Rooms
Bedroom shutters: getting blackout and privacy right
"Do shutters make a room dark?" is the question we're asked most in bedrooms. Louvred shutters dim heavily; genuine blackout needs a deliberate specification.
13 May 2026 · 5 min read
Why louvred panels still let a little light in
Louvres overlap when closed but they aren't sealed, so a thin line of light shows at each edge and around the frame. In most bedrooms that's fine. For a nursery, a shift worker or a very light summer morning, it isn't.
Options that get you properly dark
- · Solid-panel shutters with no louvres — the closest thing to a traditional interior shutter, and the darkest option.
- · Tier-on-tier with solid lower panels and louvres above.
- · Louvred shutters plus a lined curtain or a blackout roller behind the panel.
Privacy without a dark room all day
Tilting the louvres upward lets you keep daylight on the ceiling while nobody can see in from ground level — useful on bedrooms that overlook a road or a neighbouring house.
