I have lots of the faux wood blinds and I would guess that it would be the same for shutters (though I think shutters can be more finished looking). I love the blinds. I had the silhouette shades in my previous house and although it's a very nice look, I am not comfortable with cleaning them. If you have cats and they get at the shades then I really don't know about cleaning them or damaging them. Many people have the shades and don't seem to have issues with them, but I remember that they seemed quite absorbent so I don't know about dust and dirt.

I like cellular because, with a valance, you can make them go away in the day time, leaving the window fully clear. Blinds and shutters block a lot of light and view all day long.

it depends on the look that you want in your room- i like the wood blind and shutter look, but i was so very tired of cleaning all the wood blinds that we had in our last house that i am very happy not to be doing it here!!

if your living room is simple with clean modern lines, i think cellular shades would look nice!! if it's more traditional or formal, maybe roman shades would be a better choice...

A light (or white) color shutter or blind will show less dust then a wood tone.

the dust will still be there, just not as noticeable.

I've had real wood blinds and now have one room with a lot of wood shutters and the shutters are much easier to keep clean. I think because of the size of the slats (3", I think) and the superior finish over the mini blinds, no holes where the cords are threaded, etc., it's easy to just run a micro cloth over them (I actually buy cheap microfiber socks and use them on my hands for dusting them - it's a snap). My shutters do not have that central rod used to open and close them - not sure what it's called.

It's all going to come down to the look you like and the style of your room. I'm not at all a fan of valances, but they would be effective to hide the shades if you decide to use those.

I prefer shutters. We have them throughout our home, and absolutely love them. They're very easy to keep clean with a quick, routine dusting. We are also sold on the crisp, uncluttered look (and the privacy/light control) they bring to our rooms.

I've had both for about ten years. I've never vacuumed my cellular shades because I keep them up most of the time, but I do have to dust my shutters a few times a year.

Cellular shades are hard to vacuum clean and they seem to attract spiders and collect lots of spider webs. Would not recommend if you live in an area that has spiders. Have replaced ours with easy to wash curtains.

I totally agree with Annie D. Do you want the natural light to come in? Do you want to be able to see outside? It also depends on the look you want. I do not like blinds/shades to be part of the decor. I want them only for their purpose.....and not to be seen during the day. I love the look of shutters but cannot imagine having my windows covered .....unless you need the privacy. We have " cafe" shutters in two rooms. They are open all day.

I would think twice about cellular since you have cats. Our kids and cat destroyed cellular shades at our prior house. Maybe we were just an exceedingly rowdy bunch, though ;-)

Thank you all. I have 8 windows to cover in one small room (some are transoms) and am a little afraid shutters will give a caged feel - yet the light is bright, sun is hot, and dust is high (I live in a desert), so hard to know what to do. My cat is not really destructive but still he is a cat and comes with little needles at the ends of all his feet. I like it generally bright in the room but the sun is freaking blinding at certain hours of the day. (I do have exterior solar shades already which help but not enough if you want to use a computer or see TV). Are the central rods in shutters to open and close "out"? Plus note if I do the 5 transoms it will mean a ladder for dusting and also to open them so likely they would stay shut (cellular) or maybe tilted towards ceiling (blinds or shutters). Not sure its worth that. Maybe a valance type curtain over transoms and something else below? I considered cell shades to block heat as it does not seem blinds or shutters would be much insulation? I really don't know?! But then if they are not 100% closed I guess they would not block much would they?

Also I have no view to speak of so nothing to look at really and cost of transoms covered vs not is not significant. The main part of the price will be the largest windows no matter what I do.

I had plantation shutters in my previous house & in this house. First of all...they provide amazing insulation in the winter. Like our gas bill went down after they were installed amazing. Second of all...they are much easier to clean than blinds. Most people get the very wide slats, so there aren't as many as a blind, plus they don't move when you wipe them. It takes me no time at all to run a swiffer cloth over them. It is so easy, I do it weekly to keep dust from ever forming. Aesthetically, I find them to be a gorgeous architectural element. My home is traditional, but they honestly look beautiful in modern, traditional and transitional applications. My children's orthodontist built a brand new, ultra modern office and used shutters on all the windows. It is very sleek looking. I have the tilt bar in the middle of my shutters, but I have seen them both ways. I think no tilt bar looks slightly more modern, but I imagine the tilt bar makes them easier to use. I personally have never felt like the shutters look cage-like. We live in the South and they are considered a real estate listing note plus in all homes.

I am usually in the kitchen, bath or laundry forums and landed here today on a search, so hello. Like nini804, I live in the south where plantation shutters can sell a house. They do indeed cut heating costs if you leave them shut, and AC costs it you shut or at least tilt them against the sun. I also have cellular shades in some of the guest rooms, roman shades in my son's room, and blinds in my family room and office. Plus four cats! Cleaning cell shades was never a problem -- roll them with a lint roller, same for lamp shades -- but cords for both blinds and shades need to be secured if you have a mischievous cat. Kittens have strangled on them.

I think of all the options you have presented, wood blinds let in the most light and give quick, easy flexibility for adjustment. Easily cleaned with a swiffer extender. They almost disappear when pulled up. The frames around shutters cut out a lot of light, and they look less good on small windows. You particularly do not want to "split" a plantation shutter on a small window. I think cellular shades give a soft, pretty look and come in more colors, but are best in bedrooms. However, you used to be able to get them with a sun reflective coating for hot areas, though they did give a shimmery look to your windows when viewed from the outside. Not sure if those are still on the market. You can also, I believe, put Pellas on a timer that will automatically raise and lower them at different times of the day, depending on how you preset it.

Where we live, in a moderately upscale neighborhood in the south, it is considered good form to have matching window treatments on each on each side of your house. For example, most people here have plantation shutters on all their front windows, up and down. But they might have blinds or cellular shades on the back. My real estate agent says consistency gives a house curb appeal. But we have a mix on the front because that works best for our rooms, especially where the cats hang (dining room bay window) where shutters would restrict their view too much.

All said, though, unless the window is a small one, plantation shutters are my favorite option. Hope my pros and cons can help you choose.

Keep in mind too that plantation shutters with larger slats (ours are 4") are more modern looking than standard shutters and let in a ton of natural light.

Are plantation shutters permanently affixed to the window? You can't push them back and to the side to have an unobstructed window? How do you wash the inside of your window?

No, they open just like a door. Some fold back on themselves, others don't. There are a number of different options.

I recently switched from cellular shades to plantation shutters in my dining room and living room. I'm happy with the change. I already had shutters on other rooms in my house, so now it's more consistent-looking.

The cellular shades never looked "finished" to me (especially since there was no casing around my windows. Not only do the shutters look better, I think they provide better insulation.

The cellular shades offered one advantage: I was able to have privacy while letting in some light during the day. OTOH, I'm able to tilt the shutters such that some light gets through while still offering privacy. The top and bottom tilt separately, which also offers more privacy.

Not only are the modern slats wider, but also the shutters tend to have wider panels. My dining room window is about 4.5' wide, but has just two shutter panels, no folds.

In my previous home we had very large windows covered in shutters. They looked great and were so easy to wipe over. Depending on the window some were sliders others byefold. The sliders were in areas such as kitchen and family room. it's very easy to clean windows with either.

My windows don't have trim either - so adding shutters as a built in is very appealing. Laurie - interesting to know you can get slider shutters. I will ask about this option. Thank you all again who offered input - this is a rather significant expense so want to try and do something both attractive and livable.