is often why people ask us about them.

Things to consider

• Night-time: the top of the window is left uncovered, so if you'd like full privacy in the evenings, we'd usually suggest adding a blind above.
• Height: we'll set the height so it lines up with features of your window, such as a glazing bar.

Where café style shutters work best

Café style shutters are at their best on ground-floor windows that face a street or path, and in kitchens and bathrooms where you want privacy at sink or bath height but plenty of daylight above. They suit cottages and period homes particularly well, and they can be used across each section of a bay; see our bay window shutters page. For bedrooms, where you'll want the whole window covered at night, we'd usually suggest a different style or a blind above.

Things to check before you choose

• Window handles: the top of a café shutter often sits close to the window handle, so we'll set the height to keep the handle easy to reach and the window easy to open.
• Depth: café shutters usually sit inside the recess (the opening the window sits in). We'll check there's room for the frame and for the louvres (the tilting slats) to move without touching the glass or handles.
• Clearance: the panels open into the room over the sill. In a kitchen, we'll check they can open past the taps.
• Light: because the top of the window stays clear, the room stays bright even with the louvres closed.

Choosing louvre size, colour and material

Louvres come in 63mm, 76mm and 89mm. Café shutters are shorter panels, so we'd usually suggest 63mm or 76mm to keep them in proportion, though 89mm gives a more open view on a wider window. For kitchens and bathrooms, water-resistant faux wood (PVC) is the practical choice; hardwood and MDF suit living rooms and dining rooms. White and soft neutrals are the most popular, and we'll show you the tilt rod options, hidden or at the front. See our faux wood shutters for more.

Looking after café style shutters

Dust the louvres with a soft cloth every so often. In a kitchen, a wipe with a damp cloth now and then deals with any cooking residue on faux wood; avoid soaking wooden shutters. Café style shutters are typically fitted in around two weeks from order. Our care and maintenance guide has more tips.

Measuring and fitting

We measure and fit every shutter ourselves, so there's nothing for you to work out in advance. Book a free home appointment when you're ready.