Once plantation shutters go in, a lot of homeowners find themselves standing at the window wondering what to do next. Do you leave the shutters as they are, or add curtains on top for a softer, more finished look? It’s one of the most common questions we get asked during a survey, and the honest answer is that it depends on the room, the light you want, and the finish you’re after.
This guide walks through when curtains with shutters make sense, when they’re simply unnecessary, and how to decide what’s right for your home in Kent or South East London.
Do You Need Curtains with Shutters?
For most rooms, no. Plantation shutters are designed to do the job curtains normally handle: controlling light, giving you privacy, and finishing off a window properly. A well fitted set of full height or tier on tier shutters already gives you everything a curtain would, without the extra fabric, the extra cleaning, or the extra cost.
That said, need and want are two different things. Plenty of our customers choose to add curtains even though their shutters cover every practical requirement. It usually comes down to personal taste rather than function. If you like the softness curtains bring to a room, or you want an extra layer of warmth in winter, there’s nothing wrong with combining the two. It just isn’t essential the way it would be with a bare window.
What Plantation Shutters Already Do
The reason so many people end up asking whether they need curtains at all is that shutters cover so much ground on their own.
Light control. Shutter louvres tilt to direct light exactly where you want it. You can angle them up towards the ceiling to soften glare, down to keep prying eyes out at street level, or close them fully for a dark room. Curtains only really offer open or closed, so shutters already give you more precision than most curtain setups ever could.
Privacy. Because shutters sit within the window reveal, they offer privacy at any time of day without blocking natural light completely. You can angle the louvres so people can’t see in while still letting daylight through, which is something curtains struggle to do unless they’re fully drawn.
Insulation. Quality shutters create a sealed layer against the window, trapping air and reducing heat loss. Research from the British Blind and Shutter Association suggests well fitted shutters can cut heat loss through a window by up to 38%, which rivals or beats what most curtains achieve on their own.
A finished look. Shutters are a permanent fixture, so the window looks complete the moment they’re installed. There’s no need to dress it further unless you specifically want to.
Given all of that, it’s easy to see why plenty of homeowners decide their shutters are enough on their own.
Reasons Some Homeowners Still Add Curtains
Even so, there are good reasons people choose curtains as well as shutters, and none of them are wrong.
Softness and texture. Shutters are clean and architectural, but some people want a softer feel in the room. A curtain either side of the window, left open and purely decorative, adds texture without getting in the way of the shutters doing their job.
Extra blackout. In bedrooms especially, some people want total darkness. Shutters with tightly closed louvres already block most light, and a dedicated blackout shutter takes this further. With blackout shutters curtains are not needed as the blind within the shutter will offer complete blackout.
Sound softening. Heavy curtains absorb a little sound in a way that solid shutters, being hard surfaces, don’t. In a bedroom on a busy road, or a living room with a lot of hard flooring, this can make a noticeable difference to how a room feels acoustically.
A layered, formal look. In larger period properties, especially those with tall sash windows, a curtain pole above a set of shutters can look grand and intentional rather than cluttered. This is more about the aesthetic than the practical benefit.
Seasonal warmth. Some people like the option of drawing a curtain across a closed shutter on the coldest nights of the year for an added layer of insulation, even though shutters alone already perform well in this area.
Curtains or Shutters: Room by Room
The right answer often changes depending on which room you’re dressing.
Living rooms. This is where curtains and shutters are combined most often, usually for the layered, finished look rather than out of necessity. A café style or tier on tier shutter with a simple curtain either side can look excellent, particularly in a bay window.
Bedrooms. If you’re a light sleeper, adding a curtain behind your shutters for extra blackout is worth considering. Otherwise, shutters alone are usually sufficient, especially with the blackout shutter option.
Bathrooms and kitchens. Curtains rarely make sense here. Moisture, condensation, and cooking splashes are exactly what shutters are built to withstand, and fabric simply doesn’t hold up as well in these rooms. This is one case where the answer to curtains or shutters is almost always shutters on their own.
Bay windows. Bay windows tend to draw the eye more than any other feature in a room, so this is where people are most tempted to add curtains for visual impact. If you do, keep the curtain simple and let the shutters remain the main focus rather than competing with it.
Style Considerations When Combining the Two
If you do decide to add curtains, a few things will help them sit well alongside your shutters rather than fighting with them.
Café style shutters, which only cover the lower half of the window, pair naturally with curtains because there’s still glass above for a curtain to frame. Full height shutters cover the whole window, so any curtain added on top is purely decorative rather than functional, and it’s worth being deliberate about that rather than adding fabric out of habit.
Keep the curtain pole set high and wide so it doesn’t crowd the shutter frame, and choose a curtain fabric that complements rather than competes with your shutter finish. A simple linen or cotton in a neutral tone tends to work best against white or off white shutters, letting the shutters remain the focal point.
It’s also worth thinking about maintenance. Curtains need washing or dry cleaning periodically, and fabric near a frequently opened shutter can catch dust from the louvres. None of this is a big deal, but it’s a fair trade off to weigh against the extra softness they bring.
Cost and Practicality
Adding curtains on top of shutters is an additional cost on top of what you’ve already spent, so it’s worth being clear on why you want them before committing. A simple curtain and pole for a standard window might run anywhere from £50 to £200 depending on fabric and hardware, more for bespoke or made to measure options.
If your main goal is better insulation, more privacy, or better light control, your shutters are almost certainly already delivering that, and spending on curtains as well won’t add much practical benefit. If your goal is purely the look, that’s a perfectly reasonable reason to spend the money, just go in knowing it’s about aesthetics rather than function.
Curtains or Shutters: Our Verdict
If you’re asking curtains or shutters as a straight choice for a window that doesn’t have either yet, shutters are the better long term investment for most homes. They last longer, control light more precisely, insulate better, and don’t need replacing every few years the way fabric does.
If you already have shutters installed and you’re wondering whether you also need curtains, the honest answer is that you don’t, not for function anyway. Your shutters are already doing the heavy lifting on privacy, light, and warmth. Curtains at that point become a style choice rather than a requirement, and it’s entirely up to you whether you want that extra layer.
There’s no wrong answer here. Some of the nicest finished rooms we’ve fitted have shutters on their own, and some have shutters with a curtain either side for a softer look. What matters is that you’re adding curtains because you want them, not because you think your shutters need the help.
Common Questions About Curtains and Shutters
Will curtains block the light my shutters let in? Only if you close them. Left open at the sides, curtains have no effect on how your shutters perform. They simply frame the window when you’re not using them, and your louvres still do all the actual light control.
Do I need blackout curtains if I already have shutters? Not usually. Closed louvres on a well fitted shutter already block most of the light in a room. If you’re particularly sensitive to light while sleeping, a blackout shutter upgrade is often a tidier solution than adding a curtain, though a blackout curtain layered behind a shutter will remove the last small gaps of light for anyone who wants total darkness.
Can I add curtains later if I decide my shutters aren’t enough on their own? Yes. There’s no need to decide everything at once. Most curtain poles can be fitted above an existing shutter without any changes to the shutter itself, so you can live with your shutters first and add curtains later if you find you want the extra softness or warmth.
Do curtains make shutters look cluttered? Not if they’re kept simple. A single panel either side of the window, left open, tends to look intentional rather than busy. Problems usually only arise when the curtain fabric is heavy or patterned enough to compete with the shutter frame for attention.
