If you had shutters put in were you pleased with results?

[whataboutbob]

I'm thinking of putting PS in our flat. Have been here 12 years and still just have 2 cheap ikea curtains hanging from a pole, do not meet fully in middle, don't exclude any light, look naff.
I realise it's going to be expensive, I was in John Lewis and for our 2 windows, about 1m by 2m each it will be about £1200. But I think they'll "upgrade" the room, look smart and exclude more light in the evening,
I'd value comments from those who've had them installed, and any recommendations fo good firms. Thank you.

[SadiePurple]

We had blinds from Hillary's a few years ago, the actual blinds were okay but we had issues with the rep they sent out. I wouldn't use them again.

At the time there was some sort of promotion on with 50% off or similar but the rep wouldn't show us the price list so in reality the 50% could have been 40% or 10% or 5%.
I believe they are run as a franchise so the reps take a commission.


Re shutters, we used a local company, very pleased with them and have ordered more sets for other rooms. Only downside is the long waiting time, 3 or 4 months at the moment.

[Heronwatcher]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/products/747823-Hillarys-Blinds-are-they-worth-the-money

[Heronwatcher]

Honestly I would avoid Hilarys at all costs and get some quotes from more local companies. Hilarys supplied blinds and shutters to our most recent house which looked ok to start off with (albeit that some of the fixings were a bit plastic-y) but then slowly started breaking. Because we were just outside their guarantee period- which is ridiculously short for something so expensive- obviously they refused to do anything for free, but worse they wouldn’t even arrange for us to pay to get them mended. And this was only around 2 years after they were installed. We replaced the shutters with ones from a local company and I love the look of the shutters themselves but I would never use Hilarys again for anything. If you google reviews you will see that my experience is common unfortunately.

[Lala59]

Morning Ladies, just joined! Red your thread from 2016 in the process of ordering Plantation Shutters in MDF from Hillarys. Any thoughts gratefully received!

[Tubbyinthehottub]

I don't think so Well, not according to the local company I used anyway.

[Wellbroughhall11]

Are there any companies that make them in the UK?

[Tubbyinthehottub]

Yes, I love mine. I used a local company. There is usually a wait because most suppliers get them shipped in from China, I believe.

[BIWI]

ZOMBIE THREAD!

You're not here to spam the boards are you?

[whataboutbob]

Not obsessive at all minipie that kind of detail is important! Thank you.

[Suzietwo]

Californian shutter company ! Love them

[minipie]

We got ours from the Traditional Shutter Company and are very happy with them (though we got our own carpenter to fit ours because our window is a very unusual shape and also wonky, so can't comment on TSC fitting).

The reason we went with TSC is that they (along with New England who cost a bomb) have a slightly different design from most other shutter companies. Boring details coming up:

All shutters start with a fixed frame which screws to the window as a base. Then the shutter itself (the part that opens and shuts) attaches to the base frame with hinges. TSC/New England's shutters sit on top of the frame, whereas other companies' shutters sit inside the frame. There are pros and cons of both - the TSC style will stick out into the room a bit further, but has (I think) a neater look from the front.

I am a PITA little bit obsessive about details like this

[whataboutbob]

Bit of a wild goose chase with the Traditional Shutter company. Cycled round to the address on the website but it was a home (albeit v well appointed with shutters all round). I'll have to send them an email. I'll also check out shutterstore.

[whois]

I love love love shutters - they make period terraced housing look a million times more classy than grubby net curtians, whilst retaining privacy.

[YetAnotherHelenMumsnet]

Hi there,
Some confusion between loveshutters.co.uk and shutters.co.uk there, because the poster left a space while typing. We have amended it now.

[TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams]

We got the JL ones. Eyewateringly expensive and a long lead time but we are really pleased with them. Similar style to the pic above.

We had the blackout blinds fitted behind them in the bedroom at DH's insistence. Total waste of money imo and it makes the shutter "box" much bulkier.

[LizzieMacQueen]

shutterstore - I have sent you a PM.

[whataboutbob]

Thanks everyone for your encouragement. Wanda your room looks beautiful! I am near the traditional shutter company in streatham and am going to go and check them out and get prices.

[Flappingandflying]

Not as fiddly as venetion blinds because they don't move around. You can hoover round the edges and then a damp cloth for the slats. It does take more than curtains but better than taking curtains off hooks and lugging them to dry cleaners.

I think I got the name of my supplier wrong - I think they are Shutterly Fabulous based in Brighton. However, they are all made in China and take about three months to arrive.

[ExpandingRoundTheMiddle]

Are they fiddly to clean like Venetian blinds?

[spacefrog35]

We have shutters in the 'living space' rooms & curtains in the bedrooms, love the shutters.

[Twinkie1]

We had ours taken out as they were so badly fitted.

We're put in by a company called loveshutters.co.uk.

They changed their name slightly to avoid us taking them to court for completely wrecking all of our windows.

So steer clear of any company with the word love in their name.

We now have white opaque roller blinds which we prefer. Don't take up as much space, loads cheaper and don't make the room so dark.

[dontcallmelen]

Hi OP we had seven large sash Windows, fitted with half shutters was I think about three & half thousand pounds, from the Shutter Studio they have a showroom in Beckenham high street, family run & they come out & measure etc also Shutters Up another local firm who are very reasonable.
Very happy with mine, look lovely & help with draughts, easy to keep clean.

[Butterflystar76]

We got ours from the shutter store arrived flat pack and we installed them. Had a problem with measurements where the width of the window wasn't the same as the width of the opening so had to get some trimmed off... Bit of a faff, but look great!

[WandaFuca]

Here's a pic of my shutters, which I've had for a few years now. They didn't cost much more than I'd have had to pay for made-to-measure curtains. I got tier-on-tier shutters, because it's quite a tall bay window. As well as the look of them, I really appreciate the flexibility, which is much better than with curtains. I live on a fairly narrow road, and often find that I get glare from the sun reflecting in the windows of the houses opposite, but I can close the upper shutters in the middle of the bay and angle the slats just enough. If I still had curtains, I'd have had to drag them far enough across.