Shutters, Blinds, Shades: What's The Difference?

The world of window coverings is enormous. I know, it may seem silly to the lay person ("Oh come on Jeff, a world of window coverings?") but there are almost as many different ways to dress a window as there are windows. And consequently there are many different names and terms that can get confused or used interchangeably.

Let's take a look at three common window coverings that are often lumped together--shutters, blinds, and shades--and discover what they are, and how they differ.

SHUTTERS
Shutters are generally louvered coverings for a window or door. They can be fixed or able to open up, away from the window or door.

Often one will hear shutters called Plantation shutters since they were used extensively in Colonial islands like Jamaica. They are quite practical in tropical areas since they provide shade from glaring sun but the louvers can be tilted, usually on a central rod, to allow air to circulate. in interiors, they can signal an exotic, lush design scheme.

But the problem with shutters--and a complaint I hear most from clients who may have inherited shutters as window coverings from a previous owner--is that they can be overwhelming and make a space feel gloomy. When used on a large expanse, they tend to feel heavy, clunky...

In this application, it is simply a missed opportunity to layer window coverings which can introduce more color and texture into the space (we will see examples of this later in the post). And unlike most shades, blinds, or even draperies, shutters are fixed to the entire window. They cannot be stacked back or moved off the glass to allow more light or view. Whether they are built to sit inside the casing, or must be boxed and mounted outside the casing, they are bulky and cumbersome to open. Honestly, I have only ever had clients remove shutters, not install them, not only for the aforementioned reasons, but because the look is now quite dated.

BLINDS
Blinds offer a bit more flexibility. A blind is a series of slats made of metal, wood, or a composite material. They can be pulled up tight against the top of the casing, allowing for a fairly unimpeded view and like shutters, the slats can also be tilted to control light. It might just be me, but blinds make me flash on classic noir films from the 1930s and 40s.

And blinds can still have a cool, urban feeling. They play well in city lofts...

...but wood or composite versions can look nice anywhere.

An optional decorative feature on blinds is the addition of fabric "tape" which can come in any color or pattern.

The look can have a rich, Old World feel.

SHADES
A shade is generally a solid material that raises and lowers in front of the window. The typical shade most of us grew up with is the spring roller shade, which is a tube at the top of the casing on which the material rolls when open. Because of this, it is preferable for the roller mechanism to be hidden behind a fascia of some kind.

Now shades come with a top down/bottom up feature that allows for more precise control, not only for light but for privacy as well. As you can see in the image below, this privacy control is very useful in a bathroom!

Bamboo shades are perfect for introducing additional color and texture, and a warm, organic feel into a space. They are marvelous when layered under fabric drapes. This layering gives rooms a more finished look since the fabric drapery offers a softening element for the space.

And finally, a very popular variety of shade is the soft Roman shade. This is a flat piece of fabric or material (bamboo can be used as well) which pleats up into itself when raised. The advantage to this shade is that it can act like a drapery (coming in ANY choice of fabric), but have the functionality of a blind. For this reason, they are useful in kitchens where one does not want loose drapery fabric near either a water or a heat source. They can be tucked up out of the way, or lay flat against the glass when down.

And there we have three popular window covering options. As I said at the top of this post, the world of window coverings is wide and vast. Stay tuned for upcoming posts about draperies and the many ways they can be created.

Happy designing!

Know Your Chairs: The Savanarola Chair

It is not clear how this chair, around since Greek and Roman times via the Egyptians, came to be associated--and named after--the crazy Christian zealot from Renaissance Florence, Friar Girolamo Savonarola, but there we have it nonetheless. This X-framed chair, along with its counterpart the Dante chair, is a slatted folding chair. Easily transported because of its ability to become smaller and flat, it was a sign of power and influence in Medieval Italy. Nowadays, the Savanarola chair evokes a sense of Mediterranean history, and can look good in a California Colonial Spanish interior or even a Gothic styled space.

Below we see a Savanarola chair as an appropriate accent in a Gothic/Spanish Baroque/Modern dining room by Commune.

A Savanarola chair can also act as a sculptural piece, or as a type of "museum artifact" by being placed in an unexpected spot or within a contrasting scheme (see Design Mantra #1, right..."Contrast brings interest!"). This Savanarola chair looks amazing next to this ethnic-covered Eames lounge chair, also by Commune.

In a more minimalist setting, the chair takes on a special life of its own. The black example below is wonderfully graphic--and nearly modern--against the white wall.

Happy designing!

The Tradition of The Gatehouse

Interior Design is not only about interiors, but about architecture and historical styles as well. The outside of a dwelling should have something to do with the interior (although this "rule" may be judiciously broken for a design statement). And like so many things in life, the more one understands, the more one enjoys...

"A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance."

Because they are smaller than castles and manor houses, these delightful structures were and still are often homes in their own right.

Top to bottom: Barbican gate of Glenarm Castle, Co. Antrim; Caerhays Gatehouse; Caerhays Gatehouse, Cornwall; Lanhydrock Gatehouse, Cornwall; Lough Key Gatehouse, Boyle, Ireland; The Anthony Salvin Gatehouse at Harlaxton College, Lincolnshire; Tregothnan Gatehouse, Cornwall; unknown gatehouse

Such buildings suggest lovely classic British interiors like these, with a wonderfully curated mix of Jacobean, Victorian, and Edwardian elements:

The photo above is of Lee Stanton's stately yet comfortable English-style drawing room in Laguna Beach, California.

And the following image is a cozy drawing room by Broosk Saib. Chintz wallcovering, passamenterie, ancestral portraiture, wainscoting, discreet floor lamps, and a tole table all add up to a classic, timeless style from the British Isles.

Happy designing!

Fiorito Interior Design Press Update, March 2015

I was interviewed by Good Housekeeping for an article entitled "7 Big Mistakes You Make Lighting Your Home." Although I spoke about many things--the need for layered lighting, the need for flexibility in lighting, and incandescent vs. LED lights--my comments about the usefulness of dimmers in the home became #2 on the list of 7 mistakes.

2. You dismiss dimmer switches.
Many of the designers we spoke to named this mistake as a major pet peeve. "Dimmers are the best kept secret of lighting design," says interior designer Jeff Fiorito. "They allow you to control your lighting from day to night, for various events, and depending on your mood." A quaint dinner party simply isn't so quaint if your dining room is lit up like a stadium.

Thanks to author Lauren Piro and Good Housekeeping. To see the original article on the Good Housekeeping website, click here.

And if you missed it, please read my past post about this topic, "Lighting Basics: How To Illuminate a Space."
Happy designing!

The Four Basic Types of Sofa Arms

There are almost as many sofa arms as there are sofas, but this primer on the four basic types of sofa arms will help you narrow down styles when sofa browsing. There are many variations on these four, but you'll be able to see the bones of each in whatever you see.

Roll Arm
This style is called a roll arm for obvious reasons. The arm literally rolls out from the body of the sofa. It is a very traditional arm and appears not only on most sofas, but also on different shapes like the Chesterfield, seen in the second photo below (I previously wrote an entire post about the Chesterfield sofa here).

English Roll Arm
A hallmark of the English roll arm is that it is typically much lower than the back, and much closer to the seat deck.

Scoop or Slope Arm
This arm features a gentle curve or slope downward to the seat deck, lending a sensuous, curvaceous appeal to a piece of furniture. In the first photo, the beautiful scoop arm sofa in a living room by Redmond Aldrich Design boasts extra elegance with chrome nailheads.

Track Arm
A track arm's linear quality is contemporary and can lend a Mid-Century Modern feeling, as seen in this sleek room below.

Despite being contemporary in nature, a track arm is neutral enough to exist alongside traditional elements like antique furnishings and a coffered ceiling.

A track arm does not have to be slim, either. Often times, especially in Italian design, track arms can be wide and substantial.

Even though we have seen a track arm in a variety of settings, some sofa arms go better with certain room styles than others. In the market for a new sofa but overwhelmed by choices? Give me a call!

Happy designing!