Cornwall LivingIssue #121
Back to light
Introducing a sense of sleek, functional style to make the most of the long-awaited sunshine.
It’s been a long, dark, wet and windy winter, and we all get a lift from seeing brighter colours with the kick of Vitamin D that natural daylight brings. As lighter days approach, it’s time to look at whether we’re truly making the most of the golden rays that we welcome back into our lives, and particularly, our homes.
Throwing the curtains wide open is great,
but there are subtler, more customisable solutions which can help you make the most of the beautiful light, without getting a shine across your TV screen, or having the neighbours see that you’re squeezing in watching daytime telly while working from home. With so many options, how do you choose what’s best for you?
We asked Lynn and Steve Allen, owners of Shuttercraft in Cornwall, a well-established local business supplying shutters and blinds, what some of the main considerations are,
and how they help people make the most of their homes.
Lynn says: “The key is listening to the wants and needs of homeowners, and everyone is different. If your house is close to the road, privacy is likely to be a more important factor, or if you’ve got stained glass portions in the upper part of your windows, we want to help you make the most of those. If you’re into films, ensuring you can stop the screen glare will be key. It’s all about getting it right for you.”
Whilst shutters are undoubtedly the most versatile of window coverings, due to the ability to tilt different sections of louvres so you can choose exactly which parts of your windows are covered, there are lots of blind options which are well worth considering, as they can fit with a softer, fabric aesthetic.
While the most important thing about your home is how you feel in it, we all like to see our houses looking great from the outside, and the right choices can give your home more ‘kerb appeal’, which can lead to improved house prices, as Steve tells us: “It’s worth thinking about the long-term when you put something new in your windows. It will probably be a long time before you consider changing again. Think how they will look in a few years. One of the key reasons I like working with wooden shutters is that they stand the test of time, they don’t go out of fashion, and they’re really durable, which is why we’re able to offer a ten year guarantee.”
Of course, energy costs are rising, making it more expensive to heat and cool your house. What you put in your windows can make a big difference. As Lynn puts it: “It’s about two factors; how well light and heat get through. The more your window coverings move in a breeze, the less you’re able to create a thermal barrier between your room and the window. In the summer, you can cool a room by reflecting light away from the interior of a room by tilting louvres up, and on those cold winter nights, closing them completely is not only a great way of creating a cosy private space, it keeps the heat in, too.”
Lynn and Steve’s Shuttercraft franchise offers you the best of all worlds; a local company, owned and run by this highly-trained, friendly couple, and the reassurance of a national brand guaranteeing the quality of the product and workmanship. Wherever you are in your thoughts on improving your home, why not give them a call? In a free consultation, they talk you through the options available in the comfort of your own home with no pressure, ensuring that when you choose to change, you’ll end up with a solution perfectly tailored for your needs!
SHUTTERCRAFT
