When it comes to dressing a small window with indoor shutters, there are a few design choices you can make to maximize visibility out of the shutters and have an aesthetically pleasing design in proportion to your small window.
Our shutters are custom made to your personal preference, but the tips below are good to keep in mind when designing shutters for a small bathroom window, skinny sidelight, transom, basement window or other small windows.
Shutter styles for small windows
We recommend full height shutters for small windows.
Cafe style covers only the lower portion of the window, so may not be ideal for an already small window.
Tier on tier style splits up the upper and lower tier and can result in too much solid material where the upper and lower panels meet, blocking much of the view out of the window.
Slat Sizes that suit small windows
Our smallest slat size is 2 1/2” and may be the best choice for your small windows. Though you may have larger slats throughout the rest of the house, very wide slats can overpower a small window.
Also, the solid top and bottom rails on your shutter panel are adjusted based on how many slats your window height can accommodate.
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Smaller slats allow for more movable slats, and smaller solid top/bottom rails. Larger slats limit the total amount of slats possible to fit within the shutter panel, and that difference is compensated for by increasing the size of the top/bottom rails.
Frame Mount
An outside mount is a great way to increase the overall area that your shutter covers. Because the frame will mount outside of the window opening, it increases the overall width and height of the shutter.
An outside mount leaves more visibility out of your slats. Inside mount has the shutter frame fitting completely within the inside recess of the window opening, therefore the shutter panel becomes even smaller to fit within that frame.
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Outside mount is a great option especially for narrow sidelight windows that may not be wide enough for a shutter panel to fit inside the recessed opening.
You can provide us with the outside, finished size of the area you want the shutter to cover, so you can mount the frame tight up against the window opening, or increase your dimensions even more to cover a larger area if desired.
Frame Types for small window shutters
Whether using an inside mount or outside mount, you will want to reference our measuring guides and see which frame styles are available in the material you have chosen. Choosing the narrowest frame will maximize how large your shutter panels are.
Our American Hardwood range has our narrowest frames, starting at just 1 1/8” wide. This range also offers the most flexible minimum panel width for very narrow windows.
For very small windows that are too short or too narrow to have a frame and panel fit the window size, another option is to order panels only (frameless). This is a more challenging way to install, as you will need to align the hinges on your end and check that your windows are deep enough to accommodate the panel and slat size chosen. However, it frees up additional space surrounding the shutter panel that would be taken up by a frame.
Other Design Options
When it comes to small windows, of course you can choose any color to compliment your existing décor. However, a neutral bright color like Bright White or Arctic can make your window and room appear larger. Dark colors tend to make the area look smaller.
A hidden tilt rod is another design element that can make your window appear larger and leave more of the view open when your shutter slats are opened. A hidden tilt rod eliminates the central bar that runs down the middle of the slats.
For more design tips or help with measuring your small windows, our shutter experts are a call, email or online chat message away! Attach a picture of the window to your order or send a picture in prior to ordering, and one of our experts will be happy to offer our guidance on what will fit and look best in your window.
This post was brought to you by Yasmeen, one of The Shutter Store USA's experienced shutter consultants. Get in touch today for advice on finding the right plantation shutters for the small windows in your home! Our friendly team of shutter experts are a call, chat or email away! Upload a picture of your small windows with your order or send it in to our support team for help designing your perfect shutters. We are here to help!