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All Decor advice Eco-friendly Special features

AMERICAN shutters’ Gauteng General Manager, Cuan van den Berg always has one eye on the future, whether it’s a dream of getting married and starting a family one day, fantasising about his next travel destination, innovating ways to keep AMERICAN shutters ahead of its competitors, or simply looking forward to a busy day with his

September 18, 2017 | News

Extending the boundaries of education through trees (in partnership with Food & Trees for Africa)

As featured in the May issue of Specifier… Shutters and blinds for healthy indoor air quality ‘Most of us spend at least 30% of our time at work, often inside the same building from 8am to 5pm, with maybe an hour’s break to step outside. It’s important therefore that the buildings where we work should

May 12, 2013 | News

Specifier, May 2013

As featured in the March 2013 issue of Live out Loud… ‘American Shutters offers local and imported ranges of wood shutters and blinds that are made from only the highest quality timber, best suited to withstand the harsh African sun…’

March 12, 2013 | News

Live out Loud, March 2013

As featured in the Witness Weekend in March 2013… The many benefits of shutters ‘Considered fixtures, shutters will improve your home’s value INSTALLING shutters in your home is a good investment. Considered a fixture, shutters will add financial value to your property. But just like all good investments, it takes more than money to reap

March 12, 2013 | News

Witness Weekend, March 2013

As featured in the February issue of Specifier… Eco-friendly wood shutters ‘American Shutters Decowood shutters offer a cost-effective eco-friendly practical and stylish solution for window and door protection. American Shutters’ Decowood range of shutters offers a practical, stylish and strong option for window and door protection. The shutters also have the benefits of being eco-friendly

February 12, 2013 | News

Specifier, February 2013

In South Africa, creating curb appeal can be a challenge; in many cases, high walls, large gates and electric fencing stand in the way of how a home presents itself to its neighbourhood. Therefore, to create a great first impression, we often need to focus on what lies beyond these necessary security barriers. “Approach your

September 11, 2017 | Decor advice

Create face value for your home

A space where family members and friends come together to chat, be entertained, eat and drink, or simply relax; the living areas of a home need to cater for many modern-day demands. No longer separated into rooms by function i.e. formal lounge for guest visits, dining room for serving and sharing meals, living room for

May 25, 2017 | Decor advice

Open plan, just better

AMERICAN shutters® agrees, and this is what drives every aspect of the design, manufacturing and installation process of all their shutter ranges. From the most meticulous detail to the most obvious industry-leading differentiator, shutters from AMERICAN shutters are not only widely recognised for their pioneering finishes and features, but have also become synonymous with exceptional quality.

December 7, 2016 | Decor advice

HOME HAUTE COUTURE

Break the rules this summer. Turn things inside out with an indoor-outdoor entertainment area as delightfully delirious as the energy of the season, with its late sunsets, balmy evenings and clear starry nights. Don’t conform to the tired and traditional outdoor entertainment décor styles only focused on braais and pool parties. Create a space that

October 13, 2016 | Decor advice

Inside out with security shutters

Security and lifestyle choices are driving one of the most persistent trends in the South African property market, more and more home buyers are choosing to live in security estates rather than freestanding homes. Recent research conducted by Lightstone Property shows that estate property makes up over 15% of the total 6,2 million residential properties

August 4, 2016 | Decor advice

Private eye for style – why shutters are ideal for estate homes

What New Year resolutions have you made for your home? Perhaps it is to create a more inviting space for friends and family to enjoy or to purge clutter for a clean organised space or to introduce a new colour to your décor scheme or perhaps it is to make changes to your home that

January 6, 2016 | Decor advice

New Year – fresh start

Happy holiday homes make happy memories; memories that are shared among family and friends for generations, and that encourage return visits year after year. Therefore creating the perfect holiday home is about more than adequate comfortable accommodation, it is the stage on which holiday memories are made. Each holiday home is unique to its visitors;

December 3, 2015 | Decor advice

Happy holiday home

Decorating a new home can be as challenging as it is exciting. Each room needs to be individually addressed and all aspects considered to ensure that the end result is a beautiful and practical space that best serves the people who live in the home. In this article we look at a few challenges, and

August 23, 2015 | Decor advice

Up for the challenge

Remember the scene in the movie Notting Hill when Hugh Grant’s character goes into a flat spin tiding up his apartment before letting his dream woman (played by Julia Roberts) through the front door? It’s a stereotype that works in romantic comedies but does the average bachelor live in a mild state of squalor, only

July 24, 2015 | Decor advice

Man-cave or bachelor pad?

There are five must-haves when it comes to kitchen interior design, and we’re not talking about the latest cheffy techno gadgets, we’re talking about basic design principles. These are our kitchen high-five; the most important criteria to take into account when designing a new kitchen or renovating an old one. 1. Layout No doubt you’ve

July 20, 2015 | Decor advice

Kitchen high-five

Whether you are starting out or scaling down, learning how to decorate a smaller home is sure to come in handy at some stage of your life. When it comes to style size does not matter, it’s what you do with it that counts. Here are our tips on how to tackle tiny spaces: Mix

July 6, 2015 | Decor advice

Don’t let small spaces cramp your decor style

“This home has too many bathrooms, wouldn’t it be nice if we could convert one into a spare room or wardrobe,’ said no one ever! Bathrooms and kitchens are widely considered the most important rooms in a home; they are often the deal makers or deal breakers in the real estate game. Replacing or adding

June 30, 2015 | Decor advice

Bathroom blitz – getting bang for your buck

Many dads switch off from the stresses of everyday life by switching on the telly? Be it sport, news, a documentary or a movie, stealing some me-time in front of the TV, is as much about what is on the screen as it is about the escape from what is not. This father’s day, why

June 17, 2015 | Decor advice

Create a daddy-cool home theatre

Although the temperature has dropped, winter is no excuse to leave friends and family out in the cold. Summer’s pool parties, garden teas and sunny-weather braais may be last season’s news, but this season brings with it a new kind of social style. Think of sipping red wine alongside a welcoming fireplace, enjoying a hot

May 11, 2015 | Decor advice

Entertain winter in style

AMERICAN shutters® recently did an installation in Constantia, Cape Town. Homeowner and client, Michelle had created a beautifully-decorated guest cottage on her property and she required shutters and blinds to match her neutral honest decor style, and to make the most of the stunning green lawn and gardens the guest cottage had access to. She

March 31, 2015 | Decor advice

Honoured guest

Often during school holidays the back of bedroom doors become basketball targets, desks become art studios, passages become race tracks and your dining table, a fort. Creating a home that is school holiday friendly, especially as the weather cools and forces the boys and girls indoors, is key to you enjoying quality time with your

March 25, 2015 | Decor advice

At home for the holidays

There is untold pleasure in creating the perfect decor scheme for the loved spaces within our homes; but before we choose fabrics, furniture and finishes we need to find inspiration. It is often from the pages of popular interior design and decorating magazines, the online resources of designer and social media websites, what the neighbours

February 25, 2015 | Decor advice

Naturally inspired

Whether it’s writing, scrap-booking, painting, music, photography, reading or sewing, everyone deserves an inspirational space dedicated to their creative downtime. Albert Einstein said ‘Creativity is intelligence having fun’ and we agree, finding the time and the space to be creative in the time-pressured stressful mad rush of our world is so important to our overall

February 23, 2015 | Decor advice

Hobby house

Decorating advice for first time homeowners Decorating your first home involves many decisions, and although a very exciting task, it can sometimes be equally daunting. While you have the advantage of starting with a blank canvas, you also have to be extra careful with your budget, because of the huge scope of the task. To

January 13, 2015 | Decor advice

First things first

As many as 30% of adults complain of insomnia; having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or not feeling refreshed in the morning despite having had a full night’s sleep. There are many reasons for insomnia, some very complex, as a result of medical or health problems, or stress. It can last for short periods of

January 5, 2015 | Decor advice

As lovely as a lullaby

Despite the commercialisation of Christmas, the Boney M carols streaming insincerely through shopping centre sound systems and the overused tinsel draping every shop entrance; this is a time when we are reminded about what is real in life. Real in the sense of real lasting value, the time spent with family and friends and the

December 9, 2014 | Decor advice

Get real this Christmas

There’s a magical shift in attitude and lifestyle that comes with summer; our inner clocks seem to tick slower as the days become longer and the nights, friendlier. The frenetic pace of our lives melts with the promise of the coming holidays and the intensifying summer heat. We punctuate our busy schedules to think of

November 20, 2014 | Decor advice

Summertime and the livin’ is easy

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.” Anyone who has had to accommodate house guests for any length of time understands how challenging it is to have your home, your routine and your time disrupted by family and friends who have chosen your home as their holiday destination; be

October 31, 2014 | Decor advice

Be our guest

Fresh bakes, chocolate or candy? Just like choosing your favourite treat is a matter of personal taste, so is your choice of kitchen style. Whether it’s the homey comfort of farmhouse, the funky flair of retro, the sleek elegance of modern, the timeless charm of classic, the earthy nature of rustic or the magic mismatch

October 15, 2014 | Decor advice

Kitchen eye candy

Do you have a tricky space in your home that you just don’t know how to use efficiently or decorate appropriately? Be it a boring corner, an unused space under the stairs, the edges of a room with a sloped ceiling, a small entrance hall or nook, very often these spaces are doomed to simply

October 7, 2014 | Decor advice

No more awkward moments

Spring is the perfect season to welcome one of 2014’s hottest decor trends into your home. Out with the strong geometric patterns that have been firm favourites with so many designers over the last few years and in with flower power. Floral patterns in all shapes, sizes and styles are blooming and we are delighted.

September 29, 2014 | Decor advice

Flower power

Let’s be honest, in most homes interior design and decorating decisions are primarily made by the lady of the house. This of course is a generalisation, but certainly true for many families. However this coming Sunday is Father’s Day and in celebration of dads, we have some great ideas on how to decorate for dad!

June 9, 2014 | Decor advice

Decorate for dad

Most of us reach a stage when fashion and trends matter less than quality and longevity; when we start to look for ways to create a home that has a timeless quality to it, that, like a good wine, improves with age. Playing with decor and interior design is to be expected when we are

May 23, 2014 | Decor advice

It’s time for timeless

Our homes are our refuge, our place of comfort, our safe place; or so they should be. Unfortunately we live in a country in which the high crime rate makes us vulnerable, even in our homes. High walls, electric fences, intercom systems, CCTV, alarms and armed response, security gates and burglar bars are all too

May 15, 2014 | Decor advice

Security shutters for peace of mind

Don’t be afraid to be bold with colour; decorate your home using your favourite colours to create the mood and feeling you want to evoke in your home. Colour trends will come and go, using colours that reflect the personalities of the people who live in the home will make it beautiful and timeless. Being

April 29, 2014 | Decor advice

The bold and the beautiful

Just before the winter chill sets in, is that golden time of autumn; when our world goes warm and toasty and nature mirrors the amber and pink jam-tones of sunshine. The world seems to pause and slow down just a tad, the busy buzz of summer quietens a little and a lulled sway takes its

April 22, 2014 | Decor advice

Fall into comfort

Whether you prefer a beach, country, rustic or modern style, an enclosed outdoor space creates an extra room in your home for whatever purpose to suit your lifestyle. By enclosing an outdoor patio, porch, verandah or ‘stoep’ with shutters you can extend your outdoor lifestyle into the cooler months. They offer great thermal insulation and

March 31, 2014 | Decor advice

Add value and space with patio shutters

More and more people are choosing to socialise with friends and family in their homes, it’s cheaper, more intimate and safer than a night on the town or out at a top restaurant. Modern homes are being designed with this in mind and where possible provide space for entertainment areas with a home bar. No

March 4, 2014 | Decor advice

A toast to the home bar

Decorating your home is often a process of filtering through the many inspirations and ideas you have. We are surrounded by beauty every day, be it in nature, on the pages of a magazine or in the homes of friends and family, but we cannot always rely on our brains to record and remember these

February 28, 2014 | Decor advice

Create a love story for your home

It’s Valentine’s month and although the roses may already be wilted and the chocolates all gobbled up, we think now is the perfect time to capture the Valentine’s mood of romance and sprinkle it all over your love nest for you and your loved one to enjoy all year long! Turn it down to turn

February 21, 2014 | Decor advice

Fall in love with your home

According to popular surveys, getting fit and losing weight are the most common New Year’s resolutions. Fitness centres and gyms rely on this time of year to boost their budget, banking on New Year best intentions only to see the number of newcomers coming through their doors dwindle as the year progresses. As lives swing

January 20, 2014 | Decor advice

Perfect home fit

In celebration of the season, we list our ten reasons we love summer: 1: Beach walks 2. Late sunsets 3. Cooling off 4. Fun with friends 5. Garden daze 6. Braai time 7. Romance 8. Making memories 9. Lazy afternoons 10. AMERICAN shutters AMERICAN shutters are ideal for all seasons, but when you open them

December 12, 2013 | Decor advice

Reasons to love summer

It’s party time, whether it’s a morning tea party, an afternoon braai, sunset cocktails or an evening dinner party; party time in summer time is patio time! It doesn’t need to cost a fortune to get your patio party-ready and proud, just some TLC, creativity, energy and time. Here are our tips on how to

November 28, 2013 | Decor advice

Amplify your patio-power this party season

Can you guess what each of us will be up to this holiday season? Thanks to your support, the AMERICAN shutters' team will be relaxing and recharging between 12 December - 13 January.

November 25, 2013 | Decor advice

Happy holidays

Marrying feminine and masculine interior decorating styles Despite the blurring of the stereotypical feminine masculine lines in modern culture, there are few exceptions to the instinctive love little girls have for pretty, pink, shiny things and the obsession little boys have for anything that crashes, races, builds and spins; a generalisation for sure, but not

November 5, 2013 | Decor advice

Sugar and spice or snips and snails

Good interior designers are without doubt creative but must also have sound basic mathematical skills. Putting together a beautiful room design requires a good understanding of size, scale and proportion and how different colours, textures, materials and patterns impact on these; all principles of geometry. Geometry is the visual study of shapes, sizes, patterns and

October 16, 2013 | Decor advice

Get your home in shape

As an owner managed local business ourselves, we are always thrilled to interview and discover the success stories of South African entrepreneurs in the interior design field. We were delighted with the opportunity to chat to inspirational business owner, interior designer and AMERICAN shutters’ client, Pascalé Dorp, owner of Baby Belle. Tell us how and

September 23, 2013 | Decor advice

Meet Pascalé Dorp of Baby Belle

This year’s spring colour palette is a fantastic mix of neutrals and brights; the Pantone Fashion Colour Report Spring 2013 includes a range of 10 colours ranging from nude Linen to vibrant Poppy Red and moody Monaco Blue. In this article we explore how to integrate them (a little or a lot) into your home

September 16, 2013 | Decor advice

Spring into colour

If your wardrobe favours comfortable casual class to sleek sophisticated style can the same be said about your interior style? If you never leave home without having every hair in place, your makeup fresh and your clothes runway-ready, would the same fastidious attention to detail apply to your home? We believe that personal fashion style

August 14, 2013 | Decor advice

Fashion you can hang your interior style on

It’s not all pink, floral prints and sparkles. The feminine touch in home décor takes on many styles. For some it is natural comfort and a neutral colour palette with hints of pastels, for others it is soft lines and elegant sophistication with a sprinkle of sparkle and for some it is symbolic of the

August 8, 2013 | Decor advice

She Chic

Granted, this may not be exactly what Shakespeare penned in his Sonnet 18, but just as this famous poem is a celebration of beauty, so too is the arch. The architectural arch dates back to ancient times. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all recognised its strength and beauty of form in the construction of monuments,

July 8, 2013 | Decor advice

Thou arch more lovely…

Do you have more glitter and sparkle in your interior decorating tool kit than a fairy godmother or does the idea of shimmer and shine in your shrine turn you into a wicked stepmother? Whether you are the diva of dazzle or the damsel of dull, the secret to creating a home fit for a

July 3, 2013 | Decor advice

Bling it home

Just as Johnny Mercer, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin and Michael Buble have all seductively crooned their invitation to stay indoors in wintery weather, so too does a home that is dressed for the season; sensible yet stylish, comfortable yet charming and as chivalrous as the era of the original tune itself; hard to refuse. Because,

June 17, 2013 | Decor advice

Baby it’s cold outside

As the sun is muffled by grey clouds and crisp cold winds there is no better place than home; tucked warmly in bed or snuggled on a couch listening to the rain pelter window panes and the wind rattle gates and whip branches, our home warms and protects us from the spitting fury of winter.

June 3, 2013 | Decor advice

Winter-wise your home decor

How often do you find yourself looking at the date and marveling at how quickly time passes, our lives are tick-tocked away between the rushing to and from work and school, the responsibilities and duties of our careers, raising a family and simply trying to make ends meet. This is reality for so many of

May 17, 2013 | Decor advice

Open home, open heart

The fight to live greener lives, conscious of our impact on the environment and committed to finding ways to live lightly and kindly with our natural surroundings and the fight to live healthier lives that include a healthy diet of organic produce are demanding certain lifestyle changes; changes that suggest we take the fight outside.

May 1, 2013 | Decor advice

Take it outside

In one of our recent ‘Yay or Nay’ posts on our Facebook page, we asked our fans to give their opinion on having a bathtub in the bedroom. Although the scale tipped in favour of ‘Yay’ there were some reservations… This trend might seem like one that started in high-end hotels and boutique B&Bs, but

April 17, 2013 | Decor advice

Bedroom meet bathtub

Tucked between mountain side and seaside, this Llandudno home has the best views in the Cape and our Decowood shutters are perfect to optimise these natural surroundings and views. The shutter’s pearl finish blends beautifully with the natural neutral tones of the outdoor entertainment area and the 89mm louvre allows maximum light and ventilation when

April 3, 2013 | Decor advice

Going to view heights

Whether it’s healthy lunch boxes, baked treats, yummy home-cooked meals or gourmet dinner parties a well-designed kitchen makes the job of a home chef so much easier and more enjoyable. Knowing how important the heart of the home is to the value of a home, we did some research into what the critical ingredients are

March 17, 2013 | Decor advice

Chef-worthy kitchen

When we think home design or décor we dive in head first, literally. Our inside living areas; lounges, dining rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens take priority with gardens following in second place, but when do we pause to consider how our home is dressed? The exterior of our home is the first impression our home

February 17, 2013 | Decor advice

Savour the robust flavour of security shutters

Bringing work home is nobody’s idea of fun, it is often with tired eyes, weary minds and an unhealthy does of ‘woe is me’ that we haul out files and lap tops to catch up on emails missed and finish off work not completed in work hours. Either during the evening with the dulled sound

January 17, 2013 | Decor advice

Style that works as hard as you do

Sloped ceilings and large slanted windows make this modern South African home unmistakable. When it came to choosing window dressings to complement the unique architecture, the home-owners opted for elegant AMERICAN shutters®. Every home has a feature or two and in this home, large slanted windows steal the show! Designed to maximize light, many of

July 25, 2012 | Decor advice

A new angle on shutters

Although the beauty and practicality of shutters have been appreciated for centuries, they have been consistently innovated to suit styles, climates, purpose and architecture through the ages. First made in marble by the Greeks to cool interiors in the Mediterranean heat, later made in timber and reinforced with iron rods in medieval Europe to improve

May 25, 2012 | Decor advice

The evolution of shutters

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

April 29, 2011 | Decor advice

Style uninterrupted

One of the highlights of interior design in 2011 is an environmental consciousness with the latest trends reflecting our society’s current inclination to rethink, renew and recycle. Trends for this year include form and function being perfected for improved home living, vintage favourites being recycled with a modern twist and neutrals that have been renewed

March 31, 2011 | Decor advice

Rethink, Recycle & Renew in 2011

Happy New Year! We hope your year started in style! We’re excited about our divine home decor blog posts planned for this year. We want to help you turn your home into an absolute haven in 2011. To start the year off, we’re thrilled to introduce you to our resident design expert, Karina Palmer. Karina

January 20, 2011 | Decor advice

Meet interior designer Karina Palmer

September 11, 2017 | Eco-friendly

Create face value for your home

October 13, 2016 | Eco-friendly

Inside out with security shutters

Home interior design has never been more impacted by the growing need for home security. According to the South African Police Service’s 2015 crime statistics report, ‘robbery at residential premises’ has increased by more than 100% in the last decade, with a 5,2% increase from 2014 to 2015. “Over the last few years we have

August 4, 2016 | Eco-friendly

Security shutters with both beauty and brawn

Everyone is talking about ‘green living’ – environmentally-friendly this and eco-friendly that. Almost every product out there has some sort of ‘green’ claim to fame; it can be difficult to determine what is right for your home, right for your budget and right for the planet. Now, more than ever before, homeowners are looking for

May 26, 2015 | Eco-friendly

Go for green with eco-friendly shutters

May 15, 2014 | Eco-friendly

Security shutters for peace of mind

February 17, 2013 | Eco-friendly

Savour the robust flavour of security shutters

July 25, 2012 | Eco-friendly

A new angle on shutters

May 25, 2012 | Eco-friendly

The evolution of shutters

April 29, 2011 | Eco-friendly

Style uninterrupted

March 31, 2011 | Eco-friendly

Rethink, Recycle & Renew in 2011

January 20, 2011 | Eco-friendly

Meet interior designer Karina Palmer

December 7, 2016 | Special features

HOME HAUTE COUTURE

August 23, 2015 | Special features

Up for the challenge

October 7, 2014 | Special features

No more awkward moments

April 29, 2014 | Special features

The bold and the beautiful

July 8, 2013 | Special features

Thou arch more lovely…

July 25, 2012 | Special features

A new angle on shutters

May 25, 2012 | Special features

The evolution of shutters

April 29, 2011 | Special features

Style uninterrupted

March 31, 2011 | Special features