Victorian Shutters

Americana DeVenco Builds Shutters to Last a Lifetime in 4 to 8 Weeks

The Victorian shutters you buy today will be enjoyed by the next generation.

• Solid wood components. There are no finger-jointed or “glued-up parts.” All components are solid wood and custom-milled to exacting specifications in our shop. There are no ready-made parts, imported parts or stock fabricated parts…and never faux wood.
• Mortise and dowel construction. Americana DeVenco shutters are not screwed together, stapled, or pinned together. We use old-fashioned cabinetmaker joinery. This assures the shutter will never fall out of square at the joints under its own weight.
• Nylon rotation pins. Louver operation is smooth and effortless, even if it is refinished numerous times.
• Proportional design.
  • Victorian 13/16″ by 1-5/8″ beaded stiles assure aesthetically pleasing design as well as structural integrity.
  • 1-7/8″ louvers spaced at 1-1/2″ inches on center provide excellent closure and actual room darkening in daylight.
  • Lockrails are customary at no extra charge based on the height of the shutter and provide structural support and absolute stability within a panel while allowing upper louvers to function separately from lower louvers.
• Hanging hinge mortise.  Mortising for hanging hinges is standard, allowing a custom fit within the window jamb.
• Rabbetted stiles. One additional custom feature that provides total privacy and blocks additional light and heat.

Americana DeVenco Victorian Shutters Are Constructed of the Finest Material

All wood is milled by us in our shop. There are no prefab or stock-sized parts. All work is done in our shop by skilled craftsmen to the highest standards in the industry today.

Following our state-of-the-art CAD drawings that are reviewed and approved by the customer for accuracy, the components for each shutter are cut by hand, piece by piece, the old-fashioned way. The shutters are then assembled by hand using old-world cabinetmaker construction techniques.

After assembly, each shutter is sanded and buffed by hand and prepared for finishing. All shutters receive a superlative finish in the color specified by you. We can match any brand or a provided color. The result is a quality finish that will be easy to maintain and which should last for many years.

Hardware is carefully set on each shutter, and they are packed like Waterford crystal for shipping.

Ready for Installation

When your Americana DeVenco shutters arrive, they are ready to install—minimal assembly required. Each hanging hinge allows fine-tuning to tolerate minimal adjustments in the installation in order to align each panel with its mate and tolerate potentially out-of-square windows.

Tools required for installation are:

• Screw gun with Phillips and square drives
• 1/8” drill bit
• 1/8” shim

Our staff is available for support Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM CST. Do not hesitate to call.

Helpful Links

Victorian Shutter Diagram
Directions on How to Measure for Interior Shutters
Shutter Order Form
Hardware Options
Lumber Options

We Know Victorian

In the Victorian era, shutters were used extensively. They allowed both privacy when needed as well as protection from the sun. Shutters were at times used behind formal draperies; this shielded the material from direct sun while providing an option for the homeowner to abstain from moving heavy curtains that were artfully arranged. Shutters also offered an extra layer of insulation not accorded with draperies, making them an economical and aesthetically pleasing option. It is recommended during the winter months to open shutters on south-facing windows through the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat the house and close them at night to reduce the chill coming off windows.

A common window installation in the Victorian period would be double-hung, 4-panel bi-fold shutters. This consists of two hinged panels opening to the left and two hinged panels opening to the right. Victorian shutters were typically installed inside the window casing and painted to match the molding in the room. The term double-hung refers to two tiers of shutters so that there would be eight leafs in one window. Double-hung shutters allow either tier of the shutters to be opened for additional light in the room. Typically, the upper half of the shutters would be opened while the lower half remained closed for privacy from street-level traffic.

Victorian Shutters from 1850 to 1910

Interior shutters were very popular in the Victorian age. The creativity of architects and designers leads to an endless variety for the application of shutters. If you own a Victorian house you should consider the windows carefully with an eye toward the nineteenth century. Tall, narrow windows would tend toward double-hung louvered shutters with lockrails in both tiers. For rooms that required a bit more privacy—for instance, an office or library—Brownstone shutters [link to Brownstone shutters] would be used as they incorporate paneled leafs with Victorian louvered leafs. Twin windows located right next to each other would be included to have two-panel shutters to give the illusion of a 4-panel shutter over the area.