Double French doors
A pair of glazed, hinged doors. Each door leaf needs its own coverage and operating plan, including access to the everyday handle and the second door’s locks or bolts.
Custom hardwood · Made in Palm City, Florida
Plantation Shutters for French & Glass Doors
Beautiful light.
Privacy on your terms.
A door that works.
From one glass back door to a pair opening onto the patio, we build shutters around the way you use your home. Explore real AP installations with straight frames, shaped handle cutouts and coordinating window shutters.
Architectural Plantation Shutters, Inc. · Serving Florida homeowners since 1991
One idea, several names
What are French door shutters?
French door shutters are interior louvered panels fitted over the glass of a hinged door. Tilting the louvers adjusts light and privacy; the custom frame leaves room for the handle, locks and door movement.
Customers also ask for plantation shutters for glass doors, interior door shutters, wood door shutters and shutter blinds for French doors. The right design starts with the actual opening, whether you call it a French door, patio door or glass back door.
Single glass & hinged patio doors
One swinging glazed door, sometimes called a single French door. Back doors, balcony doors, pool doors and lanai doors describe where it leads; the mounting details still depend on the door itself.
Full-lite & half-lite doors
“Lite” means glass in door terminology. Full-lite or full-glass doors have a large glazed area; half-lite and other partial-glass doors have a smaller insert. We size the shutter to the glass and surrounding trim.
Does your patio door slide? “Patio door” can mean either a hinged door or a slider, and some French-style doors slide. If yours moves sideways, see our sliding glass door shutters for the appropriate track and panel layout.
Real doors. Real AP installations.
Find an opening like yours.
These single and double door installations show how fitted shutters sit beside the hardware. A handle cutout is an option when the opening needs it, not a requirement for every glass door.
Single glass door, no cutout
A slim, straight frame covers the glazed area while the knob and deadbolt remain beside it. This is a useful starting point for a glass back door or a single hinged patio door.
Double doors, straight frames
Two narrow shutter panels sit inside the door faces. The hardware has its own space between them, so the frames do not need decorative recesses.
A single door beside furniture
The frame and shutter swing need to work with the surrounding room. A traditional center tilt rod links the louvers so you can adjust them together.
Privacy for a bedroom glass door
A fitted door window covering brings the same shutter style into a bedroom. Plan for privacy, daylight and clearance from furniture along the door’s swing.
Made around your hardware
Curved, circular or square.
The cutout follows the handle.
French door shutter cutouts create space where the handle or lock would otherwise meet the frame. We consider the hardware projection, lever travel and room for your hand, then shape the shutter accordingly.
Circle & half-circle cutouts
On these paired doors, two rounded recesses form a circular shape around the handles. You may hear this called a circular, curved or French-door handle cutout.
A rounded cutout on one door
A single curved recess, also called a swoop cutout, makes space beside the lever. This bathroom installation shows how the shaped frame becomes part of the door treatment.
Rectangular or square cutouts
A straight-edged recess offers another way to clear the hardware. Here it is paired with a matching transom shutter above the door, shown during installation.
A cutout belongs to the shutter’s shape. Its size and position are planned for your existing door hardware and glass trim.
The same doors, a different light
Tilt the louvers.
Change the room.
The opening photograph shows these double French doors with the louvers open. Here, the same louvers are tilted toward closed for more privacy.
You can adjust the view and daylight without opening the entire shutter panel. The panel opens separately when you need access to the glass.
For bedroom and bathroom door shutters, discuss privacy from outside as well as the light you see inside. Interior shutters reduce light, but gaps around louvers, frames and cutouts mean they are not a complete blackout treatment.
Tell us what you need from the light →
Custom fit, everyday use
How do shutters fit on a glass door?
Start with the mounting surface
A door-mounted shutter attaches to the door and moves with it. Its frame must fit around the glass trim and leave enough depth for the louvers. We assess the door construction, including fiberglass or steel doors, before choosing attachment points.
Plan each movement
The glass door swings, the shutter panel opens on its hinges, and the louvers tilt. We check these movements against the handle, wall, furniture and nearby door leaf. In some layouts, independently mounted shutters can operate separately from the door.
Choose the finish and tilt style
Our custom hardwood shutters are manufactured in Palm City. The installation shown here has no center tilt rod across the louver field; other examples use a traditional visible rod. We can discuss the appearance, frame and finish alongside your room’s windows.
Explore our shutter frame options and basswood shutters as part of that conversation.
Finish the whole opening
Shutters for sidelights, transoms & nearby windows.
The narrow windows beside an entrance are sidelights, also spelled sidelites. The glass above a door is a transom. Each can receive a separately sized shutter that coordinates with the door.
Matching the finish and frame details gives door and window shutters a consistent appearance. A fixed sidelight does not move like a door, so its mounting and cleaning access are planned separately.
The sidelight shown here and the transom in the rectangular-cutout example demonstrate two different ways to carry the shutter design beyond the door glass.
Choosing your door window treatment
French door shutters, blinds, shades or curtains?
Searches for French door window treatments, glass door coverings and blinds for French doors often begin with the same need: privacy without making the door awkward to use.
Plantation shutters
A fitted frame, adjustable louvers and a coordinated architectural finish. The frame and any handle cutout are built around the opening.
Blinds & shades
French door blinds, cellular shades and roller shades offer different looks and light-control options. Compare mounting depth, handle clearance and how the covering is secured when the door moves.
Curtains & door panels
French door curtains and sheer door panels add fabric softness. Consider rod placement, fabric movement, privacy and access to the lock.
“Shutter blinds” is a common search phrase for plantation shutters, but shutters use hinged panels and louvers rather than a blind’s lift system. These are interior window treatments; decorative exterior shutters and hurricane shutters serve different purposes.
More from our local projects
Different doors call for different solutions.
Jensen Beach, Florida
A slim door panel, coordinated with the room
A custom fit beside the hardware without a large decorative cutout.
View the project →Jupiter, FloridaIndependent shutters at a patio opening
A different mounting arrangement lets the doors and shutters operate separately.
View the project →Practical answers before you order
French & glass door shutter questions
Can you put plantation shutters on French doors?
Yes. Custom interior shutters can cover the glass of single hinged doors and double French doors. The shutter frame, mounting surface, glass trim and handle clearance are measured together so the door and louvers can operate properly.
Does every French door shutter need a cutout?
No. Our photos show many straight frames that fit beside the handles without a cutout. Where hardware overlaps the shutter area, a curved, circular or rectangular cutout may be appropriate. We allow room for your hand as well as the hardware.
Can you fit shutters to a single glass back door or patio door?
Yes, subject to the door’s construction and mounting conditions. A single glazed back door, bedroom balcony door or hinged patio door can use the same custom approach as paired French doors. Send a full-door photo and a close-up of the handle.
Do the shutters move with the door?
Door-mounted shutters travel with the door. The shutter panel also has its own hinges for opening away from the glass. Some openings use an independently mounted shutter arrangement instead. The proposed layout should show how the glass door, shutter panel and louvers each move.
Can I open the French doors while leaving the shutters closed?
An independently mounted shutter arrangement can make that possible; our Jupiter patio project shows one example. A shutter attached directly to the door moves with it. Tell us which operation you want before measuring so the design matches your daily use.
Are French door shutters blackout window treatments?
They help control daylight and privacy, but they are not a complete blackout system. Light can remain between louvers, around the frame and near handle cutouts. For a bedroom, discuss nighttime privacy and the level of darkness you need.
Can you match the sidelights, transom and nearby windows?
Yes. Sidelights, also spelled sidelites, are the narrow windows beside an entrance; a transom is the glass above it. We can coordinate their shutter finish and detailing with the door while sizing and planning each opening separately.
What about half-glass doors, divided panes or raised glass trim?
A door with a half-lite or other partial glass insert needs a shutter sized to that glass area. Grilles, divided lites and raised glass trim affect clearance and frame depth. Send photos of the glass edges and door profile so we can assess the fit; a full-height door example does not establish every mounting detail.
Can shutters be installed on fiberglass, steel or impact-glass doors?
The door construction and manufacturer’s mounting requirements must be checked before choosing attachment points. Tell us the door make and model if available. Interior plantation shutters provide light control and privacy; they do not add hurricane or impact protection to the door.
How much do custom French door shutters cost?
Pricing depends on the glass size, number of doors, frame, cutout shape, finish, adjoining windows and installation conditions. Request a written quote for your actual opening. A standard window price does not capture every detail of a French-door installation.
How do I clean the glass behind a door shutter?
Ask for a demonstration of how your shutter panel opens and secures. Dust with a soft cloth or gentle brush and follow the finish care instructions. Avoid soaking the wood or forcing the louvers. Open the glass door using its own handle rather than pulling on the shutter.
Do you make French door shutters near me?
Architectural Plantation Shutters manufactures custom hardwood shutters in Palm City, Florida. We serve homeowners across the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County, including Stuart, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, Port St. Lucie, Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens. Contact us to confirm measuring and installation at your address.
For broader budgeting context, see our Florida plantation shutter cost guide.
Made locally, fitted to your home
Let’s plan your French or glass door shutters.
Send a straight-on photo of the full door, a close-up of the handles and a wider room view. Include your town and tell us what matters most: privacy, light, appearance or daily access.
Our Palm City team serves Stuart, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, Port St. Lucie, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens and surrounding communities across Martin, St. Lucie, Palm Beach and Indian River counties. Ask about service at your address.
3475 SW Palm City School AvePalm City, FL 34990
