Comparatively, shutters are generally longer-lasting because they are made of quality, hard-wearing materials. They are securely fitted to the inside or outside of the window recess, which makes them more difficult to damage when operating.

Plantation shutters are wooden, slatted blinds that sit inside their own frame, drilled to your window sill or door frame. The slats – or sometimes referred to as louvres – can be tilted from fully closed to fully open, and angled anywhere in between, allowing you to control light and airflow through the room.

At a glance, Venetian blinds look similar to shutters due to their horizontal slats.

Planation shutters are of course, more expensive than blinds or other coverings. They're essentially custom made-furniture for your home. Shutters can take a long time to produce, with some sites listing 6-8 weeks for delivery time. They will almost always require professional installation, adding to the cost.