Café Style Shutters - Stylish Privacy with Natural Light

Café style shutters offer the perfect balance between privacy and natural light. Installed only on the lower half of the window, these shutters allow daylight to pour in through the top while maintaining coverage where it matters most — ideal for street-facing windows, cafés, and ground-floor living spaces.

Inspired by the charming shutter styles found in European cafés, this design brings a timeless look to homes and commercial spaces alike.

📍 We install café style shutters across London, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Beaconsfield, and surrounding areas.

What are Café Style Shutters?

Unlike full-height or tier-on-tier designs, café style shutters cover only the bottom portion of your window  typically halfway up. They’re mounted in a 3-sided frame (left, right, and bottom), leaving the top of the window open to maximise natural light.

This makes them an excellent choice for anyone who wants privacy where it’s needed most, without blocking beautiful daylight or outdoor views.

View the our full range of styles

Key Benefits of Café Style Shutters

Maximise the light coming in

Unobstructed natural light from above
Privacy at eye level — ideal for street-facing rooms
Perfect for ground-floor spaces and commercial use
Elegant and minimalistic appearance
Can be paired with curtains or blinds for full coverage
Highly customisable in material, colour, and finish

Features

  • Partial height coverage (bottom half only)
  • Fitted in a 3-sided frame for stability
  • The optional top section can be added later
  • Wide range of finishes to match your decor
  • Available in hardwood, MDF, waterproof ABS and more
  • Compatible with curtains or top blinds for extra coverage

Where Do Café Style Shutters Work Best?

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Café shutters are ideal for a wide range of settings — residential or commercial. Popular applications include:

  • Living rooms – keep out prying eyes while filling your space with daylight
  • Bedrooms – enjoy privacy without heavy window treatments
  • Cafés and restaurants – practical style that suits the name
  • Bathrooms – combine with frosted glass for light and privacy
  • Shops and boutiques – an elegant finish for street-facing windows

 

Why Choose Café Style Shutters?

At Plantation Shutters, we’ve been transforming homes and businesses with beautifully crafted shutters since 1982. Café style shutters are among the most distinctive styles we offer — and with good reason. They’re:

  • Timeless – European-inspired style that never dates
  • Practical – strike the right balance between open and private
  • Energy efficient – help reduce heat loss through the window’s lower half
  • Made to measure – customised to fit your exact window dimensions
  • Installed by experts – with over 40 years of experience

 

Whether you’re in a city apartment or a period terrace, café style shutters offer both visual charm and practical benefits — a winning combination for homes across the UK.

Café Style Shutters FAQ

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What should I do if I want to add a top section later?

We would always recommend opting for either a tier on tier or full height shutter if you think you may like to add a top section later. Whilst it is possible to add a top section, the whole outer framing of the shutter will need to be replaced to support a top section so it will save money in the long run to initially opt for the tier on tier/ full height shutters from the offset.

 

Can I have café style shutters in my bedroom?

As your shutters are made to measure for you and your home, it is really your decision what style you opt for in each room. We would usually advise against café style shutters in a bedroom unless you plan to support these with another window dressing as with only the bottom section covered a great deal of light will be able to shine into the room.

Can I use curtains with café style shutters?

Definitely, many customers pair café shutters with soft furnishings for a layered look and added versatility.

Do café style shutters offer enough privacy?

Yes, they provide privacy at street level and block sightlines into your home while still letting in plenty of daylight.

Where do you offer installation?

We serve London, Beaconsfield, Surrey, Sussex, and Kent, with professional design consultations and installation included.

Café Style Shutters Gallery

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Solid Panel Shutters Tier on Tier Shutters

Café style shutters near me

Searching for café style shutters in London or the South East? At Plantation Shutters, we specialise in made-to-measure shutters, expertly installed by our in-house team. Our clients range from residential homeowners to commercial cafés and retail spaces.

We provide full survey and installation services across:

✅ London
✅ Surrey
✅ Kent
✅ Sussex
✅ Beaconsfield

Visit our state-of-the-art showroom near Wandsworth Roundabout (SW11) or book a home survey – our expert surveyors carry full samples so you can view materials and finishes in the comfort of your home.

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Customer Reviews

Google - Plantation Shutters Ltd

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the excellent service you provided. The shutters look fantastic, and I was especially impressed with how punctual, clean, and professional your team was throughout the entire process. It's rare to find such a high level of workmanship and customer care these days, and I...

Google - Plantation Shutters Ltd

Sean Craig - Review left on Google

Very happy. Clear communications, straight forward process. Looks fantastic. Only positive things to say.

Google - Plantation Shutters Ltd

I have used Plantation Shutters three times. They never disappoint. On the contrary each time I am impressed by the creativity of their sales person. They not only have ideas but they know how to implement them. If you are looking for a team with lots of imagination and experience, this is the place. Absolutely...

Google - Plantation Shutters Ltd

Fantastic service and shutter quality! I went with Plantation Shutters after having discussions with about 7 companies. I ended up with Plantation because of a few reasons. Their stellar reviews and the fact that it has been around for decades. To top it off, they price matched the lowest quote that I had received from...

Google - Plantation Shutters Ltd

Herbert Klein - Review left on Google

They are helpful to communicate with me through email correspondences. They are good at organising delivery and fixed the shutters window.

Google - Plantation Shutters Ltd

I recently had Shutters installed in my bay window by Plantation Shutters of Battersea and what a fantastic job they did. The product is half the price of some companies you see advertised on TV and from what I can see they are the exact same thing. The guys installing were friendly, skilled, and very...

Google - Plantation Shutters Ltd

Great shutter company - have used them before and would use them again. Reasonable prices, great service and beautiful high quality shutters installed very quickly with no mess or fuss.

Google - Plantation Shutters Ltd

Review left on Google

Service was great throughout. Phil installed my shutters, not only did he complete four rooms in under 4hours, he is a professional and very skilled. He was very kind to clear up the mess and protected my carpets with a sheet. Couldn't be happier.

Google - Plantation Shutters Ltd

Plantation Shutters has created some beautifully made shutters for my large arched window, something which its competitor could not achieve despite having 2 attempts at it! Thank you to the team at Plantation Shutters, especially to James, their head surveyor who did a brilliant job at measuring my imperfect windows.

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