they prevent so much light from brightening up your interior

You can open them all the way and they won't obstruct the view or light. At least not in my sisters' home~hers are very wide.

Plantation shutters are a classic look. They can come in a variety of louver sizes, and here in Georgia we usually sell a 3-1/2" louver. It looks really wide in our sample book, but looks awesome in a window. Check out our Facebook fan page to see current installed pictures: www.facebook.com/southernblinds