ShutterCraft: Bay Window Shutters Reveal (Review)

I am so happy with how my shutters have turned out and after a long process of deciding, ordering, preparing and fitting, I am so excited that they are now done! I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they were scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday 5th September and even happier to be able to arrange for fitting the following Friday. 

They are just what I wanted in terms of the colour and design. They had a range of colours to decide from and I wanted the whitest white to match the fireplace and the window frames. I got 5 panels so that the three middle panels are the same width as either side. It looks the exact same, but the panes do fold asymmetrically, so the two left panels go to the left and the one right panel, goes to the right. They fold absolutely flush to the ends. The two connect via magnets to keep them together and for a safety feature. 

I can't wait to be able to finish sanding and painting the edges, but it is such an improvement to the room and it also makes the room feel so much bigger! I love that it's white as it opens everything up and makes it much lighter and brighter. The dark wooden blinds before were surprisingly dark. I also think that even though the slats are thicker and bigger, the gaps are wider, which brings in more natural light without having to lift the blinds. 

Another bonus is that the windows can be open easily either side (as pictured) without: a) causing any damage to the walls b) without having to lift them up and down and c) being blown in the wind. Win win! 

The process with ShutterCraft has been flawless from start to finish. I was able to book a surveyor to come to the house at a time that suited me, and actually booked for a next day visit. The designer was honest and gave his suggestions to how best to fit the shutters, brought in samples from me to select from for both the colour and the size of the slats too. He sent the quote the next day and I was easily able to see the price breakdown. 

Once I decided to go ahead, I emailed to order and was quickly sent a link to pay via their portal, then shortly after received confirmation from the regional manager to confirm the order and explain the further process. I was originally told 8 - 12 weeks for delivery, then fitting when available after that. I then received an email from management at the beginning of August saying that they had a fitter off sick and therefore there would be a further delay. Well some magic happened, because they were fitted just 9 weeks from the date I ordered! 

The fitter who came arrived an hour early, but gratefully gave me 10 minutes to get ready as I had just woken up. He got rid of all the recyclable material, leaving one bag of general waste rubbish to be thrown away in my own bin, but this was all tied up for me to just throw away. He even wiped the surfaces and vacuumed the floor. I was very impressed and it took an hour and a half from start to finish. Before he left, he gave me a little tutorial of how to use the shutters, open and close them, open the panes and safely prevent any damage. 

The only small unexpected aspect was that once the shutters were fitted, the window handles didn't quite close, so he gave me three options: a) leave as is, the windows closed but not securely locked b) reposition the frames further out or c) switch out the window handles for slimline versions. I went with his suggestion and swapped for slimline handles, which he removed, provided and fitted for me free of charge. 

It's all been very smooth sailing, which for me, is very impressive! What do you think?! Let me know in the comments below your honest opinion. I even love how smart and clean it looks from the front of the house too.