Do plantation shutters block enough light to be used in the bedroom without curtains as well?
Posted by yarnyplanter@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 83 comments
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r3tri3v3r@reddit
There are companies in the UK that supply shutters with an integrated blackout blind inside the frame. Pretty cool!
r3tri3v3r@reddit
I'd recommend giving Wirral Plantation Shutters a call https://wirralplantationshutters.com/
Overall-Lynx917@reddit
Yes. We have them and no longer need to close our curtains. Also means you can control the amount of light coming into the room and maintain your privacy
Two tips from buying ours.
Go for the medium width slats
Have a one-third/two-thirds split. This gives great flexibility in light/privacy. We can open the top third fully for light but keep the bottom two thirds partially closed.
yarnyplanter@reddit (OP)
Thanks! And yes, very much want the top to be separate from the bottom for exactly this reason. If it weren't for the 1 week a summer it gets so hot we need full window coverings to keep the sun out, I wouldn't even bother getting them on the top part.
DeemonPankaik@reddit
Yes, as long as they're fitted correctly
Had them in our old place, they were as good as blackout curtains when fully closed
yarnyplanter@reddit (OP)
Good point, thanks. Will enquire with whichever company we go with (if we do) about installing them so they keep the light out.
Nueth@reddit
If you choose a darker colour/ wood you will block more light. We had cherry wood in our old place and they blocked out all the light even in the south facing rooms. We have white in the current place as it is cheaper and they dont block out as much light, which is great for the north facing rooms, but sucks for the south side.
yarnyplanter@reddit (OP)
I do really want a wood colour rather than white for the bedroom. It's a dilemma because I would go for white in the living room, so they wouldn't match from the outside...and I'm trying to let the practical part of me win knowing that it doesn't matter really if they don't match
Nueth@reddit
I guess you have to frame it as - does it matter what a stranger sees if they look at your house long enough to care, vs what you see day to day. If we had the money we would have done different colours for different rooms in this place tbh.
yarnyplanter@reddit (OP)
Yes exactly, thanks for this.
LittleSadRufus@reddit
You can also get solid folding shutters (which fold up into a narrow block not like a door) which I once used in a bedroom and it was excellent. But I didn't need the sort of halfway house of some light it privacy that the latter shutters offer
yarnyplanter@reddit (OP)
I do like the idea of solid shutters, but definitely need something the provides privacy while letting light in during the day. I might end up with multiple types of curtains, just hoping to avoid that.
Puzzleheaded_Drink76@reddit
Mine don't.
Dyslexia_Ruels@reddit
Blind fitter here - shutters and curtains should keep out the vast majority of light. Ask your local installer if they fit shutters with an integrated pleated honeycomb blind, a more expensive option, but it'll be near complete blackout. If there is space behind the shutters, you could have blackout blinds fitted, which would be cheaper than the honeycomb. Hope this helps!!
yarnyplanter@reddit (OP)
Thanks! I'm trying to avoid having multiple window coverings, but will ask what this would look like/how it would work.
comedydave15@reddit
Depends on your definition of enough light tbh.
If you are wanting full blackout then no.
If you don’t mind a bit of sunlight creeping in through the cracks then you’ll be alright. I’d say it’s enough light that you can see/walk around a room without banging into things. But it’s sort of an ambient light radiating from the window area rather than direct sunlight into your face so it’s fairly unintrusive and isn’t likely to wake you up
Doomergeneration@reddit
Are they really called plantation shutters? I associate plantation with negative connotations
bars_and_plates@reddit
Plantation is not a dirty word, it pretty much literally just means big farm.
sivaya_@reddit
And it's widely recognised as being associated with slavery. There are many words like this, where context affects the meaning significantly.
queenofzoology@reddit
Perhaps not everything is invented in America?
jesussays51@reddit
Yeah I’m sat in my living room now thinking I wouldn’t have put them up if I knew that!
Best-Hovercraft-5494@reddit
why don't you just stop owning slaves instead?
atomic_mermaid@reddit
They are, and it super gives me the ick. No idea why they haven't been rebranded to refer to them as something else.
LastCatastrophe@reddit
The term "master bedroom" still survives.
atomic_mermaid@reddit
Yeah I don't like that either.
Lady_S@reddit
This is a weirdly American-centric take on a UK sub. There are plantations all over the world without slavery being associated with it. There are beautiful tea plantations, coffee plantations, etc. all over India that are lovely to visit.
PersonallyaPerson12@reddit
Not americanised centric at all. I think we forget Britain's own plantations in this conversation and as a descendants of the same slaves working the plantations, it does infuriate me.
amsfi@reddit
US cotton plantations are the literal origin of the name, due to their use in the mansion-style houses of the slaveowners. Not exactly US-centric to acknowledge basic history.
danketree@reddit
Erm, they just rebranded it and used a new term at the Indian coffee plantations after the UK banned slavery; Indentured Servitude.
feetflatontheground@reddit
Mentioning tea and coffee plantation does nothing to shift the negative imagery. Look into how workers are treated on those plantations.
MaxMouseOCX@reddit
But those negative things are history, and if we stop talking about the naughty bits, people will forget.
matty491@reddit
I really don’t know why you’ve been downvoted to oblivion, you’ve raised a valid point honestly and even if people disagree with your opinion surely that’s no reason to smother you in downvotes..
mousey76397@reddit
Downvoting is literally people saying “I disagree with your opinion” that’s what it’s for. Otherwise why are they there?
MaxMouseOCX@reddit
It's also why I haven't deleted my comment, why are they there (up/down votes)? Well it's for people to disagree, but it's also to gauge what people think of what you have to say.
There's been quite a radical change here... People don't seem to want to be disagreed with, I have no issue with it - I tend to learn a lot more from people that think I'm wrong.
It's also worth pointing out, I'm not an American and I don't live there so temper your disagreement with what I said with that in mind.
nearly_enough_wine@reddit
Originally, upvotes were for comments that meaningfully contribute to a conversation.
Downvotes for things that don't, or that derail a conversation.
Zounds90@reddit
Should there be concentration camp bunks at ikea too?
matty491@reddit
You mean bunk beds right?
Those shutters are genuinely called plantation shutters, bunk beds are called bunk beds.
I’m not quite sure your logic is entirely sound.
Bloatville@reddit
They aren't genuinely called that in the way you seem to think.
They are louvred shutters.
So, much like bunk beds, they do already have a name that describes them.
Calling them plantation shutters is a bit like saying 'refectory table' for a long dining table. Except refectories aren't steeped in racist history of course.
Zounds90@reddit
I was questioning the validity of the point that it's a historical reminder.
Dd_8630@reddit
But they were never called concentration camp beds
libdemparamilitarywi@reddit
It's a nonsense point, do you really think renaming blinds will cause people to forget about slavery?
fancycakelover@reddit
Lest we forget is a reminder to people like you
pervertsage@reddit
That'll put a squig up their pudding
Greatgrowler@reddit
Yes they are, or window shutters which I prefer.
Familiar_Swan_662@reddit
No. I have them in my room and have to hang a towel over them every night to block the light coming through them. If you live in a dark area it'll probably be fine, but if the room is facing a road with lampposts or another light source, I wouldnt reccomend it
ClacketyClackSend@reddit
Also, not everyone wants to get up when the sun rises.
Friendly-Demand-8562@reddit
We took our shutters down and replaced with pull down shades and some drapes in some rooms, the shutters block alot of light IMHO
Groovy66@reddit
I think more of France for these shutters than a US plantation. You see them on a lot of houses in the French countryside, inside and outside.
evenstevens280@reddit
Yeah but it's what they're called
Tallare@reddit
That's a new one on me to; I've only heard volets, volets battants and contrevents, though I get the feeling that those are the heavier ones. Maybe it depends on which part of France we're in?
arfski@reddit
"Volet de plantation" is what they're called in France.
mo_oemi@reddit
Jamais entendu ça avant ce commentaire, ça s'appelle des persiennes!
arfski@reddit
Oui, ou les volets intérieurs, ou tout simplement "shutters"! :)
lismuse@reddit
We had a blackout blind (a concertina one) installed into the window frame when we got ours done. Keeps the room super dark, I don’t have to use an eye mask anymore. It was an option from our shutter company, so I imagine it’s something they all offer.
_franciis@reddit
Yeah ours are essentially blackout.
Alzdeejay2@reddit
I have wooden venetian blinds with large slats and blackout curtains. blinds will always let the light in.
Stuspawton@reddit
In my experience, they do not block the light well enough to be used as bedroom blinds. Get a set of curtains that can be fully retracted
kiss3dbyfire@reddit
Not for ours, we have discrete blackout blinds behind then
WittyMity@reddit
not sure about this but i've been using blindsgalore's solar shades and it works really fine for me...
earthdust96@reddit
A follow up question- are there any thermal benefits to them?
Anxious-Bid4874@reddit
No they don't. Had to have perfect fit blinds as well and still some light gets through.
kimbastern@reddit
Never heard them called this in my life and I come from the Caribbean. Lived in the UK for about 3 decades. Yes, the immediate thought in my head is negative.
Lolalouloulou@reddit
No and i hate them but they were here when we moved in and husband wont let me get rid of them. Looking into blackout blinds behind them
ajslov@reddit
Same for me. This is a natural alarm.
candynickle@reddit
We have shutters in our house, and pull down honeycomb blinds behind the ones in the bedrooms . It’s the only way to get it dark enough to sleep.
GrandAsOwt@reddit
I like to have my bedroom windows and curtains open in summer, to get the best of whatever breeze there is. I use a good blackout eyemask - Amazon sell them. It’s very comfortable and keeps all the light out, and would be much cheaper and easier than curtains.
yarnyplanter@reddit (OP)
Thanks, I'll look into a blackout mask. I have an eye mask, but I also move around so much that it constantly slips out of place. I'm just a terrible sleeper.
lookhereisay@reddit
We have them in our bedroom and the first thing we did was hang up blackout curtains when we moved in. My husband finds that dark enough but I prefer a pitch black room so summer is a bit pants.
We also have them in our lounge where we don’t have curtains so it doesn’t matter so much.
I want them gone from the bedroom personally and we will do when we get new windows or our act together!
TDL_501@reddit
For adults who aren’t overly sensitive to light, they are fine. For kids who can wake with the sun, not a chance.
Morazma@reddit
They block like 95% of light. They're good enough for me, could maybe do with slightly better for my 9month old!
CottontailTheBun@reddit
They don’t really close all the way light leaks in but they’re just as well as regular blinds
xDzerx@reddit
Yes I have them in my bedroom window.
OldOllie@reddit
They are not total blackout so it depends on your tolerance to light. They would be ok for me but my wife would wake up. We had to fit a total blackout pleated blind with frame.
Buy these plantation shutters direct from China, just measure them up and order direct. I fitted a whole house full for a customer, they ordered direct and saved 80% over any UK supplied version.
Basic_Dragonfly_5638@reddit
Where did you buy them?
OldOllie@reddit
I did not buy them, I just measured up for them and the customer ordered, they took a few weeks to arrive then I fitted them. Was couple of years ago now. Probably ali express or something
SparkOfLife1@reddit
I have them in my bedroom, and I find they do a perfectly good job at blocking light (at leaat for me) when closed downwards, and also do very well for privacy when closed upwards (I'm on the first floor, so people would be able to see in if I had them closed downwards.)
GovernmentNo2720@reddit
No - my in laws have these in their home and they irritate me because I like the room as dark as possible when I’m sleeping. My mother just fitted them in her home too.
Isgortio@reddit
My sister has some in her living room and I've slept in the living room when I've stayed over. They block most of the light but some will still come in tiny areas. I personally don't think they look very cosy, but that's just her window area.
taffington2086@reddit
We have them in our bedrooms. Our kids need additonal curtains to go to sleep in the evening with the sun shining on them but we don't need them in our room, going to sleep later.
GlitteringCowgirl@reddit
Might depend on the quality. We have them in our living room (they came with the house) and those ones definitely aren’t blackout.
raphamuffin@reddit
They're good but not perfect. We have shutters and blackout curtains in the bedroom and I really like to have both closed properly to keep the room dark enough.
northerncodemky@reddit
It depends how early you go to bed. As you get into mid summer quite a bit of light still seeps in, but it’s not really enough to stop me sleeping but your mileage may vary. Similarly in the morning (particularly the mornings for me) the light starts before I necessarily would wake. Personally I like it as it wakes me naturally
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