Owning a 300 year old house is a money pit, especially when it’s in need of repair like Starre Corner. It’s far more than a makeover with a lick of paint. By the time all essential repairs have been dealt with there is very little left in the pot for expensive finishing touches. This is when creativity comes into play as even without a budget, I am not willing to compromise on my interior styling vision.
Ever since we’ve moved into Starre Corner I knew I wanted internal window shutters. I’m not a fan of curtains and I like the practical utilitarian appeal of wooden shutters. My hubby was not convinced and threw every possible hurdle and objection in the way. For five years he said the window recess wasn’t big enough for shutters but I would not be perturbed. As I always say, where there’s a will there’s a way. The only hurdle as far as I was concerned was how we could afford shutters along with everything else?
Last year, finally my husband came round to my way of thinking and with him onboard the challenge became easier, he always adds an additional practical view point to my creativity. He agreed that we didn’t have the budget for expensive wood shutters so what was the solution? Reclaimed pallets of course!
Luckily we have access to a regular source of free pallets. The main cost was hinges which cost about £15 for one window. Inside the wooden shutter frame is plywood which fortunately we had left over from a previous project. This was a very pleasing low-cost solution.
Turning to Pinterest for Inspiration we designed the shutters in a classic style. A fortuitous visit to a vintage interior shop also led to us adding the piece de resistance – an art deco stair runner clip which we have used as decorative shutter clasp. We bought enough to use on every window around the house. From memory this added about an extra £2.50 to each window dressing.
The perfectionists among you may not approved as they are not as beautiful as original Georgian shutters but for an elegantly knackered interior style cottage, they look just fab and it’s amazing how much they draughts and cold air at bay. These shutters have been painted the same colour as the walls and window frame allowing them to merge seamlessly into the surrounding interior.
DIY Pallet Wood Shutters Summary:
Total Cost £17.50
Which materials do you need?
Pallet wood
Plywood
Hinges
Glue
Tools required:
Router
Bench Saw
Sander or sandpaper
Wood clamps
Comments