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Even though our exterior shutters are made to be authentic and fully functional there are times when they are installed for decoration. Most decorative shutters are mounted to either side of a window, often using real shutter hardware give the look of truly functional exterior shutters.

But what do you do when you have no windows?

The customer above solved this by mounting fixed louvered exterior shutters directly to their home. This not only added curb appeal and interest to the front of their home, but it also gives the illusion that there really are windows behind those exterior shutters.

This trick has long been used in commercial interiors where make-believe windows are strategically place to make a more comfortable lighter airy feel to a store’s layout rather then the four walls of a mall. The Hollister Store is certainly astounding with the many interior Plantation Shutters, many of which are made by us, installed throughout their stores.

With a big focus in recent years towards basement remodeling this trick can also be used with interior shutters. Just by installing a boxed window casing fitted with interior shutters on any wall you will make windows appear before your eyes for a lighter more natural feel inside under-the-ground.

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice- Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.   www.DIYShutters.com   1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com

The story behind the exterior shutters on this stone home in Belgium for Memorial Day.

Often when we think of exterior shutters we think about how they add curb appeal. Improving the exterior of our home. Sometimes, though, they can be part of a much greater transformation.

The building shown above, located in Chièvres, Belgium, started out as a stable. During WWII it had the unfortunate location of being right next door to the local Nazi headquarters. Local legend has it that these stables ended up being used to hold and interrogate prisoners. After it was delivered from such a use by the Allied forces in the Fall of 1944 it eventually fell in to disrepair.

Finally it was purchased in the early 1990’s. We were told how

” This old place was not so comfy 15 years ago, it was a deserted stable and chickens were roosting in the hay loft. It was so run down there were gaping holes in the roof and you could look up and see the sky from the inside. “

Over the course of those 15 years the new owner took this shell, turned it in to a house and finally, with lots of hard work, made it in to a home.

” The shutters are the last project and it will be restored to its original condition, thanks to you folks. You don’t know how many people in town ask about your shutters, and even more astonished that they were made in the good old USA. “

It is an honor to have our shutters and doors chosen by a customer. In this case we are stirred with remembrance knowing that our exterior shutters helped transform this building with a dark past into a comforting home. It is a Memorial set in stone.

The style of exterior shutters used this home is our 7145 Board & Batten Shutters with Breadboard Top and Diamond Cutouts

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice – Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.   www.DIYShutters.com   1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com

Looking for a simple way to personalize your interior doors?

Our 6500 series interior doors feature removable trim which can be used to hold glass, mirrors and most any other flat panel from dry eraser board to woven reeds. We can supply you with clear and frosted tempered glass. Pantries, bedrooms and closets alike, even exterior entrance doors, can have a glass or plastic glazing insert. Glass inserts add an interesting transition from room to room even if it is a closet.

Take a look at the way some of our customers have personalized their custom interior doors:

Natural light softly illuminates this closet’s storage area. A double walled poly material provides the subtle opaque quality in these bi-fold doors.

	For this combination medicine and linen closet the homeowner used a heavy banded glass which is perfect for providing just a hint of what is kept on the shelf behind the door. With the louvered door section below linens will have adequate ventilation to stay fresh.( Interior Door style 6522 – Open for glass over 2.1/2″ Fixed Plantation Louvers )
Here On this bi-fold door combination, custom Art’s & Craft style stained glass inserts were used to give these tongue & groove doors a very unique look.( Interior Doors style 6160 – Open for glass over Tongue & Groove doors )
	Here the homeowner chose a frosted glass with a pattern of dots. The glass sits above a true beadboard panel in this double door closet installation.( Interior Door style 6570 – Open for glass over beadboard Door )
Here this customer on the Hawaiian Islands did not want to block the view outside their front door so they went with clear tempered glass for the top and a woven insert for the bottom. The mid-rails on these door frames were custom shaped to mimic an ocean wave.
	Bifold Doors have a clear stain with a “cross reeded” patterened glass. The glass helps to obscure the contents of the closet while the fixed Plantation louvers in the bottom provide needed ventilation( Interior Doors style 6522 – Open for glass over Fixed Plantation Louvers ) With a Kestrel 6500 door series glass, mirrors, poly-wall and any other sheet material is a snap to install. With so many door frame insert possibilities personalizing your door’s becomes very easy.

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice- Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.   www.DIYShutters.com   1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com

If you find yourself traveling towards the South Jersey beaches this Memorial Day set aside some time for a little side trip down Route 9. This will take you right through the village of Cape May Court House where you can see the Cape May County Court House that was built in 1850.

In the 1990’s when it came time to replace the exterior shutters of the Court House their maintenance department turned to us for our DIY Shutter™ Kits. Over 20 pairs of operable louvered shutters and shutter hardware were supplied in our exclusive kits for the department to assemble. Now, over a decade later, the exterior shutters still adorn this historic landmark for all to see on their way to Cape May.

The shutter style used on the Cape May County Court House is our 1.7/8″ Traditional Operable Louvered design. Since these are exterior shutters they were made from solid Spanish Cedar. Frame joints are traditional pegged mortise-and-tenon joinery construction which makes the shutters easy to assemble on-site with a pair of clamps, a bottle of exterior grade glue, and a drill.

Here is what was used on this project:

Kestrel Exterior Shutters style 1020 – 1.7/8″ Traditional Operable Louvered D.I.Y. Shutters kits

Exterior Shutter Material: Spanish Cedar

Kestrel Exterior Shutter Hardware:

Lift-off Mortise Butt Hinges: HE1-401, Size 3″ x 3″

Shutter Dogs / Tiebacks: HE2-35, Plate Mount Cast Iron Flower

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice- Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.   www.DIYShutters.com   1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com

Here is another terrific outdoor project. This customer made great use of Kestrel Exterior Shutters and Louvered Doors when designing their outdoor dining area and kitchen for their coastal home.

To allow for both air flow and privacy an Operable Plantation Louvered Door (style 6212) was used for the bathroom. All of the outer windows were fitted with awning style Bahama Shutters. Operable Plantation Louvered Bahama shutters (style 1010) were used where privacy was needed while the other windows had Plantation Fixed Louvered Bahama Shutters (style 2010) to provide constant air flow. The exterior shutters and door were custom sized and built from Spanish Cedar using traditional pegged, mortise and tenon joinery.

Below you can see the Operable Louvered Doors and the exterior view of the Bahama Shutters.

Here from the inside you can see how the Bahama Shutter Hardware is mounted to prop the shutter open creating an awning which is quite effective at screening the sun. We installed Bahama Shutters on the exterior of our Southerly facing office last year. The temperature inside was significantly reduced and the shutters also provided our Geranium packed window boxes just under each shutter a bit of sunscreen.

This project turned out great!

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice- Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.   www.DIYShutters.com   1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com