Privacy below.
Light above.
Cafe Style Shutters.
A cafe style shutter covers the lower half of your window. Passers-by can't see in. Natural light still comes through the top. Measured, made and fitted by Homefair's own team across the North East and North West.
Covers the lower half. Nothing else.
A cafe style shutter sits in the lower portion of your window reveal. The frame is fixed directly to the reveal, and the panel fills everything from the mid-rail down to the sill. The top half of the window stays completely open.
The louvres run horizontally across the panel and connect via a vertical tilt rod on one side. Slide the rod up or down and all the louvres move together. You can go from a fully open, airy position to a closed and private one in a second.
The frame screws into the window reveal. There's no contact with the glazing at all. The shutter panel swings open on hinges if you need to clean the glass or open the window.
There's no operating cord or chain. The louvres tilt by hand via the rod. That makes cafe style shutters naturally child-safe without needing any additional safety devices.
No standard sizes. Homefair's surveyor measures the reveal during a free home visit. Every panel is cut to those measurements and fitted by the same team.
What makes them different
Six things that are specific to cafe style shutters, not just shutters in general.
The shutter panel covers the section of glass that's visible from pavement level. You can sit on a sofa or stand at the window and nobody outside can see in. The upper glass stays clear, so the room doesn't feel boxed in.
Because the top half of the window has no covering, natural light still enters the room from above. A full-height blind or curtain would block it all. Cafe style is the only window covering that genuinely delivers both.
The louvres tilt on a single rod. Move it and they all adjust at once. No cord, no chain, no spring mechanism. The action is direct and satisfying. It's also why cafe style shutters don't need any additional cord-safety devices for households with children.
There's no fabric to fade, sag or collect moisture. The frame and louvres are painted or primed hardwood. They don't buckle, discolour or lose their shape over time. The louvres wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Victorian and Edwardian terrace windows respond well to cafe style shutters. The proportions make sense for tall, narrow windows. They sit flush in the reveal, which suits the clean lines of period-style frames without looking out of place.
The shutter panel is hinged within its frame. Swing it open and you have full access to the lower glass for cleaning, or to open a bottom-opening casement. You don't have to remove anything or work around a blind that's in the way.
47mm, 63mm or 89mm.
The size changes the look.
The width of the louvres affects how many slats fit in the panel, how much light comes through when they're open, and how the shutter reads visually in the room. There's no universal right answer, but there are clear patterns worth knowing.
More slats, narrower gaps, a finer finish. Works well on smaller windows and rooms with a traditional or cottage feel. The panel looks busier than the wider options, which suits older properties where that texture fits.
The most widely chosen size. Works on the majority of standard window widths and heights without looking too fine or too heavy. The right choice when you're unsure, and the one Homefair most often recommends at survey.
Fewer, wider slats. The open view between louvres is larger, so more light comes through. Suits wide windows, larger rooms and properties with a cleaner, more contemporary aesthetic. Not ideal on narrow windows.
Four finishes, one free survey
Cafe style shutters are available in painted and woodgrain finishes. Your surveyor brings samples to the home visit, so you can see them against your walls before committing.
Clean and contemporary. Works with most interior styles, from Victorian terrace to new-build. The lightest option, and the one that makes a room feel bigger.
Slightly warmer than pure white. A softer choice that suits rooms with warm-toned walls, wooden floors, or a more relaxed, country-style finish.
Sits well in newer builds and rooms with grey or neutral colour schemes. More distinctive than white without being dark. Works particularly well in hallways and kitchens.
Shows the grain of the wood underneath. A warmer, more traditional look. Suits period properties and rooms where other wooden furniture is already a feature.
Six colour options as standard
Painted shutters can be colour-matched to your room. Your surveyor will show you the full range at the home visit, and the price is confirmed before you commit to anything.
White
White
Grey
Grey
Oak
Stain
Where cafe style shutters earn their keep
They're not the right answer for every window. These are the six situations where they consistently work best.
The original use case. Your seating area is visible from the pavement, but you don't want to close the room off with a blind all day. The shutter covers the sightline. The room stays light from the top.
Bay shapes work well with cafe style shutters. Each section of the bay gets its own panel. The frames are mitred or hinged to follow the angle. Homefair surveys bays regularly, so it's a straightforward job.
A kitchen window at counter height faces out. You want privacy when you're standing at the sink, but you don't want to lose the sky above. Cafe style covers the relevant zone and nothing more.
Tall, narrow Victorian sash windows suit cafe style proportionally. The shutter fills the lower sash. The upper sash stays visible. It reads cleanly from outside and doesn't look out of place on period properties.
Not the obvious choice for a bedroom, but useful when the window faces the road. You get privacy without a blackout blind that has to come down every morning. Open the louvres and the room lightens from the top half.
Screen glare is a problem on south-facing windows. Tilting the louvres reduces the direct light hitting the screen without darkening the room. You can adjust position by position throughout the day without getting up.
Other shutter options from Homefair
A single panel or pair of panels covering the entire window from top to bottom. More complete coverage and a stronger visual statement than cafe style.
View →Lower half only. Privacy from the street with natural light from the top. The most popular choice for front-facing ground floor windows.
Current pageTwo independent panels, one for the upper half and one for the lower. Each operates separately, giving more control than cafe style.
View →Clips to the internal bead of your uPVC frame. No drilling into the reveal. A cleaner install for internally-beaded double glazing.
View →What customers say
"We had the cafe style shutters fitted in our front sitting room and the difference is immediate. You can sit on the sofa, nobody walking past can see in, and the room still gets proper daylight from the top. The 63mm louvres look right for the window size. Really solid quality."
"Kitchen window facing directly onto the road. Cafe style shutters were exactly what we needed. Privacy at counter height, still get light from above. Homefair came out, measured up and had them fitted within a couple of weeks. Good price, no complications."
"Victorian terrace with a bay window. Looked at a few options and the cafe style shutters made the most sense. The white finish works with the period look and the louvres are easy to adjust. The fitting team knew the job inside out. Very happy with the result."
Questions about cafe style shutters
Honest answers to the questions Homefair gets asked most often. If something isn't covered here, ask at your free survey.
What is a cafe style shutter?
A cafe style shutter covers only the lower half of your window. The panel sits in the bottom portion of the window reveal, and the top half of the glass stays completely open. The name comes from the French and Belgian cafe windows that made this style popular. You get privacy from the street while keeping natural light coming in from above. It's not a full-height solution and isn't intended to be.
Which windows are suitable for cafe style shutters?
They work on casement, sash, tilt-and-turn and bay windows. Ground floor windows that face the road are the most common use. Windows with very small lower sections can be tricky because the panel needs enough height to be practical. Windows in bathrooms or rooms with high moisture levels aren't ideal for wooden shutters. Your surveyor will flag anything worth knowing at the home visit.
Can people outside see into the room?
No, not through the shutter panel when the louvres are closed. The panel covers the portion of glass at street level. With the louvres closed, the view through is blocked. You can tilt them open slightly to let in light and air, but the angle is set so passers-by still can't see straight in. It's worth being honest that the top half of the window is open, so from a higher vantage point the room is visible.
What louvre sizes are available?
Cafe style shutters are available in 47mm, 63mm and 89mm louvre widths. Smaller windows suit 47mm. The 63mm size works on most standard windows and is the most popular choice. Larger windows and more contemporary rooms tend to suit 89mm. Homefair will advise at survey based on your window proportions and the look you're after.
What is the difference between a tilt rod and hidden tilt?
A standard tilt rod is a vertical bar running down one side of the shutter panel. Push it up or down and all the louvres tilt at once. A hidden tilt system connects the louvres inside the stile, so there's no visible rod on the face of the panel. The operation is the same. The hidden tilt gives a cleaner look on the panel face. Both options are available and your surveyor can show you samples of each.
Are cafe style shutters suitable for bay windows?
Yes. Bay windows are one of the most common applications. Each section of the bay is treated as an individual panel. Where the bay angles, the frames are mitred or hinged to follow the shape. It's a job Homefair does regularly across the North East and North West, so it's not an unusual request. Your surveyor will measure each section separately during the home visit.
What is the difference between cafe style and tier-on-tier shutters?
Cafe style covers the lower half of the window only. The upper half has no covering. Tier-on-tier shutters have two independent panels, one on the upper half and one on the lower, each on separate hinges. You can open and close them independently. Tier-on-tier gives more flexibility but costs more and has more visual weight. Cafe style is simpler and the right choice when you know you always want the top open.
How are the measurements taken and who fits them?
Homefair's own surveyor visits your home, measures the window reveal and discusses your options. You don't measure anything yourself. The shutters are made to order based on those measurements and fitted by the same team. There's no installer coming from a third party. The price is fixed at the survey visit, so there are no surprises on fitting day.
Book your free home survey
No obligation, no pressure. A Homefair surveyor visits, measures up and gives you a fixed price. You decide whether to go ahead after that.
North East and North West England only. Free survey, fixed price, no obligation.