Purchasing Interior Window Shutters (Also Called Plantation Shutters) from Southern Custom Shutters
A Shopping Experience and Honest Review from one Southern Custom Shutters Customer
We Purchased Our New Beautiful Interior Shutters, Directly From The Factory!
We finally got around to giving our 35 year old home the facelift it deserved.
New paint and carpet, refinished kitchen cabinets and granite counter tops, bathroom tile and fixtures. The house beamed in appreciation…except for one feature, our old and faded window treatments. Some had fabric curtains and old fashioned cornices, others were clad with vertical metal shades that clattered in the breeze….all of them used knotted ropes and pulleys to adjust and none of them worked as designed.
These old ugly window treatments looked like a gnarly wart on our house’s new and shiny face.
Our Window Treatment Shopping Experience Began
We headed out to the big city window treatment store…
Something had to be done, so we headed for the big city window treatment store and looked at our options. Window treatments were offered at designer shops, big box retailers and home improvement stores. Trying to choose the best place to spend our money was a bit overwhelming but our choice of styles was not.
We immediately fell in love with these solid wood “plantation” style interior window shutters. They were sturdy, durable and convenient to use….no ropes or pulleys, just a vertical wood tilt rod that moved all the shutter louvers up and down with a simple touch, taking the room to full sun or nearly full shade in seconds.
We fell in love with solid wood plantation shutters. They were not only elegant and timeless, they were sturdy, durable and convenient as well.
The shutters were available in a wide variety of solid colors or wood stains. We knew the bright white would liven up our bedrooms and the wood finish could be matched to our cherished antique oak dining room furnishings.
The High Price of Interior Window Shutters When Sold at Retail Markups
Our options were to pay high retail markups, or go the DIY route and install our new shutters ourselves.
We were ecstatic and ready to move on with our new project…until we saw the price. Yikes! It was going to take as much to shutter our windows as it did to install our countertops! We knew what we wanted now but we needed to find a more competitive source.
Paying retail markups meant it was going to take as much to shutter our windows as it did to install our countertops!
Naturally, we started our search on-line, where we found internal shutters for windows at sky high markups and a number of discount shutter manufacturers at more reasonable prices BUT, these prices did not include installation and that meant doing our own measuring, waiting for our shutters to arrive in boxes, and then INSTALLING them ourselves. For two retirees with all our limbs in good working order, this was NOT an option. If we were to make a mistake and install incorrectly, what would we do? Furthermore, the idea of climbing a ladder to measure or install these on our own made us shudder (pardon the pun.)
Finding Plantation Shutters for Interior Windows At Factory Direct Prices
How we cut out the middleman!
So, we were faced with a dilemma..go the expensive retail route and get the job done correctly and professionally and pay full price for our new plantation shutters, or hire someone to install our on–line purchase and hope our measurements were correct and trust that they would do a good job and that no one got hurt climbing up and down ladders in the process.
Shopping For Window Treatments Can Be Difficult and Overwhelming
We could pay full retail markup or hire a contractor to install for us and take a chance they would install everything correctly.
As a last ditch effort, I decided to give it one last on-line search..low and behold, something caught my eye as I perused the suppliers on-line. I saw an ad for Southern Custom Shutters, a factory direct shutter manufacturer who had been building wood and faux wood shutters (and other related products) for over twenty five years. Their motto was “We deliver to you…and install them too!” That was music to my ears but I needed to know more.
I clicked on their website and I was amazed. The site was packed with photos, information and details about their custom interior shutters, shades and blinds I didn’t even know existed, like roller shades, cellular shades, solar shades and even motorized shades.
Their GALLERY showed a multitude of window treatment ideas. Photos of shutters, shades and blinds that they had installed in homes just like ours. It gave us more window design ideas and filled us with excitement and anticipation.
I browsed further and learned more about products they offer and how their installation process works. Just call their number or send them an email outlining your needs and ideas, and they’ll reach out to you to schedule a free in-home consultation to discuss their various types of shutters, both wood and faux wood interior shutters. They take window measurements if you decide to purchase.
Scheduling a free in-home appointment is super easy. They’ll even come out and take measurements so you don’t have to.
We chose to call and leave a message with our contact information and requirements. Then we sat back and began to envision our new interior shutters shining out from our freshly painted windows!
Our Free In-Home Consultation
We were afraid we’d get a pushy sales rep trying to push a sale on us…
My only concern was that our inquiry would trigger a visit from a fast talking sales rep with a briefcase full of contracts and a lengthy presentation followed by a high pressure closing pitch. We needn’t have worried. Our call was returned by a polite but well informed factory representative named Brooklyn, who asked when would be a convenient time to visit our home.
We set up a time and they arrived right on time. Their representative came to our door with a safety mask, company identification, samples of their shutters and a measuring tape. We exchanged pleasantries and sat down at our dining room table.
Their representative came to our door with, company identification, samples of their shutters and a measuring tape.
We explained our decorating style and how we hoped that the window shutters would match our decor and complement all of our hard work. At that point, their representative asked a few questions about how we used our windows and how much light we wanted to bring in, in order to help us determine which louver sizes to choose.
The Consultation (and Measure) Process
We Were Shown Samples of Both Real Wood & Faux Wood Shutters
We were able to view actual samples of shutter materials in both wood and faux wood, in solid colors and wood stains. We chose the exact shade of white we desired for our upstairs windows, then referenced the wood samples to match them up to our antique dining room furnishings.
We then moved from room to room in order to measure our windows and made notes. After they patiently inspected and measured all of our windows, we returned to the dining room table to discuss our budget. They explained that the shutters we selected could be produced in solid wood or a faux wood vinyl version that looked almost identical to the wood. But we wanted the best and selected the top of the line solid wood version.
The price was a pleasant surprise…less than the local window treatment store on a product that appeared to be even higher quality and more durable than what we had been shown at retail.
The SCS representative then studied the dimensions carefully and worked up a quote for our total project…right then and there! The price was a pleasant surprise…less than the local window treatment store on a product that appeared to be even higher quality and more durable than what we had been shown at retail. Finally, We Were Able to Get the Interior Shutters We Dreamed of, at an Affordable Cost.
Finally, We Were Able to Get the Interior Shutters We Dreamed of, at an Affordable Cost.
At that point, they asked politely if this was a project that we wished to move forward with…no pressure…no hard sale, just a quote and several purchasing options. We gave them an enthusiastic yes and approved the project for immediate processing. From there, the rep put our purchase into production with their shutter factory in High Point, North Carolina. The rep explained that building and preparing our shutters would take a few weeks.
The Plantation Shutter Installation
The Day Our New Interior Window Shutters Were Installed
On the day we scheduled, the Southern Custom Shutter crew arrived, on-time, with tools and our brand new interior shutters! They were neat, professional, methodical, and careful not to damage or stain our walls or furnishings. Since the shutters were pre-cut, pre-painted and pre-stained, there was very little wood cutting or heavy production. They laid down floor coverings, installed our shutters firmly into our sashes and frames then cleaned up the job site. They were done in a day and our house looks brand new!!!!
We couldn’t be happier with our experience with Southern Custom Shutters. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to install new plantation shutters that look classy, work great, and last a long time. We took pictures of the whole process.. Take a look, then call Southern Custom Shutters.
If you need shutters, you can’t do better than Southern Custom Shutters. They were professional, built a high quality product, and from design to installation they took care of everything.
High Point, NC
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ADDENDUM:
The Benefits of Our New Window Treatments
What we discovered later…
A few months ago, we called Southern Custom Shutters and asked them to install wooden window shutters in our home. Their quote was reasonable, their installation was flawless and we were very satisfied with the finished project. Our reasons for wanting these window shutters were strictly based on appearance and convenience. Our old blinds were old and unsightly. They required ropes and pulleys and they clattered in the breeze. They no longer operated properly and they had yellowed with age.
Our new wood shutters were classy and new. They were hand made from solid wood and operated with the touch of a finger. Now, we can adjust the light or breeze in any room in the house just by moving the louvers up or down. We were totally satisfied with the results.
We discovered some additional benefits that we hadn’t even anticipated. These benefits have only enhanced our love of our new shutters and our appreciation of SCS.
However, after a few weeks and the onset of cold winter nights and shorter days, we discovered some additional benefits that we hadn’t even anticipated. These benefits have only enhanced our love of our new shutters and our appreciation of SCS.
These benefits are numerous but fall into two major categories.
Insuation and Energy Efficiency
Our new shutters have improved our temperature control a full ten degrees!
Our master bath features a large window that faces due north and leaks air when the wind blows. Caulking and sealing have done little to minimize the heat loss and that room is freezing in the winter months.
However, after the Southern Custom team sealed the shutter frames and any gaps around the edges, we noticed an immediate and major difference.
At night, when we fully close the louvers, we now enjoy an inch thick wood barrier against the wind and cold, and we are no longer dependent on our old leaky window for insulation.
Even on the coldest winter night (in the teens) our bathroom has not dipped below 65 degrees, improving our comfort and reducing our energy costs.
We have placed a thermometer in the room and measured an improvement of a full ten degrees! Even on the coldest winter night (in the teens) our bathroom has not dipped below 65 degrees, improving our comfort and reducing our energy costs.
We are confident that the addition of these energy efficient wood shutters will pay for themselves in three years!
No More Light Pollution
We can now control exactly how much light we want to come in.
On the other side of our three bedroom home, the window in our upstairs master bedroom is exposed to a huge and annoying street light, so bright that it penetrates cloth curtains and the seams in our old mini blinds. However, now we can flip the louvers in our new shutters into the closed and upright position, blocking virtually all light from outside and plunging our bedroom into near total darkness, which has improved our sleep tremendously and made our nearby street light a non issue. We are overjoyed!
Our new shutters have improved our sleep tremendously and made our nearby street light a non issue. We are overjoyed!
Southern Custom Shutters will improve your life and your home in numerous ways. If you’re looking for indoor shutters near you, we recommend you consider installing these shutters ASAP and call Southern Custom Shutters today.
High Point, NC
