Sidelight Shutters
One of our most popular videos on YouTube is a sidelight window discussion. But more often than not, we end up doing shutters on sidelights. So, that is why we are discussing Sidelight Shutters in this blog. I posted a very basic video on our channel and I am going to discuss here why we made the choices we did.
Overall Look of Sidelight Shutter
When you see how a sidelight shutter looks, it seems very basic. It is a shutter on a small window next to the front door. When you look at the picture to the left, not much stands out. It is just a shutter. But, let’s break it down.
Split Tilt Allows Privacy
Let’s start with the basics. For privacy’s sake, we often will do a split tilt. This is where the shutter allows you to adjust which louvers tilt and at what height they tilt. So, when you look to the left, you will notice that these Sidelight Shutters allow the homeowner to look over the top of the lower louvers while still allowing privacy for themselves.
Overcoming Obstacles for Perfect Shutters
The next point has to do with dealing with obstructions. If you look carefully at the picture on the left, you will notice that the trim of the window projects into the shutter space. So, we needed to extend the back of the shutter frame in order to make it functional. We were also able to match the width to what the opening is. This way it look very custom and perfect.
What is behind the shutter can be less than attractive, but what it looks like from the room is what is important. So, the photo we are looking at has all kinds of technicalities, but when we look at the photo above this one, it looks clean and simple.
Things Aren’t Always What They Seem
When you look at this top rail, it might look normal, but it isn’t. It is about 6” tall. Normal is about 3 1/2” high with a little give or take. So, why did we design it at this height? Take a look at the next picture and look at why we designed it this way.
Style AND Function
As you can see, there is a block of wall behind the top rail. We felt like having a cleaner look at the top of the shutter was a better choice. So, this sidelight shutter was designed to match the overall look of the door. By taking the frame to the very top, it matches the door better than if we had created new lines a couple of inches lower.
But, when designed the top to be that high, we had to take into consideration where the louvers would start. If we hadn’t chosen this top rail height, you would have seen the wall behind the open shutters. That would have been bad design, in my opinion.
Sidelight Shutter Recap
So, as with all window coverings, great thought needs to be put into the design, so that you get the look you need with the function the opening needs. This sidelight shutter was just one such example. It is pretty rare to have a job that doesn’t have some kind of specific needs that we have to address before ordering. I just wanted to give a bit more detail as to how the process works when you use Kempler Design.
About Us
Kempler Design is located in Reno NV and serves the northern Nevada and Lake Tahoe regions with a mobile design showroom. Paul Kempler, its founder is considered a window fashions expert. Kempler Design has been featured in many prestigious projects, including the HGTV dream home in Lake Tahoe. Kempler Design works with homeowners as well as interior design firms looking for a local contact in the Reno/Tahoe area or is available for travel.