Famous Films Starring Plantation Shutters
Shutters are a major part of film history – and we’re not just talking about camera lenses. Homes with plantation shutters have been used in many movies, in both the US and Europe, as film-makers look to give their pictures authenticity.
At the Bespoke Shutter Company, we supply and install competitively-priced plantation shutters in homes throughout London, Herts and Essex. Here we look at five of the most famous houses with shutters which have been featured on the big or small screen.
Gone With The Wind
One of the most famous homes with plantation shutters was built on a film set. Gone With The Wind, the epic romance starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, is set on the fictional plantation of Tara, in southern Georgia. However, the house and its immediate surroundings were constructed on the Forty Acres backlot in California.
To make the film as realistic as possible, wooden shutters were essential. Plantation shutters had been used in other countries before they became popular on the large plantation homes in the Deep South – hence the name which has endured to this day. Their rich American owners liked them for their style and elegance, and for the way they could keep their homes cool even in the middle of the day.
Set designers on Gone With the Wind used dark plantation shutters against the white exterior of the house - a common practice in all the Southern American states.
Home Alone
The principal setting for this 1990 film is a private home to the north of Chicago, in a suburb called Winnetka. Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy played by Macauley Culkin, is mistakenly left behind by his parents and family who go off to France for their Christmas vacation.
The house also uses dark shutters against a white background. Unlike Gone with the Wind, the property still exists – and in 2012 it sold for $1.5million.
Steel Magnolias
This 1989 drama, starring Sally Field and Julia Roberts, is set in the fictional town of Chinquipin, but one of its principal locations is real. The main family home, owned by the Eatentons, can be found along the Cane River in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
The property was originally built in 1840, and was once used as a hospital during the American Civil War. As well as six bedrooms, a pool and a separate guest house, the property also has white shutters, which contrast nicely with the red-brick façade.
To Catch a Thief
A glamorous castle, Chateau La Croix des Gardes, was used during the classic 1955 movie starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant, when it was called the Sanford Villa. It was originally built in 1919 and is two miles from the French city of Cannes.
As well as 13 bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a separate guest house, staff quarters and a swimming pool, the castle also makes extensive use of plantation shutters. When fully opened, they offer some sensational views over the Mediterranean and the Alps.
Plantation Shutters from The Bespoke Shutter Company
It's not just the film and TV world which can enjoy the benefits of homes with shutters – you can too. If you would like a home with plantation shutters in London, Essex or Hertfordshire, then give The Bespoke Shutter Company a call.
We design and install top-quality, made-to-measure shutters which can be solid, café-style or tier-on-tier. If you would like to get in touch, follow the link above and fill in the online form.
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