Today shutters are known for the classic style they add to homes while offering privacy, security, light and ventilation control. But if the legend is true, the moveable function of louvres was first used by a royal ‘peeping Tom.’
King Louis XIV of France was said to have had louvred shutters installed around the garden walls of the Court in the 17th century. Apparently, King Louis XIV liked to admire the women who bathed in the ponds within his gardens but noticed the women distracted the court guards. The shutter louvres allowed him to view the women at his leisure, without distracting the guards. If this is true, the term ‘louvre’ was named after Louis’ previous dwelling, the Louvre.
Legends aside, the history of shutters is believed to have started in Greece where marble shutters with fixed louvres helped to control the light and minimise the Mediterranean heat while allowing ventilation. Eventually, wood replaced marble and made moveable louvre shutters possible.
The concept of Security Shutters as we know them today was first seen in medieval Europe when solid shutters were closed with an iron bar for protection against possible attacks. Shutters were used before glass and it was only during the Tudor period (1485–1603) and Elizabethan era (1558–1603) when glass was introduced. But because glass was so expensive, it was only used on the upper half of the window with solid shutters in the lower half.
Since the late 15th century, Europeans, particularly the British, Spanish and French, had been exploring Central America, the Caribbean and North America, and in the 18th-century shutters were introduced to the ‘New World’. During this time, people in Britain saw ornate shutters as part of the home décor but it was the practical features of shutters as recognised by the Spanish and French colonisers, that made shutters popular in the New World.
White painted shutters kept mansions in the cotton plantations of the South cool, hence shutters originally derived their common name with reference to the word plantation. Narrower louvre shutters originating from England were popular in New England (the northeast region of North America) and are known as traditional or colonial shutters. In coastal areas known for hurricanes, shutters were often referred to as ‘hurricane shutters’ because they helped protect windows and homes from these tropical storms.
Throughout the various eras, shutters have evolved alongside architecture. Today shutters add both functional and aesthetic value to a home, whether it’s a cottage style country home or a sleek modern apartment.
AMERICAN shutters® brought the beauty of shutters to South Africa over 30 years ago, and has been installing adjustable wooden shutters and aluminium security shutters in homes and commercial properties throughout South Africa ever since.