Plantation Shutters and Solid Shutters: Designing an unusual shaped Living Room

If you are moving into a new property, you may have your heart set on plantation shutters or solid shutters for the living room but are unsure about how the overall effect will look - especially if you have a tricky shaped space. This article will take a look at some of the solutions available to you.

Whether you have moved into a new build home, or are revamping a period property, not all living rooms have a traditional rectangular shaped design. Once the previous occupant has cleared the property of their belongings and the place is stripped to a bare shell, every alcove, window and design feature will be revealed in its full glory; so you see the interior with fresh eyes. And, while most living rooms are rectangular, some are more unusual, and could be in the shape of a circle, octagon, half octagon, pentagon or even a triangle - and you may not have taken this into consideration at the initial viewing.

So the big question is: How do you start decorating this type of interior? The first step is to think about the window coverings. Plantation shutters or solid shutters are a great choice for a living room as they keep the heat in during the winter months, keep the property cool in summer, are easy to keep clean, and increase the security and privacy of your home. But if you have an unusual interior - are plantation shutters or solid shutters possible in these circumstances?

Here we shall look at the various options for odd shaped living rooms and consider whether plantation shutters or solid shutters would be suitable in this type of space.

Plantation Shutters - to view some of our plantation shutters click here.

Plantation Shutters and Solid Shutters: Solutions for Awkward Spaces

If you have an awkward shaped room and are considering plantation shutters or solid shutters for the interior of your home, there are two main options available on where they can be placed.  Do take some time to think about this as it will make a difference when you want to open the shutters fully.

The first option is whether you want shutters that fold flat against the wall on either side of the window (producing a frame effect). If you like this look, consider whether the space in front of the window is enough for the shutters to fold outwards in this way without knocking into pictures or potentially banging into the furniture.

If this is not possible because of the size or shape of the living room, the other option is to have shutters that fold into the window frame. If this is your preference, check that your sill is large enough to accommodate this without impinging on the room. To make your decision easier for you, our experts at Bespoke Shutters can advise you on this when you choose your shutters.

However, if you don’t want to open your shutters fully and intend to keep them closed at all times - for instance, if you have a ground floor flat or a property facing a busy street - plantation shutters are the best option as, even in the closed position,  you can adjust the slats to let the light in.

Making the Most of an Unusual Living Room

If you have an unusual shaped family room, you may not know where to start when it comes to decorating it. A top tip is to draw the room to scale on a piece of graph paper or map it out on the computer (there are computer Apps available for this). This way you can play about with the various options on where to put your furniture and make a decision on the best layout for you.

Another top tip, if you have a tricky or awkward shaped room (an open plan living room/kitchen/diner for instance), is to create various zones. For example, if you have an open plan space in the shape of a pentagon (with the kitchen on the flat side of the pentagon) this leaves you with a triangle, which is one of the most awkward shapes to decorate.

The best thing to do is to start with the living area and map out a zone in the shape of a rectangle. Then decorate this space as if the living room was in a rectangular shape all along. For example you could put a television in the apex of the triangle, a sofa on one wall and another sofa opposite and parallel to it. This will leave you with a triangular shaped space behind the sofa which you can transform into a dining area. The remaining space can be used for traffic entering or leaving the room.

Another solution is to have a corner sofa (instead of two separate sofas) with the back to the kitchen area and to put the TV on the wall. This leaves one wall free and gives you more storage space and more freedom of where to site the dining table. The trick is to toy with the various ideas to find out which one works best for you.

About The Bespoke Shutter Company

The Bespoke Shutter Company supply and install high quality solid shutters and plantation shutters to suit all sizes and shapes of interior.

Plantation Shutters - to view some of our plantation shutters click here.