What are Decorative Shutter Hinges?

Shutters add visual interest to your house's facade and protect the vulnerable windows during heavy storms. Decorative shutter hinges allow shutters to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing, since they are able to swing shut without sacrificing a fashionable design impact.

Decorative shutter hinges link the trim of the shutters to the casing of exterior or interior windows. They bring interest to the edifice of your home in areas where climate requires shutters to be secured during hurricanes. This piece of hardware comes in a wide variety of sizes, finishes, and designs to set your home apart from the architecture of your neighborhood or blend with the existing hardware.

One structural division in decorative shutter hinges is between mortise hinges, mounted to the side and front of the window, and front-mounted hinges that lay flat. For example, spear or strap hinges have a small plate attached to an elongated bar designed to hold heavier wood shutters. Butt or blind hinges are simple, symmetrical hinges whose flat surface can be etched with intricate motifs such as scrolls or animals. The L-strap, or New York style, mortise hinges have an old-fashioned look perfect for heavy shutters, while the delicate front-mounted butterfly hinges take the insect's shape with scalloped edges. If you need your shutters to maintain a narrow gap between their panels to increase air circulation, you might want to install H-hinges.

Companies specializing in antique reproductions resurrect many designs of decorative shutter hinges. They have recreated hinges covered in an ornate Victorian design, an elegant Fleur de Lis, or a geometric Art Deco pattern. These are often made of copper, brass, nickel, or cast iron. The metal can be finished in an antique, polished, black, matte, chrome, or hand-hammered treatment for textural variety, and to further relate the hinge to a specific architectural era. Even a plain central pin can be augmented into a finial. Of course, there are matching hardware accessories for decorative shutter hinges, such as tiebacks, latches, dogs, and knobs, which create a unified effect.