Orange County's only plantation shutter factory · Since 1987
Truly custom plantation shutters, designed with the owners
Golden West Shutters is the only company that makes plantation shutters in Orange County. Most shutters sold as custom are made-to-measure: cut to size from a standard layout. Ours are designed with the owners, built and finished in our Lake Forest factory, and fitted on site by our own finish carpenters.
Bring us your hardest window. We'll design it with you and give you a written price in one visit.
Truly custom means all six:
- Capability: built to fit around trim, sills and obstacles
- Shape: shaped perfectly to any window
- Design: designed with the owners, down to the details, including mounting
- Material: chosen with expert knowledge of how each performs
- Finish: a finish fine enough to make it truly custom
- Installation: fitted on site by finish carpenters
We're experts in all six.
Prefer to talk? Call 949-951-0600. Dave takes calls weekday evenings until 7 and weekends 8–4.
- 5.0 from 231+ Google reviews
- 60,000+ homes
- Ready in 3 to 5 weeks
Meet the factory owner, not a dealer
We'll call you shortly to answer your questions and set up a time to meet with Dave or John at our factory or your home.
5.0 · 231+ Google reviews · Built in Lake Forest since 1987
Start with a visit to our factory and save 5% on your order.
See where your shutters are made before anyone comes to your home.
Custom vs. made-to-measure shutters: what's the difference?
Made-to-measure shutters are cut to your window's size from a standard layout, usually ordered online or through a store. Custom shutters are designed for your window, your room and how you live. After 60,000+ homes, the question we hear most is "Aren't all shutters custom?" Here's how to tell.
| Made-to-measure | Truly custom (Golden West) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who designs it | You pick options from a form | The owners design it with you |
| Layout | Standard | Stiles, rails, panels and frame set window by window |
| Odd shapes | Often refused or extra cost | Arches, angles and sunbursts milled in-house |
| Frame | Pre-assembled | Scribed to your walls on site |
| Finish | Factory standard | Our ten-step finish, any color matched |
| Installer | Often a subcontractor | Our own finish carpenters |
Made-to-measure can be a fine choice for simple, square windows or a rental on a budget.
Capability
Will plantation shutters fit shallow windows, trim and sills?
Yes. Shallow and no-recess windows, trim, sills, window cranks, door handles and nearby cabinets are designed around, not forced to fit. Because we build every shutter in our Lake Forest factory, we set the frame depth and mill custom parts for each opening, so panels clear door handles and cranks, open fully and sit straight. Planning drapes too? Where the opening allows, we size the frame so both work together. They look like they were made for your house, because they were.
Why buying from the manufacturer matters →
Shape
Can you put plantation shutters on arched or odd-shaped windows?
Yes. Arches, sunbursts, half-rounds, curved tops, angled and rake tops, octagons, circles and transoms are milled to your opening in our Lake Forest factory, with panels up to 48 inches wide. Shapes many companies turn away are everyday work for us.
Send us a photo of your shape and we'll tell you how we'd build it. Text a photo
See arched and specialty shape shutters →
Design
Modern or traditional plantation shutters: which design fits my home?
It depends on your home's architecture, and an owner designs it with you, not a design tool. Every job starts with a computer layout. Then Dave or John refine it by hand:
- Style: clean and minimalist, or traditional with detail
- Split tilt: top and bottom louvers open separately, with privacy below and light above. Today's trend: no divider rail, for a cleaner look.
- Louvers: 2.5", 3.5" or 4.5"
- Tilt: a front tilt rod or hidden tilt
- Proportions: stile widths, rail heights, and panels up to 48 inches wide
Already have shutters? It's the first thing we ask. We walk you through each detail and copy the design, so new rooms match.
Plan your design in our showroom →
Design decision
Inside or outside mount plantation shutters: which is better?
Neither is always better: inside mount looks built-in, outside mount keeps more glass, light and view. Your window depth and trim decide it. It's one of the most important design choices, and one of the least explained.
Inside mount
- Look
- Clean, built-in and low profile.
- Light and view
- The frame sits inside the opening, so louvers can be up to 15% shorter and a panel can lose one or two louvers.
- Best when
- The window frame is deep enough and square.
Outside mount (also called surface mount)
- Look
- Frames the window and can make it look larger.
- Light and view
- Covers the full window and keeps full-length louvers.
- Best when
- Frames are shallow or uneven, or you want the full view.
Why are inside mounts pushed so often? Heavy materials like poly need a thicker L-frame for support. Mounting it inside the window hides the bulk, but it costs you louver length and light. Wood and Polylux are light and strong enough for a low-profile frame, so we only add an L-frame when your window requires it.
Book a visit to compare both mounts →
Material
What is the best material for plantation shutters?
The best material depends on the window: its size, panel width and how much moisture it sees.
- Wood: North American basswood, light and strong for wide panels, with our ten-step finish. Our pick for most rooms.
- Poly: moisture-resistant, for bathrooms and wet areas.
- Golden West Polylux: a real wood frame with moisture-resistant louvers. About two out of three of our coastal customers choose it.
We build all three, so we have no skin in the game. Our honest recommendation: wood for most rooms, Polylux near the water, poly where it gets wet.
Compare wood, composite and poly shutters →
Finish
Why does a shutter's finish matter so much?
Because the finish is what you see and touch every day, and it's what most sets a custom shutter apart. It's the difference between fine cabinetry and off the shelf. Wood and Polylux get our ten-step finish in our own spray booths, sanded by hand between coats, and guaranteed not to yellow. Any Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore color, or a custom stain, and you approve a sample before we build. Run your hand down a panel in our showroom and you'll feel it.
Tour the factory where we finish shutters · Stained shutters
Installation
Who installs custom plantation shutters, and how are they fitted?
Our own finish carpenters, licensed and on our staff, never subcontractors. They fit each frame to your walls on site instead of dropping in a pre-assembled one. The best finish carpenters choose where they work. Every one of ours has been with us for more than 20 years, because our shutters arrive right, so their time goes into fitting, not fixing.
Walls are rarely square, so every frame is scribed, panels are aligned and checked, and joints are touched up from the same paint lot. We sell, build and install, so one company answers for the result. Most homes take one day, 3 to 5 weeks after you order, and installation is included in your price. That last attention to detail turns a well-built shutter into finished carpentry.
Custom plantation shutters for hard windows near you
Most shutter companies are built for standard, square windows. Hard windows need someone who measures every opening, designs around what's in the way, and builds the parts to fit. That's why shutter brokers, big-box stores, contractors and interior designers come to us when they need something truly custom. Because we design, mill and install in-house, these are our everyday work:
- Bay windows
- High windows in vaulted ceilings
- Extra-wide openings that need support
- Plaster and concrete walls
- Tile cutouts
- Metal and vinyl doors
- Corner windows that don't meet evenly
- Moldings in the way
- Doors with extended tracks
Have a hard window? Text us a photo
What homeowners say about our custom shutters
5.0 stars from 231+ Google reviews · Owned by Dave and John since 1987 · Lifetime warranty
“I could not be more pleased with the quality and custom fit shutters for my living room. I selected Golden West Shutters since they were a local Orange County manufacturer. The owner, Dave personally designed my wood shutters with a contemporary design, matching my shaker cabinets with a custom color. The installation was timely and professional. Highly recommend visiting their factory.”
“I visited the showroom and factory in Lake Forest, CA which made the process easy, comfortable and it gave me a piece of mind that my shutters are made in Orange County. I had custom plantation shutters and a blind installed in my Huntington Beach, CA home. The shutters gave my home a clean, modern, timeless look. The quality and installation was excellent.”
“We have been loyal customers at both of our homes. Golden West has been great in fast response and installation. They show great samples and recommendations for style. They handle any problems or issues quickly and efficiently. I highly recommend using Golden West Shutters.”
How much do custom plantation shutters cost?
Custom shutters are priced window by window, and our custom details cost less than most people expect. Your written quote comes straight from the owner. What changes the price: size and number of panels, shape, material, mount and frame, and hard-window work.
Custom details, priced within reach
Our seamless Modern Minimalist design runs about 10% more than a standard shutter, and an arched top usually adds just $200 to $400. Hard windows are where we shine, so we price them to be within reach.
Priced by the owner, not a salesperson
Dave or John prices every job at your free consultation. Your money goes into your shutters, not a sales commission.
Everything included
- Measuring
- Design with the owner
- Ten-step finish in your color
- Installation by our own finish carpenters
- Hardware
- Lifetime warranty
See typical prices per window · 2026 price guide
Already have a quote? , or text us a photo.
Questions before you book
Who makes the best custom plantation shutters in Orange County?
Golden West Shutters is the only company that makes plantation shutters in Orange County. The owners design each shutter with you, it is built and finished in our Lake Forest factory, and our own finish carpenters fit it on site. That covers all six principles of a truly custom shutter. See who builds your shutters · Compare shutter companies
How much do arched plantation shutters cost?
An arched top usually adds $200 to $400 to the window's price, depending on the number of panels. Your written quote comes from the owner. See arched and specialty shapes
How much more is a modern minimalist shutter?
About 10% more than a standard shutter. See our Modern Minimalist design
What makes a window hard to fit with shutters?
Bay windows, high windows in vaulted ceilings, extra-wide openings that need support, plaster and concrete walls, tile cutouts, metal and vinyl doors, corner windows that don't meet evenly, moldings in the way, and doors with extended tracks. They need someone who measures every opening and builds the parts to fit. See hard windows we've done
What if my windows aren't square or level?
That's common, especially in older homes. We measure each opening, not just the window size, and build every panel to it in our Lake Forest factory. On install day our finish carpenters scribe each frame to your walls, so the shutters sit straight and close evenly even when the opening isn't.
Can you do split tilt without a divider rail?
Yes. It's today's trend: the top and bottom louvers open separately, with privacy below and light above, and no divider rail for a cleaner look.
Do plantation shutters need an L-frame?
Only when the window or material requires it. Heavy materials need a thicker L-frame for support. Wood and Polylux are light and strong enough for a low-profile frame, so we only add an L-frame when your window calls for it. Golden West Polylux
Do plantation shutters turn yellow?
Ours are guaranteed not to yellow. Wood and Polylux get our ten-step finish, applied in our own spray booths and sanded by hand between coats.
Can you match my paint color or stain?
Yes. We match any Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore paint code, or a custom stain, and you approve a finish sample before we build. Stained shutters
Are your shutters factory painted or finished by hand?
Both. Every shutter is sprayed in one of the two booths at our Lake Forest factory with an acrylic undercoat and lacquer top coats, sanded by hand between coats, for a smooth, furniture-grade satin finish you can feel.
Can I order custom plantation shutters online?
Our shutters are designed with an owner, so start by texting us photos and rough sizes, or book a visit. We'll take it from there. Contact us
Can you match shutters I already have?
Yes. It's the first thing we ask when we visit your home. If you have shutters, we walk you through each detail: louver size, frame style, tilt rod, panel layout, color and finish. Because we're the manufacturer, we copy that design so new rooms match, and we do our best to match shutters another company built.
Do you work with contractors and interior designers?
Yes, regularly. Shutter brokers, stores, contractors and interior designers come to us when they need something truly custom. Call us to talk about your project.
Bring us the hardest window in your house
Text us a photo of it, visit our Lake Forest factory, or book a free in-home consultation with an owner. Dave takes calls weekday evenings until 7 and weekends 8–4.
Designed with the owners. Built in Lake Forest since 1987.