Café shutters
Lower glass covered; upper glass always clear.
Tilt the louvres or swing the panels open. Check both street and upstairs sightlines.
Made to measure · Fitted in London
Café Style Shutters
Café style shutters cover the lower part of your window, leaving the upper glass clear. Also called half window shutters, they give street-facing living rooms and dining rooms adjustable screening without covering the whole view. We measure, supply and fit them across London.
Book a free home survey
Half window shutters: choose the height for your privacy
Half shutters do not have to stop exactly halfway up the window. Their height should suit the view into your room, the window proportions and the approved panel dimensions. On a sash window, lining up with the meeting rail often gives a tidy finish, but privacy comes first.
Try this before your survey: mark a proposed top edge with removable tape suitable for the surface. Sit in your usual chair, then stand where you normally use the room. Ask someone to check the view from the pavement and from either side. A raised pavement or sloping street can make a halfway line too low.
The tape only tests the height: the louvres will also need adjusting to block the actual sightline. Keep useful daylight above, while checking what remains visible from neighbouring upper windows.
Explore shutters for sash windows →
Café style shutters for a bay window
Café shutters follow each face of a bay, keeping the upper glass open and the lower top edge visually continuous. A three-sided angled bay, a square bay and a curved bay each need a different frame and panel plan.
Check the side windows as carefully as the front. Someone approaching along the pavement may see into the room through a side face, even when the front feels private. We measure the angles and corner posts and plan which panels hinge or fold together.
Leave room for the shutters to open past handles, radiators and furniture. For an initial estimate, send a photo of the whole bay and the approximate width of each face; a single wall-to-wall measurement does not describe the area being covered.
Plan café style shutters for your bay window →
Where café shutters work best — and what stays exposed
Front living rooms, dining rooms and breakfast spaces are good candidates when the main problem is a direct view through the lower glass. Café shutters can also leave an attractive arch visible, as in this illustrative arrangement.
The upper window stays uncovered at night as well as by day. With the lights on, people may still see through it. Half shutters for windows are therefore a poor choice on their own when you need whole-window privacy or a dark bedroom.
For more coverage at night, consider curtains alongside café shutters, with enough clearance for the panels to open. Alternatively, tier-on-tier shutters have separate upper and lower doors; full height shutters with split tilt give separate louvre control within a full-height panel.
Compare bedroom light and privacy options →
Café shutters or half window blinds?
Start with the part of the glass you need to screen. Similar names can describe very different coverings.
Tier-on-tier shutters
Upper and lower glass can both be covered.
Separate upper and lower doors. Check where each tier will fold back.
Full height with split tilt
A shutter panel covers the full height.
Upper and lower louvres tilt separately; the door itself opens as one panel.
Half window blinds
Depends on the product and mounting position.
A standard top-mounted blind lowered halfway screens the top, leaving the bottom exposed. Check that it screens the part you need.
Looking for café style shutters at IKEA?
If you are comparing IKEA window coverings with made-to-measure café shutters, check the product type before comparing the price. A ready-made blind is a different fitting from a framed, hinged café shutter.
Check the current IKEA UK blinds range for available sizes and fitting instructions. For any ready-made option, confirm where it mounts, which glass it covers and whether it clears the handles. Our service includes measuring, made-to-measure shutters and carpenter installation; we are not affiliated with IKEA.
Choose the material and louvres together
Compare hardwood samples for living spaces and a suitable waterproof specification for damp rooms. Wider louvres give larger gaps when open but need enough space to tilt past the glass and handles. The available sizes depend on the range.
See louvre sizes and clearance advice →Before your free home survey
- Photograph the whole window. Include the sill, handles and nearby radiators; show all faces of a bay.
- Test a proposed height. Check seated and standing privacy, including views from the side and after dark.
- Note how you use the window. Tell us which sashes or casements open and whether curtains will stay.
- Compare complete quotes. Match the material, coverage height, frame, panel layout, fitting and VAT. Rough measurements help an initial discussion; manufacture uses the agreed surveyed specification.
Half window shutters cost
Café shutters usually use less material than full height shutters on the same window, but half the coverage does not mean half the installed price. Surveying, frames, delivery and fitting still contribute, and a bay needs additional corner planning. In our pricing estimator, choose café style and enter the full window dimensions: it models shutters covering half the entered height. Your chosen coverage height may differ, so the survey confirms the quotation. Compare quotes for the same material, covered height, panel layout, fitting and VAT treatment.
Small straight window
Full window: 1.2m wide × 1.2m high
Shutter height: 0.6m · 0.72m² covered
£550–£625
Larger straight window
Full window: 1.5m wide × 1.8m high
Shutter height: 0.9m · 1.35m² covered
£775–£850
Three-sided bay
Full window: (0.6 + 1.5 + 0.6)m wide × 1.8m high
Shutter height: 0.9m · 2.43m² covered
£1,175–£1,300
Indicative standard-range examples from our pricing calculator, including supply, standard fitting, delivery allowance and VAT. These assume half-height coverage and allow for fitting variations at the upper end. Material upgrades, custom finishes, unusual angles, repairs and access requirements can change the price. A written quotation after survey confirms your specification and total.
Your questions answered
Are café shutters and half shutters the same thing?
Usually, yes. Both describe shutters fitted over only the lower portion of a window. The final height is made to suit the window and privacy requirement; it need not be exactly 50%.
Are café blinds the same as café shutter blinds?
The wording is used loosely. Café shutter blinds and half shutter blinds generally mean framed, hinged louvred shutters. Café blinds or half window blinds may instead mean a fabric or Venetian covering. Check a photo and how the product opens before ordering.
Can café shutters fit a bay window?
Yes, subject to survey and the chosen range. Each face and corner must be measured, with the height, side sightlines and opening space planned together.
Do café shutters provide privacy at night?
They can screen the lower glass when the louvres are suitably closed, but the upper glass remains exposed. Check the view with the room lights on. Add a suitable full-window covering if you need privacy across the whole opening.
Can I still open and clean my windows?
The shutter panels can open for access, provided their layout and surrounding clearance allow it. At survey we check sash catches, handles, window movement and the space needed to reach the glass.
Which material should I choose?
Hardwood is an option for living and dining rooms. For a damp room, ask about our Dulwich waterproof PVC range and confirm the exact specification at survey. Do not assume that every faux wood product is suitable for direct moisture exposure.
Can I fit half window shutters myself?
DIY fitting may suit a straightforward opening if you can measure accurately and follow the supplier’s frame and fixing instructions. Bays, uneven reveals and obstructing handles need more planning. Our service includes a home survey and carpenter fitting.
Can I add an upper tier later?
Do not assume so. Café frames and hinges may not accept an extra tier. If you expect to need full coverage, compare tier-on-tier at the start rather than relying on a later extension.
Samples, measurements and advice
Let’s plan your shutters
Tell us your postcode, which windows you are considering and what you need from the room. We’ll arrange a free home survey and provide a bespoke quotation.