Louvres and shutters have a multitude of uses, but in the context of outdoor living and a move towards living in smaller spaces, utilising louvres especially to create additional living areas in the form of outdoor rooms is a concept we’re embracing as a cost-efficient and effective way to increase small living spaces.

How to choose outdoor louvres and shutters

Adjustable louvres are a sought after design component of many contemporary homes, used primarily as a passive heating and cooling solution. Clever use of louvres and shutters allows for a home to remain cool in the summer months by reducing heat, creating shade and blocking the sun’s rays, filtering light, just as it allows for the sun’s energy to be used in winter to help heat a home. 

They’re also a popular way to introduce privacy windows and doors for houses that are in close proximity to others or are in an area where noise reduction is of primary concern.

Exterior louvres can also be a dynamic design statement, creating either horizontal or vertical lines. Aluminium louvres are a popular option for many contemporary homes, while fixed aluminium louvres and screens can offer more permanent filtering of light or privacy.

Window louvres are also available in wood and metal. Wooden louvres are often sought after for older homes with timber joinery. 

Choosing the best internal and external shutters

Like louvres, shutters are a sought after option especially in those buildings where passive solar design is used. Window shutters offer a very traditional and simple way to either harness the sun’s heat or protect areas of a house from it. Like window blinds, shutters are a non-mechanical way of ensuring the interior spaces of a building receive as much or as little heat and light as required. 

Internal and exterior shutters are available, depending on what is required and the scope of the design. Outdoor shutters can create a nice visual presence to add to the qualities of the facade design, however, in situations where it isn’t practical to retrofit outdoor window shutters, internal shutters do the same job, and can be easier to manually operate than external shutters. 

Security shutters are another sought after solution for residential homes, with the external security shutter adding an added deterrent. 

Deciding on the best style for shutters or louvres will depend on the materiality of the house, the architectural style and whether the shutters or louvres are designed to make a bold statement and juxtapose other features or blend seamlessly into the architecture. So whether it’s plantation shutters, door shutters, contemporary automated louvres or aluminium louvres, the choices are limited only by the imagination.