Window Shape Guide
Shutters for Arched & Half-Moon Windows
Arched windows are one of the trickiest shapes to dress — and one of the most rewarding to get right. We've fitted everything from half-moons above front doors to full gothic arches in converted Cheshire chapels.
Most Common Style
Fixed sunburst
Materials
Hardwood or MDF
Min. Arch Radius
200mm
Lead Time
8–10 weeks
Free Home Survey
Get a no-obligation written quote — measured by Jonathan or Tony in person.
Why arched windows go wrong with off-the-shelf options
Curtains pool awkwardly under an arch. Blinds simply don't fit. Roman blinds leave the arch fully exposed. The only window covering that actually belongs in an arched window is a custom-built shutter — and that's why we get more arch enquiries than any other shape after bay windows.
The catch: every arch is hand-built to its exact radius and rise. There are no stock arched shutters. That's why lead times run a few weeks longer than rectangular orders.
Three arched-window styles we fit most often
Half-moon over front door. Standard on 1930s semis in Appleton, Bruche and Padgate, and on Edwardian villas around Stockton Heath. Almost always built as a fixed sunburst with louvres radiating from the bottom centre.
Full arch top on tall feature windows. Common on new-build show homes (Chapelford, Saxon Park) and on Cheshire barn conversions where a vaulted lounge has a stacked window. We build the arch as a fixed top section above a fully operational tilting rectangle.
Gothic / pointed arch. Converted chapels and lodges across mid-Cheshire — Hartford, Frodsham, Daresbury — sometimes have these as feature windows. Built as a fixed triangular louvred top.
Material and finish notes for arches
The arch carcass needs to hold its shape over decades without warping. We build arches in either:
- Solid hardwood (Paulownia or basswood) — required if the louvres need to tilt radially, and recommended for any arch over 1.5m wide.
- Engineered MDF with a wrapped poly finish — fine for fixed sunburst arches up to 1.2m wide, significantly cheaper, and equally stable indoors.
Bathroom arches (more common than you'd think on Cheshire new-builds) always go in ABS waterproof.
Common Questions
Frequently asked
Do the louvres in an arched shutter actually tilt?
Yes — on the rectangular section below the arch they tilt as normal. The arch itself is usually a fixed sunburst pattern with non-tilting louvres radiating from a centre point. We can also build a true-radial tilting arch in hardwood for high-end conversions, but the cost roughly doubles.
Can you shutter a full half-circle window?
Yes. We build it as a fixed sunburst arch. Most common request: half-moon windows above front doors on 1930s and Edwardian properties in Appleton and Stockton Heath.
What about a gothic-arch (pointed) window?
We've fitted these on a number of converted churches and lodge houses across Cheshire. They're built as a triangular fixed-louvre top section above a standard rectangular tilting panel below.
Will an arched shutter look like one piece with the rectangular section?
Yes. The louvre size, frame profile and colour all match. The visual join sits along the spring line of the arch and is barely visible when the louvres are closed.
Get Started
Ready to transform your windows?
Book your free home consultation today. We'll measure, advise and quote — with no obligation.