Our Hillarys Shutters: An honest review

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Of all the elements we’ve added to our master bedroom renovation, nothing has got me more excited as seeing our Hillarys shutters being installed. The whole process has emphasised to me (again) how window dressing absolutely transforms a house both inside and out. You’ll see why.

When we first got the keys to our 1930s semi detached renovation, we were lucky to have inherited these glorious curved bay windows that are pretty common in this style of house. ‘Sunshine bays’ they often call them, because their curved aesthetic brings sunlight into the house at all hours of the day.

But take a look at this for a before shot…

However, one area where we weren’t so lucky was in the curtain department! We inherited the most dated, ugly curtains! They were the first to go. And for years we’ve lived (a bit reluctantly) with net curtains to provide privacy.

Curved bay windows are tough to dress. Curtain poles are near-impossible to curve or cost the earth to have made, tracks just don’t look great nor glide well and we needed window dressing that gave us the ability to bring curb appeal to the exterior of the house – so I knew from the start, shutters were a must, provided they were measured and installed meticulously.

Why we chose Hillarys – an honest review

We’ve owned shutters in a previous property and in the past I’ve worked for shutter companies for a short stint of time, so I definitely know more than your average Joe about where to shop for quality and which shutter designs are right for certain windows (certainly no expert, mind you!)

Hillarys have always been one of the ‘elite’ shutter installers in the UK. They’re a safe pair of hands, and I’d often seen their shutters in person at trade shows and loved the quality and finish. While there are many different routes you can take to install shutters, when you’re working with a large bay window which can throw a few more challenges than your average straight up window, it’s good to get expert eyes on the job.

Plus, having just had brand new upvc bay windows installed, we wanted them dressed right to really make the most of the feature.

We got in touch with Hillarys to discuss our project and let them know about our renovation community, many who are considering shutter installations too and we told them how much you value honest reviews. Hillarys agreed to gift us their full service, so we could try them out and tell you exactly how it all went. Review their service with no holds barred.

The trouble is, and I mean this in the best way, after the installation had all finished, I turned to Neil and said “How the hell am I going to give a fair review when everything has gone so seamlessly”.

I mean, the only gripe I could find is the wait-time for delivery but it’s an industry-wide given that shutters take a long time to be built. Months not weeks. But considering every panel and slat is made bespoke for our window, and the results they bring to a room, they’re worth every minute.

It’s also worth noting that our review and experience was with the surveyor and installer we had in our area, Rob, who has over 10 years experience working with Hillarys alone and prior to that cabinetry-making, so his eye for detail and experience is next to none. I can’t comment on other Hillarys installers but if they are even 85% as perfectionist and meticulous as Rob, I’d still be SO pleased with the results. What a nice guy he was too. Similar to when we had the fitted alcove wardrobes done, I wanted to hire Rob for all the other jobs that need doing in the house!

The appointment, our shutter requirements and the design we chose

I’ll do another post all around how to dress bay windows soon, as we’ve trialled different options and I can share what’s worked best for us in more detail but in terms of this window and the process to getting the results we have got, it all started in that initial appointment… which is arguably more important to get right than the actual installation itself.

So let me take you back to the day Rob came over, gave us a bell first to check neither of us had Covid or were waiting for tests, and spent about an hour patiently discussing with us possible options for the room. We made some important decisions.

It’s surprising how many moving parts and decisions need to be made when you’re choosing shutters. I was fully prepared for it but I can imagine if you’re new to shutters it can get quite technical.

Rob was fantastic and showed us colour options, discussed slat sizes with us, and advised on how he would be fitting the frame and where the support would come from (we worried our window sills were too narrow and shutters would overhang, or worse that the shutters would have to be drilled into the uPVC windows potentially voiding the warranty, but Rob talked us through how each panel would be supported and where they’d be fixed. He did a full measure up of the window which geared us up for a totally seamless install later…

We chose full height shutters in Pure white with a 76mm slat to bring complete privacy to the window and offer a clean and elegant look inside and out. I was keen to hide the handles and the bulk of the UPVC window frames as best as possible without reducing or blocking light in any way, so Rob measured up to include a mid rail running about 3/4s of the way up the panel which hides it all nicely and also allows us to keep the top slats open for light when getting dressed.

Geeky I know, but one of my favourite features to choose were the hinges. Hillarys have some really beautiful (and robust) hinges for the shutter panels to hang from, and in past projects I’ve always opted for an antique brass then regretted it later. You see, for a window like ours where we were having 6 panels with 3 hinges per panel, we’d have ended up with quite a busy, dotted effect all over the white shutters so I deliberately chose simple, white hinges to disguise them and not be such a major feature of the design.

Fitting the shutters – Hillarys review

Install day came and Rob returned with his van full to the brim with shutter boxes. Neil thought most of them were for other customers later in the day but nope, they were mostly for us and we’d forgotten just how many boxes it takes to assemble shutters to windows.

Rob brought every box carefully up the stairs with not a scuff mark in sight. That in itself is worth everything to us because the amount of deliveries we’ve had where people just don’t care about your paint work is crazy. I told you Rob was a dream to work with! :)

Rob got to work assembling the frame and panels. The whole time I kept running up and down the stairs to go peek at the progress and got SO excited seeing the room getting closer and closer to completion. It was honestly like a dream come true. Anyone who has had shutters installed before will know that feeling of sheer excitement!

And in under 3 hours, he had them all complete…

Before and after – the reveal

Aside from doing a happy dance and just being elated, one of the first things I complemented Rob and Hillarys on was the attention to detail given to the caulking and finishing the surrounds of the shutters.

Working as an interior designer you naturally develop a really perfectionist (and some might say cynical!) view on woodwork and joinery. Add to the mix that Neil is a pro photographer and perfectionist too, we spot problems before we see the best bits, such as when walls aren’t level and the finish hasn’t been done with consideration or if kickbacks or skirting haven’t been measured or cut right. Our house has its fair share of mistakes (don’t go looking out for them now I’ve told you ;)) which has really helped us learn. But with the finish of these shutters – nothing, and I mean nothing – is a millimetre out of place.

Just an example for you… if you look carefully at the far left and the far right shutter panels on either end, notice how the gap from the top of the shutters to the ceiling is wider on either end than in the middle? Rob has used trim around the edges to give a really smooth, uniform and ‘built-in’ look. Each piece of trim is cut to perfection.

On a design level, I think the pictures speak for themselves when we say how happy we are that we chose shutters rather than heavy curtains and nets. They’ve kept the room bouncing light throughout, and they do bring a really professional look that’s hard to achieve if you’re DIY’ing curtains which I’ve had more than my fair share in experience with!

How much do Hillarys shutters cost?

As I’ve mentioned already, Hillarys gifted us these shutters to allow us to share a fair review with you. I’ve requested a full cost to be sent over to us which I’ll add in here for those of you who have similar projects interested in understanding how much to budget for shutters but in the meantime, it’s so easy to get an accurate cost for your particular project by booking a free appointment with Hillarys on their website or over the phone. It’s always the best and quickest way to get accurate quotes for your windows.

Do the shutters block light?

This was the first question my sister asked when I was sending her live updates on Whatsapp – she’s due to complete on a Victorian house in the next few weeks and shutters would look insanely beautiful on the bay windows of her home, they’re made for period properties! – so I thought I’d answer this here for you too.

The shutters don’t provide black-out effect when they’re fully closed, but as Neil said “they make the room very comfortably dark if you did want a nap during the day – far darker than average curtains”. In terms of us adding shutters to the windows and whether they block any light when the slats are open –maybe the slightest tiniest reduction, but no way near how much curtains either side of nets would reduce light by. In fact, shutters sort of diffuse the light and give the room a really bright but soft and comfortable brightness that I actually prefer to the starkness of a bare window. The fact we can adjust all the slats to tailor the light is a photographer and interior designer’s dream! (I know, we’re sad like that!). Also… choosing white window dressing acts like a mirror in some ways. It rebounds light from the window back into the room so I can understand why some people say their rooms actually look brighter when shutters are installed.

What are shutters like to live with?

We’ve had our Hillarys shutters for a good few weeks now, but we’ve lived with shutters for years in our old flat. They’re easy to clean, easy to operate, no painstakingly drawing heavy curtains across a track and having hooks fling off in your eye (this happens every night in our living room… shutters are calling!) More than that though, as we come home from the weekly shop, we just feel so much prouder of our house and the additions we’re making to it. We haven’t even started on the exterior improvements we have planned (designs are in progress as I type, stay tuned!) but already, just by installing shutters to one room we’ve seen a real upgrade to the exterior. Our Hillarys shutters are a joy and I recommend them to anyone who is teetering on the edge of curtains or blinds vs shutters.

Conclusion

Would I recommend Hillarys? In a heartbeat. I’ll be recommending them to clients too. In fact, we’ve got a few rooms left to do that are crying out for a window transformation so stay tuned for more reveals!

I really hope this information has been useful to you if you’re considering working with Hillarys and/or you’d like to install shutters to your home. I encourage you to book an appointment with the team, it’s free, they’ll give you a ballpark on how much it will cost and you’ll get some great window dressing ideas. Remember Hillarys offer curtains and blinds too so you can discuss lots of options and go from there.

Thank you so much for reading this and a huge thanks to Rob and the Hillarys team for making our shutter dreams come true!

Fi xoxo