Full-Height Shutters

Full-height shutters are what most people picture when they think of plantation shutters: a single panel running from the top of the window to the sill, filled with rows of tilting louvres. They give a room a calm, finished feel, and they look as much at home in a Victorian bay as in a new-build bedroom.

Because each panel covers the whole height of the window, everything is controlled in one simple movement. Tilt the louvres open to let daylight in, angle them upwards so people outside can’t see in while the room stays bright, or close them tight at night. When you want the whole window back, the panels swing open on their hinges and fold out of the way.

Made to measure for older homes

Few windows are perfectly square, and in older houses the difference can be obvious. After a century of settling, recesses in Victorian and Edwardian terraces often lean, taper or bow slightly. A shutter is a rigid frame, so it can’t disguise those differences the way fabric can. We measure each window at several points and your shutters are built to those exact sizes, so the frame sits snugly and the panels hang straight, even when the wall around them doesn’t.

In newer homes, the same precision is what makes shutters look like part of the room’s woodwork rather than something added later.

Do you need a mid-rail?

A mid-rail is a horizontal bar across the panel. It’s optional, and whether it suits your window depends mainly on its height and style.

• Shorter windows usually look best with a single, uninterrupted run of louvres.
• Taller windows benefit from a mid-rail, which strengthens the panel and breaks up the height.
• Sash windows look especially neat when the mid-rail lines up with the point where the two sashes meet.

A mid-rail can also let you tilt the louvres above and below it separately, so the bottom can stay closed while the top lets light in. If you’d like to fold back the top half of the window altogether, tier-on-tier shutters are designed to do exactly that.

Louvres, finishes and details

A few small choices shape how your shutters look. Louvre size sets the character: narrower louvres feel traditional and suit smaller windows, while wider louvres give a more open view when tilted. For the finish, most people choose a painted white or soft neutral to match skirting boards and window frames, but a stained finish shows the grain of the wood and sits well alongside timber floors or furniture. A hidden tilt rod, tucked away at the back of the panel, gives the front a cleaner face.

We bring louvre and finish samples to your home visit, so you can judge them against your own walls and in your own light.

Bay and corner windows

Bay windows are where full-height shutters really come into their own. We make panels for each section of the bay and join them at the angles with corner posts, so the shutters follow the shape of the window and the bay reads as one. Corner windows are handled in a similar way. For arched windows or windows with a sloping top edge, see our tracked and special-shape shutters.

How it works

1. Start with a call or message. Phone or WhatsApp us, or fill in our online quote form, and pick a day for your home visit. We have appointments 7 days a week.
2. A free measure at home. We measure each window carefully, show you louvre and finish samples, and leave you with a quote. There’s no obligation to go ahead.
3. Your shutters are built. Every panel is made to the measurements from your visit.
4. Fitting day. Our fitters install the frames, hang and adjust the panels, and leave the room tidy. The price we quote includes fitting.

After 20 years of fitting shutters, blinds and curtains across Birmingham and the West Midlands, we know shutters are a considered purchase. We’ll tell you plainly whether full-height panels suit your windows, and if another shutter style would work better, we’ll say so.