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House and home

Shutters

(12 Posts)
squaredog Fri 13-Jun-14 14:07:41

Yes, I DO mean plantation shutters, sorry........

I'm sorely tempted, and your comments may be tipping the scales. After all, we can only spend it once, ha!

ninathenana Fri 13-Jun-14 11:15:42

Many people are now replacing the beautiful doors, fireplaces etc. in period properties. Which in my opinion is a good thing.
When DH and I watch programmes like Under the Hammer we take bets on which developers will be 'nice people' i.e. those that leave the features smile

squaredog I too would want the front elevation symmetric. Go for it !

MiniMouse Fri 13-Jun-14 11:00:39

Sounds lovely Agus and much more 'in keeping' with the house! Why did people follow the herd and change all the beautiful features in houses with plywood covering the lovely panelled interior doors and removing all the lovely old fireplaces?!

The first thing my (ex)brother-in-law said when we moved into an Edwardian terrace, with original doors, was that they "will have to go" NO, NO, NO!!! Three of the rooms still had the original fireplaces - we kept them, too!

My DD describes me as a 'quiet rebel' - but I'm getting more vocal with age grin

Agus Fri 13-Jun-14 10:50:52

We replaced our house windows too Mini and had mullions rebuilt at the back where a previous owner had knocked them out to put in picture windows. Now all sash with rectangular leads which I think has brought back the character of the house.

MiniMouse Fri 13-Jun-14 10:34:55

squaredog Never mind about being fashionable! When we moved here the windows needed replacing, so I chose what I have always wanted (oak with rectangular leads) , rather than match the very bland windows of the rest of the street. They go perfectly with the rounded bay of the 1930s style house and no end of people have commented (positively!!) on how the house looks. I also chose a 1930s style front door. The front garden is now part cottagey-looking with brick paving for the car, also very different from the rest of the road. We both love it and, most importantly, so does the cat!

So, if you'd like shutters, just go for them and enjoy them. It's your home after all!

jollyg Fri 13-Jun-14 09:28:52

No sweat Kitty. It was a word my late lamented ma'inlaw used and its like red rag to a bull to me. We have now lived in the house for 42 years, kids moved on, but every room is stuffed. I do try to get rid, but it still seems to grow again.

Loads of books to the annual Christian aid book sale, and I do not now go there

Agus Fri 13-Jun-14 09:14:13

I think squaredog is talking about the slatted colonial/New England type shutters. I love them too. I wouldn't care if,they were fashionable or not sd and if your decor style is eclectic what's fashionable doesn't apply.

I would want to even up the effect at the front too. My evening everything up is probably obsessionalgrin. I like symmetrical finishes!

kittylester Fri 13-Jun-14 09:01:56

I doubt these are the same thing jolly.

jollyg Fri 13-Jun-14 08:54:19

A Fad? whatever next.

Our house was built in1880's, and has internal shutters in some of the rooms. We dont have curtains in the sitting room, just the shutters, wether open or half closed there are 2 leaves on each side. Wintertime they are wonderful at keeping out the draughts

In the modernizing 50's or thereabouts people took out the inner bits, likewise the victorian fireplaces, desecration. We have black slate mantelpiece in the 'dining 'room and marble upstairs in the drawing room, as was the custom of the time.

Luckily we are about the 5th owners of the property, the others being single ladies, so it had not been so called done up

suebailey1 Fri 13-Jun-14 08:20:08

I think they are very smart. I recently had an expense I hadn't really expected. When we moved into this new house almost four years ago I ordered (very expensive) roman blinds for the living room. Now I am ed up with having to pull them all day to stop passers by staring in so have changed them to wooden venetian blinds again very expensive. So I have a set of beautiful roman blinds that look almost new with no home to go to. tried e-bay but there are loads on there and only got a few bids for a few pounds. I should have bought the venetians to begin with they don't date and I don't think your shutters will either - they are classic.

kittylester Fri 13-Jun-14 08:16:01

Are they the internal ones squaredog - they might be called plantation or colonial. I love them but they might be a fad!

squaredog Fri 13-Jun-14 08:08:57

I bought my bungalow just over a couple of years ago, and am gradually, painstakingingly 'doing up' each room in turn.

The lounge was the major one. And I'm over the moon with the outcome. (My look is definitely eclectic, ha). Anyway, after much waiting for the shutters to arrive, they look stunning.

As a double fronted property, I'm now thinking, mmmm......aw...maybe the bedroom too, so the outside looks swish.

The cost of the lounge one was £860, the bedroom would be £1000.

Do you know what's concerning me? Obviously the funds, cos on a pension, once it's gone it's gone. Someone said, supposing they're really unfashionable in 10 years? Oh my! My house would look like a granny house in a flash........

Any thoughts ladies?