The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way that we view and use our homes. The biggest change might just be the increased demand for a home office. With everything from conference calls and meetings to actual job interviews taking place from home these days, having an appropriate place in the home from which to conduct business is essential. Of course, many of us are also craving a way to bring more of the outdoors to the inside of our homes. Live plants and window treatments that offer controlled sunlight provide a touch of normalcy during a decidedly abnormal time.
A Home for the Social Distancing Era
Plantation shutters are an ideal window treatment during this time of social distancing. These window treatments are timeless and sophisticated, giving your home an updated look during a moment in our lives when we are spending more time at home than ever before. Many of us have chosen to take on home improvement projects during lockdowns and quarantines, and plantation shutters are an added enhancement to the home.
Beauty aside, plantation shutters are fully functional and allow homeowners to easily filter sunlight in and out of each room in the house. This allows you to create the perfect ambiance for work days, family movie nights, and everything in between. You can also count on plantation shutters to give you an added layer of privacy without sacrificing your view.
Plantation Shutters Add Value to Your Home
While there are endless upgrades that you can make to your home, plantation shutters are especially unique in that they are one of the few improvements that actually increases the resale value of your home. Throughout the pandemic, the increased time at home has led many people to realize that it is time to downsize or upgrade their living spaces. If you want to add value to your house before you sell, then plantation shutters are the perfect solution.
Wooden Plantation Shutters Are the Plantation Shutters Of Choice
There are many varieties of plantation shutters on the market today. You’ve likely heard of faux wood, composite, plastic, and other types of plantation shutters. However, each of these plantation shutter types are only designed to imitate the real, natural look of wooden plantation shutters.
Natural wood is full of character and commonly used in home furnishings. That’s why Shenandoah Shutters only uses authentic, American wood when handcrafting plantation shutters. We believe that plantation shutters should be as gorgeous as they are functional. At Shenandoah Shutters, every plantation shutter is custom made for the windows of your home. You can choose stained or white shutters, or you can even request a custom color.
Selecting the Wood for Your Plantation Shutters
For stained plantation shutters, we prefer to use basswood. It’s a strong, durable wood that remains lightweight. It is also uniform in color, a rarity among woods. Stained basswood plantation shutters continue to grow richer in color over time, an added bonus of this choice. Plus, basswood trees are fast-growing, making their wood a better option for the environment.
For cream-colored plantation shutters, yellow poplar is our wood of choice. Like basswood, it’s durable and light, but its color isn’t uniform. Instead, you’ll find a variety of colors in yellow poplar wood, including yellow and white. The result is a vibrant, cream-colored plantation shutter.
Of course, you’re welcome to request a custom wood for your plantation shutters. Mahogany, cherry, and oak are all equally stunning, popular selections.
Building a Home Office During COVID-19
Plantation shutters are especially ideal for your home office. When you spend all day in one room of your home, you want and need controlled, natural light. Solid lighting is also essential for high-quality video chats and Zoom meetings.
Are you wondering what else to include in your home office? A strong, sturdy desk and a comfortable, ergonomic chair are probably the first purchases that you’ll need to make. However, there are other additions that can make your office space more enjoyable. For instance, you might want to include a bookcase, art piece, or live plants. When taking video calls, you’ll also want a clean, respectable background for clients to see. If you have certain posters or graphics related to your work, then you might want to hang those behind you, as well.
Choosing the Right Plantation Shutters for Your Home
Plantation shutters can be traditional or contemporary. For instance, at Shenandoah Shutters, we offer our original, patented Softedge design to conceal hinges for a more harmonious look to plantation shutters. Our Softedge option is popular for windows of all shapes and sizes, but tilt-ins and casements really benefit from the Softedge. You can also choose other solutions, like a shadowbox for your French door, or a slider for your sliding glass door.
You can even customize your tilt rod (the rod that controls the movement of your plantation shutters), as well as your louver (the horizontal slats that open and close) size and shape. Shenandoah Shutters offers louvers that are 2.5”, 3.5”, and 4.5”. The difference is in how large of a space you’d like there to be between your louvers when opened.
Plantation Shutters Are Easy to Clean
The pandemic has led us all to focus intensely on keeping our homes clean and tidy. We want to feel comfortable and safe in our homes. Unlike curtains, plantation shutters do not have to be washed regularly. They also do not collect as much dust as blinds or other window treatments. Wood has even been shown to have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, which is why it’s a common choice for food cutting boards.
Because of the fine, lacquer finish that is applied to the wooden plantation shutters from Shenandoah Shutters, you shouldn’t use cleaning solutions on your shutters. This could damage your shutters. Instead, you simply use a lightly damp (not wet) cloth to gently dust your plantation shutters when needed. Plantation shutters are easily cleaned, low-maintenance choices during the era of COVID-19.
Contact Shenandoah Shutters Today
Shenandoah Shutters remains open for business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contact Shenandoah Shutters today to speak with one of our consultants about adding plantation shutters to your home in Virginia, Maryland, or Washington, D.C. You can also call us at 1-800-733-1549.
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