Full Height, Tier-on-Tier or Café Style? A Complete Guide to Shutter Styles
Choosing a shutter style is about more than looks. The style decides how much of the window is covered, how the panels open, and how you balance light and privacy through the day. Most homes suit one of three styles: full height, tier-on-tier and café style. Here’s how each one works, so you can choose with confidence.
The three styles at a glance
| Full height | Tier-on-tier | Café style | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Window coverage | The whole window, top to bottom | The whole window, split into top and bottom panels | The lower part only. It stops wherever you choose |
| How the panels open | Each panel opens as one piece | Top and bottom panels open independently | The panels open as one piece |
| Louvre control | All louvres tilt together, or separately with a split tilt | Louvres in each tier tilt separately | Louvres tilt together |
| Light and privacy | Full control over the whole window | The most flexible: light at the top, privacy at the bottom | Privacy below, natural light above at all times |
| Often suits | Most windows and rooms, especially bedrooms | Street-facing rooms, bay windows and sash windows | Kitchens, bathrooms and ground-floor rooms |
Full height shutters: covering the whole window
Full height shutters cover the whole window from top to bottom with single panels. Each panel opens as one piece, like a door, so when you fold them back the window is completely clear.
Taller panels usually include a mid rail, a horizontal bar across the middle. A mid rail adds strength and can be positioned to line up with your window’s own transom or glazing bar, so the shutters sit neatly with the window behind. If you’d like to tilt the top and bottom louvres to different angles, you can ask for a split tilt, which lets you angle the top louvres for light while keeping the bottom ones closed.
Good to know:
- A clean, simple look with the fewest horizontal lines.
- When closed, they give the most complete cover for privacy and light control, which makes them a popular choice for bedrooms.
- They suit most window shapes, from standard casements to tall living room windows and bays.
Tier-on-tier shutters: the whole window, with split panels
Tier-on-tier shutters also cover the whole window, but the panels are split into two separate tiers: a top set and a bottom set. Each tier is hinged and opens on its own.
That means you can fold the top panels back to let daylight flood in, while keeping the bottom panels closed for privacy from the street. Or you can close everything for full cover at night. The louvres in each tier also tilt independently, giving you even more control.
The split between the tiers is usually set to line up with the window’s transom, or with the meeting rail on a sash window, so the shutters work naturally with the window behind them.
Good to know:
- The most flexible style for balancing light and privacy.
- Ideal for street-facing living rooms, bay windows and Victorian and Edwardian sash windows.
- There is a visible horizontal line where the two tiers meet, which many people like on period windows.
Café style shutters: covering the part of the window you choose
Café style shutters cover only the lower part of the window, leaving the top open. They don’t have to stop exactly halfway: the height is up to you. Many people line the top of the shutter up with the window’s transom or the middle of a sash window for a neat finish, but café shutters can stop wherever you wish, higher for more privacy or lower for more light.
Because the top of the window is always uncovered, café shutters give privacy at street level while keeping the room bright all day.
Good to know:
- A light, relaxed look that lets in the most daylight of the three styles.
- Great for kitchens, bathrooms, dining rooms and ground-floor rooms that face the street.
- As the top is always open, they won’t fully darken a room. If you need full cover at night, full height or tier-on-tier may suit better.
How to choose the right shutter style
- How much privacy do you need? For rooms overlooked from the street, tier-on-tier or café style keep the lower window covered while letting light in above.
- How dark should the room be? For bedrooms and nurseries, full height or tier-on-tier give the most complete cover when closed.
- How much light do you want? Café style keeps the top of the window clear all day. Tier-on-tier lets you choose when to open the top.
- What type of window is it? Sash and bay windows often suit tier-on-tier, while tall or modern windows often suit full height. We match rails and splits to the lines of your window.
- Do you want a consistent look? Many homes use the same style across the front of the house, and a different style in kitchens or bathrooms.
Whichever style you choose, you can also pick the louvre size. See our guide to 64mm, 76mm and 89mm louvres, or our tier-on-tier vs full height comparison for more detail on those two styles. If you have a bay window, see our shutters for bay windows.
See the styles at your own window
Shutter styles are easiest to choose when you can see them in your own room. At a free home design visit, we bring samples, measure your windows, show you where rails and splits would sit, and talk through light, privacy and colour before giving you a written quote.
All our wooden shutters are made to measure in Britain, with a typical lead time of 3–4 weeks and a 10-year guarantee.