Bedroom shutters, and how dark they really get

How much light gets through

A closed, downward-tilted louvre lets a thin line of light through at each slat overlap and around the frame. In a bedroom facing a lit street you will notice a faint glow, not a beam.

Three ways to go darker: choose a smaller louvre size so there are more overlaps; specify solid panels on the lower tier; or pair the shutter with a blackout roller behind it, which is what we fit in most nurseries and shift-worker bedrooms.

Configurations that suit bedrooms

Bedroom windows are usually smaller and more overlooked than reception windows, which changes the layout.

• Tier-on-tier — bottom closed all night, top opened at dawn without getting out of bed on the far side
• Solid panel bottom, louvred top — the darkest all-shutter option
• Café-style — only if the window is high and the room is not overlooked from above
• Full-height with a mid-rail — simplest and cleanest for a standard casement

Why cordless matters upstairs

Any blind with a looped cord in a room a child sleeps in has to be fitted with a compliant tensioner or breakaway device by law. Shutters remove the question entirely — there is no cord, no chain and nothing to reach.

Every corded blind we fit in Kent leaves with the correct child-safety device installed and demonstrated, but in bedrooms the cordless conversation usually ends with a shutter.