Louvre windows are harder to cover than standard windows, and most of the advice online ignores why. The blades project into the room as they open, the gallery mechanism needs clearance, and you still have to reach the winder.
Here’s what actually works, what doesn’t, and why.
First, a terminology problem worth clearing up
“Louvre shutters” means two completely different things depending on who’s saying it:
- Shutters that have louvres — plantation shutters, which use adjustable slats. These go on ordinary windows.
- Shutters for a louvre window — a covering fitted over a window that is itself a bank of glass or aluminium blades.
This page is about the second one: how to cover a louvre window. If you’re after plantation shutters for a standard window, that’s a different product and a different fitter.
Can you put plantation shutters on louvre windows?
Yes, but they have to be mounted clear of the blade travel. That usually means fitting outside the reveal rather than inside it, so the shutter panels sit proud of the window and the louvre blades can rotate freely behind them.
Two things decide whether it works in your opening:
- Blade projection. When a louvre blade rotates open, its edge swings into the room. The shutter has to clear that arc, not just the closed blade face.
- Winder access. Your winder or lever handle has to remain reachable and operable with the shutter closed, or you’ll be opening the shutter every time you want to open the window — which defeats the point of both.
If your louvre sits in a deep reveal, you may have enough depth to fit inside it. In a shallow reveal, an outside-mount is usually the only option.
Other ways to cover a louvre window
Roller blinds
The simplest option. Mounted above the opening and outside the reveal, a roller blind clears the blade travel easily and doesn’t interfere with the winder if you position the chain on the opposite side. The trade-off is that it’s all-or-nothing — you lose the light control that made you choose louvres.
Vertical and panel blinds
Work well on wider louvre banks, and you can draw them to one side rather than fully raising them. Again, mount outside the reveal.
Curtains
The most forgiving option, because a curtain track sits well clear of everything. Suits louvres in living areas and bedrooms where you want softness rather than precise light control.
Honeycomb and cellular blinds
Worth considering if the reason you’re covering the window is heat rather than privacy or light. They add an insulating air layer that glass louvres don’t have on their own.
What generally doesn’t work
Anything that has to fit tight inside the reveal — tension-fit blinds, inside-mount venetians, film-and-frame systems. There’s rarely enough depth between the closed blade and the reveal face, and even where there is, the blades foul the covering as soon as you open them.
Do you actually need a covering?
Worth asking before you spend the money. Louvre windows already give you a degree of control that fixed glass doesn’t — you can angle the blades to cut direct sun while keeping airflow and outlook.
Where a covering earns its place:
- Privacy at night, when angled blades stop working because the room is lit from inside
- Bedrooms, where you want genuine darkness
- Western elevations in a Sydney summer, where angling the blades isn’t enough to stop late-afternoon heat
Where it often isn’t needed: bathrooms and laundries with obscure or frosted glass louvres, and high-set louvre banks above eye level.
Measuring and fitting: what to tell your installer
Whoever fits your covering needs to know:
- Blade projection at full open — how far the blade edge travels into the room
- Reveal depth — from the closed blade face to the internal wall line
- Winder position and type — and which side it’s on
- Whether the louvre bank is full-height or sits above a sill
Take these measurements with the louvres open, not closed. It’s the most common mistake, and it’s the one that ends with a covering that fouls the blades.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put plantation shutters on louvre windows?
Yes, provided they’re mounted clear of the blade travel — usually outside the reveal rather than inside it. The blades project into the room as they rotate open, and the winder must stay reachable with the shutter closed.
How do you cover a louvred window?
Outside-mounted roller blinds, curtains, vertical blinds or shutters all work. The rule is the same for all of them: mount clear of the reveal so the blades can rotate and the winder stays accessible.
Can you fit blinds inside a louvre window reveal?
Rarely. Most reveals don’t have the depth to clear the blade arc, and the covering fouls the blades as soon as you open the window. Outside-mount is the reliable option.
Do louvre windows need window coverings at all?
Not always. Angled blades handle daytime light and privacy well. Coverings earn their place for night-time privacy, bedroom darkness, and west-facing rooms in summer.
Thinking about louvre windows?
We manufacture aluminium louvre windows in Sydney, and we’re happy to talk through blade type, gallery options and how they’ll work with the coverings you have in mind — before you order, rather than after.
- Aluminium louvre windows — blade options, galleries and specifications
- What are louvre windows? — how they work and where they suit