From windows framed by slatted aluminium fins to colourful metal panels that wrap around a building's facade, our latest lookbook showcases 10 homes with shutters and louvres.
Made from slats, fins and blades, shutters can be used to control the amount of sunlight that enters a home, provide privacy, open the house up to scenic views and protect against extreme weather conditions such as wind or humidity.
They can be adjusted electronically or via hand with pulleys and levers to change the amount of light and regulate the airflow that comes into a room.
In a similar fashion, architects and designers typically add horizontal or vertical louvres to the outside of a building to shade it from the sun or decorate its facades.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks on bedrooms with balconies, decorative ceramics and bathrooms with statement tiles.
House in Chau Doc, Vietnam, by Nishizawa Architects
This multi-generational home in the Vietnamese city of Chau Doc is shared by three separate families. Renovated by Ho Chi Min-based studio Nishizawa Architects, the airy structure features moveable corrugated metal panels instead of walls.
Occupants benefit from unspoiled views of the surrounding rice fields as well as plenty of sunlight, greenery and natural ventilation that filters throughout the three floors.
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Casa Ventura, Brazil, by Arquitetura Nacional
Casa Ventura, a house situated in a gated residential community in Xangri Lá, has reinforced white concrete shutters punctured by cylindrical openings across its facade.
Brazilian studio Arquitetura Nacional added the panels to shade the upper level of the house, which contains four minimalist bedrooms, a massage room and a sparsely decorated room in neutral shades for watching television.
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Obra Luyaba, Argentina, by Barrionuevo Villanueva Arquitectos
Córdoba-based studio Barrionuevo Villanueva Arquitectos paired creamy floor tiles with warm wooden furniture, shelves and battens in the living space of this property in a remote spot in Traslasierra Valley.
A terrace with operable full-height wooden shutters wraps around the project and gives the homeowners unparalleled views of the mountainous surroundings.
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Amagansett Dunes House, US, by Bates Masi Architects
Kaleidoscopic patterns of dappled light decorate the interior of Amagansett Dunes House, a four-bedroom home that backs onto a wooded nature preserve in Amagansett, New York.
The sunlight filters in through the louvres on the building's western facade. As well as creating intricate patterns, the louvres are designed to allow breezes to pass through which keeps the occupants cool.
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Forest House, Thailand, by Shma Company
Containing 120 trees and 20 different plant species, the aptly named Forest House is situated in a dense, urban spot in the Thai capital of Bangkok.
Narrow balconies nestled between white steel louvres fringe the house and are populated with a variety of potted plants, trees and evergreens.
"The house is designed to maximise natural ventilation and sunlight," Shma Company's director Prapan Napawongdee told Dezeen. "The interplay between solids and voids, which is present throughout the three storeys, brings the greenery close to every room in the house."
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LE House, Israel, by Bar Orian Architects
Built for a couple and their three children by Israeli architecture studio Bar Orian Architects, LE House was designed to pay homage to Brutalist architecture.
On the ground floor, polished concrete flooring is set off against an exposed concrete wall that separates the kitchen, living and dining room from the library and master bedroom.
The occupants can rotate or slide open the dark red louvres – which are made from strips of aluminium and Corten steel – electronically to adjust the amount of sunlight depending on the time of day.
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Brougham Place, Australia, by Smart Design Studio
Travertine stone floors, timber stairs and concrete walls and ceilings create a neutral backdrop throughout Brougham Place, a three-storey home by Sydney architecture studio Smart Design Studio.
Splashes of colour and strips of daylight punctuate the otherwise muted interior through the multicoloured vertical wooden louvres on the front facade.
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Woven House, Colombia, by Santiago Pradilla and Zuloark
Woven screens made from a natural fibre called Yaré divide this long, cabin-like home designed for the owners of a coffee plantation in Colombia.
Shutters made from the same material frame the double-height living area, dining and kitchen spaces, allowing the house to be opened up to the outside.
Woven furniture that matches the shutters and screens is dotted throughout the two-storey home while a fabric hammock hangs from its timber beams.
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Sea of Galilee House, Israel, by Golany Architects
Israeli studio Golany Architects wanted to maximise views over the Sea of Galilee in this newly built family home set on the slopes of the Jordan Rift Valley.
Floor-to-ceiling glass glazing on both the ground and upper level offers panoramic views over the garden, nearby village and the freshwater lake.
To help keep residents cool during the hot summer months, the studio added rolling linear shutters which filter the sun and double as a privacy screen.
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Ksaraah, Bangalore, by Taliesyn
Furniture and fittings inside Ksaraah were made from materials and crafts local to Bangalore, with tables made from local stone, bedding made from "khadi" cloth and "kansa" metal crockery.
Architecture and design studio Taliesyn wanted the 487-square-metre house to create a connection with nature.
Living spaces are either fully open to the outside or able to be opened up via sliding and folding shutters so that residents can enjoy the tropical surroundings. Some rooms are also elevated to take full advantage of the views.
This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing residential bathrooms, dining areas anchored by sculptural pendant lights and homes with French doors.