Café style shutters for street-facing rooms

Why people choose café style

Café style shutters solve the most common complaint about front rooms: being on show to the street. Because the top of the window stays open, the room keeps its light and its view of the sky, and you do not need to open and close anything during the day. They also cost less than full height or tier on tier because there are fewer panels.

Setting the height

Most café shutters stop at the window's own mid rail or transom, so the top edge lines up with a natural break in the glazing. On windows without one, we set the height by where people pass: high enough to screen a pavement, low enough to keep the light. We stand in the room and outside at the visit to get this right.

Rooms and windows that suit them

Café style works especially well in:

• Street-facing living rooms in terraces and cottages.
• Bathrooms, in waterproof ABS, where the lower half needs screening.
• Kitchens overlooking a side passage or neighbour.
• Small or deep-set cottage windows that would feel crowded by full shutters.
• Arched windows, where the curved top is left open and the lower half is shuttered.

Combining café shutters with a blind

Café shutters do not darken a room at night, because the top is always open. In a bedroom or a room lit up after dark, we often pair them with a slim roller or Roman blind fitted above for evening privacy. That keeps the café look by day and full cover at night.

Materials, guarantee and lead time

Café style shutters come in hardwood, MDF and waterproof ABS ranges, painted or stained. Selected ranges carry a manufacturer's lifetime guarantee, and every set is fitted by our own team. Shutters usually take six to ten weeks from ordering, with temporary blinds available while you wait.

Café shutters in holiday lets and rentals

For a let property, café shutters give privacy without any fabric to wash, and there are no cords. Guests can still see out over the top. Waterproof ranges suit coastal homes where windows face salt air.

Louvres, frames and finishing touches

Louvres can be tilted to let light through the lower half as well, so the room gets brighter without opening the panels. Café shutters can be fitted inside the recess with a slim frame, or on a sill-mounted frame where the reveal is shallow. Painted colours can be matched to the woodwork, and hinges and tilt rods come in finishes to suit the room.

Café style or full height?

If you ever want the whole window covered, full height or tier on tier is the better long-term choice. If you only want privacy from the street and like the light, café style is simpler and quieter to live with.

Measuring for café shutters

Café shutters sit on a frame fixed inside the reveal or on the sill, so we measure the width at several heights, because old reveals often narrow towards the top. We also note the sill depth and any handles, so the panels open without catching. Measuring happens on the free home visit, and shutters usually take 6 to 10 weeks to make.