This inspiration board is all about kicking back in style and feeling like you’re on a summer holiday every day!

It’s one of four summer temptation competition finalists and if you like it, vote for it and you could win a subscription to a home décor magazine!

Summer temptation inspiration: “Ice cold beer and powder white beaches.â€� – Brandon van Schalkwyk

The result…

Get the look:

• Clean lines and a superb view; recreate this look in your sunroom or enclosed patio by keeping décor to a minimum and allowing AMERICAN shutters to frame the horizon.
• Control the light by adjusting the louvres or open shutters to enjoy an uninterrupted view.
• Our by-pass shutters are ideal to melt the indoors and outdoors during the summer months.
• Remove carpeting and either fit warm wooden floors or stain a concrete floor white to reflect powder white beaches.

Get the AMERICAN shutters’ product: Normandy shutters

• Made from the wood of the Kiri tree, one of the fastest growing tree species, the timber has a beautiful light honey to blond colour, an extraordinary wood grain and a silky, satin appearance.
• Excellent thermal qualities make these shutters perfect for keeping a space cool in summer.
• With a palette of natural and solid colours or stains to choose from or the option of custom colour finish matched to any paint you choose, these shutters complement and enhance any design space.
• They can be made to fit in special and unusual shapes such as arches, triangles, circles etc.
• Click here to read more about Normandy shutters.

Did this summer temptation speak to you?

Vote for this inspiration board by commenting below or by ‘liking’ it on our Facebook fan page. You could help Brandon win R5 000 worth of AMERICAN shutters and/or blinds and you might win a subscription for a popular home décor magazine! Terms and conditions apply.

Click here to see the other finalists.

The warm woody aroma of the naturally red-brown coloured Cedarwood shutters makes it a delight for the senses. It also makes these shutters extremely durable!

Amazing durability

The unique aroma is a by-product of thujaplicins, a naturally occurring chemical substance in the heartwood, is moisture, fungi and beetle resistant.

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Let’s face it, blondes turn heads. And our naturally blonde to honey coloured Normandy shutters are no different!

Custom made, Normandy shutters are strong, have a silky satin consistently knot-free appearance and are environmentally friendly. What more could you ask for?

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There’s nothing quite like slipping into a hot bath and letting the stress of the day melt away. But if your old fashioned bathroom makes you cringe, it’s time for an update!

Here are some easy DIY updates you can do without having to call in a construction crew…

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What do Woodbury Waterproof shutters and river rafting canoes have in common?

Both are waterproof and coated with ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) a highly resilient waterproof thermoplastic coating. But when it comes to your bathroom, we’re sure you’d agree that installing Woodbury Waterproof shutters looks far more stylish than a canoe balanced across a bath. You laugh, but you’ll be surprised at what we’ve seen!

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There is little more pleasurable than basking in winter sunshine slivering through a glass window or door on a cold day. These magic moments have us following the lazy sun with lizard-like devotion and curling our toes in wooly socks with delight. But alas, as soon as the sun is cloaked by cloud or bids an early goodnight, the cold grips us and we look for ways to replicate that natural warmth.

It is the same windows and doors that invite the winter sun into our homes that are responsible for losing our homes’ warmth. Glass windows and doors lose and gain heat in four ways: thermal radiation, heat conduction, convection and air leakage.

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In central Switzerland, a well-to-do Swiss family built and moved into their dream home. It was their wish that this house would stand and serve for generations to come. The year was 1287 and the house still stands today!

This home has stood the test of time because of the strength of their chosen building material, Siberian Larch timber.

The Siberian Larch is the last sustainable, old growth timber in the world (the annual growth rate of Siberian Larch is greater than the annual felling rate) and it has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) since September 2002.

Larchwood was discovered about 2000 years ago by the Romans and has since been used for a number of purposes from water ducts, roofing, railway sleepers, fence posts, window frames, to steps and floorboards. The famous floating city of Venice is built on Larchwood poles and Siberian Larch timber was used in the construction of the cycle track surface for the Manchester Velodrome in the UK and the Velodrome Krylatskoye in Moscow.

This naturally durable timber can now add superior quality, natural beauty and strength to your home in the form of Larchwood shutters!

Our Larchwood shutters are inherently rot-resistant and durable, withstanding harsh weather conditions: an ideal choice for any South African home. The high density of the timber makes it resistant to pathogenic or wood-destroying fungi.

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Known for centuries as the ‘Tree of Eternity’, the Siberian Larch‘s longevity is evident in the 800-year old homes and churches still standing in Russia today. This naturally durable timber is, for this reason and many more, perfect for use in the manufacture of shutters.

Now available in South Africa, our Larchwood shutters are tough and ideal for use in our harsh local climate. The natural long-term performance and stability of the raw material is further enhanced by the use of reinforced engineered stiles and a sturdy mortise and tenon joint.

The strength of this shutter range is only matched by its beauty. The Siberian Larch’s timber has for centuries and across many continents been recognised for its natural raw beauty, from the ancient village of Venice to the modern homes today that have chosen to complement interior design and architectural features with shutters made from this plentiful natural material.

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We’re staying true to our pioneering legacy and introducing another first to the South African market! Our ‘Secret Tilt’ range of shutters is the latest innovation in adjustable louvre shutters, offering architects, interior designers and property owners another choice in their already wide selection of shutters and blinds.

“The ‘Secret Tilt’ range has a unique gear system positioned within the stile of the shutter,� says Stephen Palmer, managing director of AMERICAN shutters. “If you want that clean and minimalistic look then this is the option to go for. In addition the operation is smooth and precise to give a quiet and silky feel.�

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We are proud to introduce another first to the South African market; an anti-bacterial option to our shutters and blinds.

Anti-bacterial shutters and blinds are ideal for high traffic areas where communicable diseases are easily spread as well as in the homes where children and/or elderly residents suffer from compromised immune systems.

Sealed with Hygienilac, AMERICAN shutters range of anti-bacterial shutters and blinds will continue to kill off bacteria for as long as 10 years! The anti-bacterial properties are effective for years because of the lacquer’s inherently low water solubility.

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