Are you looking for a way to spruce up your interior French doors without detracting any attention away from their elegant design? If so, custom shutters are a great option. Unlike curtains that hide the sleek lines and details of French doors, shutters fit perfectly in place, highlighting the natural design of your doors. Below, you'll find all the information you need to order custom shutters for your French doors.
Getting The Measurements
French doors aren't always perfectly symmetrical, so you'll need to take a few different measurements to ensure that your shutters fit snugly in place once they arrive. Perform the following measurements on each panel of your French doors.
Begin by measuring the glass width of your French doors. Measure the width at both top and bottom, and record the smaller of the two measurements. Next, measure the height of your doors' windows on the far left side, the far right side, and up the middle. Record the smallest of these three measurements, as well. Finally, measure both diagonals of each door panel (bottom left to top right and bottom right to top left), and record the smallest number.
If there seems to be a significant discrepancy between like measurements, you'll have a gap where light can filter in. You can remedy this situation by requesting a frame from your shutter supplier. The frame will overlap the shutters ever so slightly, thus eliminating any light gaps.
Identifying Handle Type
Depending on the type of handles you have on your French doors, they may get in the way when trying to fit your new custom shutters into place. Standard knobs won't be a problem, but levers and handle sets will require a special cutout design.
Cutouts alter the shape of your shutter to allow more space around your door handles. You can order cutouts in square or curved designs, and some homeowners find them aesthetically appealing and choose to order them whether they're needed or not.
What if you have levers or handle sets on your French doors but don't like the looks of shutter cutout designs? There's a solution for that, too. Visit your local hardware store and ask for two door handle extension kits (one for each door panel). These kits don't alter the appearance of your handles, but they extend them out far enough so that there's plenty of clearance for your shutters to fit in behind them.
Just be sure that the color of your door handle extension kits matches the color of your door handles before purchasing them.
Selecting Your Color
It's time for the fun part -- choosing a color for your shutters. The color you choose is based entirely on your preference, but it's a good idea to match the color to the overall scheme of your home.
If you would describe your home's interior as classic, traditional, Victorian, or antique, opt for a shutter color that blends in with your walls, or one that is a shade lighter or darker than your walls.
If you'd describe your home's interior as modern, vibrant, or chic, treat your shutters as an accent wall. Make them the focal point of the room by opting for a coordinating color instead of a matching one. If you decide on a coordinating color instead of matching your shutters to your walls, be sure to even out your design by adding a bit of decor throughout your room that matches the color of your shutters.
Don't hide your elegant French doors with curtains. Instead, take some measurements, make note of your door handle type, choose a color, and order some beautiful custom shutters that highlight their natural design. Then head over to a company like Aero Shade Co. Inc. to order your new custom shutters.
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