Husband is correct. Plantation shutters are always in style in the south.

We have them throughout our house and love them. They're even in the garage since that window faces the street. In or out of style really doesn't matter if you like the look. It might depend on lcation, but they do seem to be very popular where we are (Southern CA). The wider the slats, the better IMO. Ours are all 3 1/2" and were installed by the previous home owners. I would go wider if doing it myself now...4 or 4 1/2". Ours have tilt bars which is a more traditional look to me. No tilt bar leans more contemporary.

Some pluses for me are they're really easy to clean with a Swiffer Duster and damp cloth. Much easier than any kind of fabric. Also, in our area they can add value to a home, unlike other window treatments.

I have them throughout my house - it’s a transitional house remodeled in 2019. Moving into a new modern style house and I will not be using them. I love them, don’t get me wrong, but it depends on the style of the home.

We had plantation shutters in our transitional Texas ranch. I really want them for our North Carolina craftsman but they're really expensive. I have 18 windows that are 84 in x 32 in and I'll probably be about $7,000. Otherwise it'll be faux wood composition blinds the widest slat possible.

I am not a pro. I agree with Mrs Pete. Get what you guys want. Frankly I’m tired of mine, which are a decent vinyl (I was waved off wood because of humidity near ocean worries). I’m just bored and they in no way compare to the nicely done wood shutters of the south. What drives me absolutely nuts is the light leakage. My 2” all wood shutters did a much better job in that regard. Of course, a lot depends on your manufacturer. Full disclosure - these cheap vinyl blinds were only $7500 installed (about 30 windows). The wood shutters cost about $30k (45 huge windows).

love my plantation shutters. Had them in the first house and now in my current house. I don't care for drapes...

I have them in my Florida home and really like them. We have a great room with 3 different style windows and the shutters unifies them all.

We have high quality wood.

I have plantation shutters throughout my house and love them. The wider the slat, the better- wider slats obstruct less of the view when tilted open. I prefer no tilt bars.

I just moved into a new house a year ago, and we had them installed throughout the house. We live in a new neighborhood and lots of people have them. I got the 4" slats which let a lot more light in when they're open, and no tilt bars. I've had just about every type of window covering imaginable through the years, and to me, these are the easiest to clean and look nice. I suppose they're not for everyone, though, but I love them.

We have them in our bedrooms and family room and love them—look great, provide privacy and help and provide a little extra insulation on cold winter nights. I did not put them in our living and dining room which are more formal and have drapes. I went with real wood 2 inch slats because our house is an older colonial with more substantial mouldings/window casings and our rooms aren’t huge or vaulted so the 2 inch looked more proportional.

I hate plantation shutters in almost every house . They are heavy, expensive, block light and views and IMO a PITA to clean. The first thing you need to figure out is what you want window coverings for. If heat and light control then IMO solar shades do a fabulous job and let you keep the view , they provide daytime privacy and I usually mix them with drapes where I need night time privacy. I wuld like to see your house and get more info from you in order to comment on what you should do.

Plantation shutters are never out of style. They've literally been in style for almost 200 years. The larger slats are more "current" than smaller ones. I love them for bedrooms as they are good at blocking light but I would be more hesitant in the living spaces as they take up space when opened. Friends of mine who had them in their living space never completely opened them - just tilted the slats - and that made it darker in their home.

Honestly cost is the biggest reason I wouldn't install them. We did in our last home, just in the master bedroom, and just those windows cost us $5k.

Thoughts about comments:

- Yes, plantation shutters are quite expensive! If you want them, perhaps you can balance this against the "need" for drapes, if you don't buy the plantation shutters. Said differently, plantation shutters can "stand alone" /no need for additional window treatments.

- If you dust them lightly every week or two, the dust won't build up /won't be difficult to clean.

- These are available in lots of variations: full window, lower half only /valance at the top, white or wood. Before you settle on something, look at Pinterest to see the variations that exist.

- Personal opinion: If you're going to use them at the front of your house, you should put them in all your windows ... so the house looks uniform from the street.

I had wood plantation shutters in a house in southern CA. I was not a fan. If you like to open and close your windows for airflow, they are a pain because you have to have room to swing them to get the window latches. Bigger windows mean a lot more swing area. When tilted, they don't let in the maximum amount of light because they are always in front of your windows. They are good for privacy and do provide a consistent classic look throughout your home. Personally, I wouldn't spend the money on them.

I think it all depends on whether or not you like the look. Some people LOVE them. I am not a fan at all. To me they’re very heavy looking and there’s no way to make them disappear when you want to open them to let the light in. I like my windows unobstructed all day so any kind of slatted blinds are a no for me and not at all necessary anyway. I don’t like the way a room looks with partially open slats. I think it must go back to my childhood…..we had Venetian blinds in all our elementary school classrooms and they were so ugly that I relate to all slatted blinds in a negative way….😂😂

I recently installed motorized blackout cellulars in all my bedrooms and they automatically go up and out of sight in the morning and then lower at night for privacy. Plantation shutters also let a ton of light leak through so if you’re looking for darkness for sleeping, they don’t work well….you’d have to add drapes or a shade for room darkening. Though if you really love the look, I see no problem with having them all over the house…they’re just a very specific style that is not my cup of tea.

I had them in a house I rented about 15 years ago but they were the small ones that are no longer sold. While quite pretty I decided against them for my new home because of the cost and the windows would have to have frames added to them. I ended up going with blackout drapes in white faux silk, and absolutely love the soft texture it adds to the rooms.

@Nidnay you make some compelling arguments against shutters that I hadn't considered. I think we're going with blinds so we can draw them up everyday. In my last house we were on a green belt and had roman shades on the back windows. I'd like to mix and match with this house, as well, because we have another beautiful secluded backyard with 7 windows facing the yard.

I just ordered plantation shutters for livingroom, dining room and 3 bedrooms. plantation shutters are timeless, always in style and suited to sny architectural style. its a big investment. i went with painted wood, no mid rail or tilt rail because my windows are clear glass with no grids so wanted to stay with a clean look. if you decide to go with them you wont regret it

So glad to see this thread. We are building and have 3 garage windows, then a dining window, which is in a great room. Problem for me is, I like to add drapery, and I don’t want shutters for the kitchen dining nook as I prefer the option to draw up the blinds, so it may look inconsistent to have shutters and blinds with a great room view of interior windows.

Leave aside that the word "plantation" recalls with fond remembrance the slave-based economy and resultant "massa" mansions of the American South. (Houzz demographics on display!)

Nevertheless, we installed custom wood wide shutters on every window in a recent home.

First, we like privacy and darkened rooms in a tight city environment. Ten foot ceilings on the first floor meant large shutters.

Secondly, our family's dust allergies mean eschewing fabrics at all costs. No carpeting, no drapes.

The only downside: when showing the house for re-sale, we learned to keep many of the shutters swung wide open, otherwise the evident sun worshippers would comment how dark the home was.

Thank you - good reminder - wood shutters from now on!