There’s a reason why interior designers praise the use of plantation shutters as “classic” or “traditional”. While we have everything from wooden plantation shutters to PVC plantation shutters today, this style of shutter has actually been adorning windows since antiquity.
As its name suggests, plantation shutters may have gained popularity as an elegant garnish to grandiose homes in America’s old south. These shutters provided 360 views of cotton fields, peach orchards and swampy terrains. However, like so many products we use today, America was not where these furnishings started – their design was actually invented by the Ancient Greeks.
From Ancient Greece…
The Ancient Greeks were some of the best at manipulating and working with wood. Back in the day, many window coverings were made of strong marble and stone, which, as you can imagine, would have been rather difficult to operate. Once our ancestors figured out how to use wood, they began to carve it for functional purposes, such as the ingenious plan for plantation shutters.
Imagine how luxurious the invention of plantation shutters would have been at the time. We marvel at their large yet easy-to-adjust slats today and we love their ability to control light and heat as we please.
In a time before air conditioning or central heating, these benefits would have been even more profound. After all, governing a Republic and discussing philosophy is tiresome work.
…Throughout the Mediterranean…
Mediterranean climates are not always so easy on the body. This is just one reason why window shutters became popular through Greece and the rest of the Mediterranean. They allowed ladies of leisure to nap in comfort, with a light breeze brushing playfully over their lovely faces.
Cooks in grand households also found these shutters useful as it allowed plenty of light in their kitchens without overheating an already steamy space.
…To the New World…
Plantation shutters made the crossing to the New World with the Europeans. Naturally, swampy Southern homes incorporated these shutters to try to combat the unbearable heat while controlling lighting. They grew in popularity in large part due to their practical nature, but also because of their undeniably elegant aesthetic.
…To Modern Australia
The “new world” of Australia began its life as a European settlement in 1777. It probably took a few decades for the convicts and sailors who arrived to begin thinking about creature comforts like elegant and easily maneuverable shutters.
However, Governors Phillip, Macquarie, and other people of repute would have probably had to take a page out the Mediterranean book and ventilated their hot homes with shutters.
These days, Australia is renowned for its style and innovation. It only follows that plantation shutters have become ever more popular in modern Australia as the years have gone by.
Plantation shutters have been used for centuries, and with good reason. Talk to the experts at EcoShade Solutions to see if they’re right for your home.
