Elizabeth Shutters’ in-home design consultation is a complimentary, guided visit where a design specialist measures your windows or closet openings, reviews your style goals, and helps you select configurations and finishes using portable samples and references. You’ll receive a clear quote based on exact measurements. If you move forward, your order will be built locally in California and professionally installed, with final alignment and hardware adjustments.

How Does the Elizabeth Shutters In-Home Design Consultation Process Work?

Most people don’t schedule an in-home shutter consultation because they’re bored. They schedule it because they’re ready to stop guessing.

Maybe you’re tired of harsh glare in the afternoon. Maybe your front windows feel too exposed. Maybe your closet doors rattle, stick, or make an otherwise beautiful bedroom feel unfinished. Whatever the trigger, the consultation is where your project gets real, because shutters and closet doors aren’t “pick a size and click purchase” products. They’re built to your openings, your trim, and your home’s architecture.

We offer complimentary design consultations and a free quote because it’s the only way to do this correctly. When the product is custom-fit, the measurement and design decisions are the project. The rest is execution.  Below is exactly what to expect from our in-home design consultation, how to prepare so you get the most value from the visit, and what happens after the appointment if you decide to move forward.

Why the in-home consultation matters for shutters and closet doors

If you’ve ever ordered something “standard” and discovered your home is anything but, you already understand why we insist on measuring. Window openings aren’t always square. Trim depth varies. Arches and angles need templates. Even the way a window crank swings can change the correct shutter configuration.

Our designers measure every window and note details that change the build, including depth, arches, and trim. That’s not a nice-to-have. That is the difference between shutters that look built-in and shutters that look like they were forced to fit.

The other reason the in-home consult matters is finish selection. White is not one white. A paint color can look warm in a showroom and suddenly look icy in your north-facing bedroom. Choosing finishes in your actual lighting saves you from the most expensive mistake: buying something that’s technically correct but visually wrong.

Scheduling the consultation

The simplest way to start is to request a quote and consultation through our site, or call to speak with a designer. The consultation is offered free of charge and is designed to be low-friction: we come to you.  We serve homeowners across California and Nevada, with design and installation support in major regions and surrounding communities.

If you’re outside our in-home footprint, we also offer virtual design consultations and can ship, which is a good option for second homes, out-of-state renovations, or projects where you already have a contractor on site.

What we bring to your home

Our in-home consultations are designed to feel like a “portable showroom,” not a sales visit. We bring what you need to make real decisions in real time.  On our “How We Work” page, we describe how we serve California clients through at-home consultations and portable showrooms, so you can browse samples, photos, specs, and references. That’s the core idea: we want you to see options, compare details, and make choices with confidence, not off a thumbnail image.

Depending on your project, this typically includes finish samples, configuration examples, and visual references to help you land the look you’re trying to achieve.

What happens during the in-home consultation

We start with your goals, not a catalog

Before we measure anything, we talk. We ask what’s not working today and what you want to be true after the install. For shutters, that usually sounds like:

• “I want privacy but I don’t want my rooms to feel dark.”
• “The afternoon sun is killing this room.”
• “These windows face the street and I’m over it.”
• “I want a cleaner, more architectural look.”

For closet doors, it often sounds like:

• “These mirrored sliders feel dated.”
• “The doors drag or rattle.”
• “I want the room to feel calmer and more finished.”

This matters because the right configuration is tied to use, not just style.

Then we measure every opening the right way

This is the part most homeowners underestimate. A shutter specialist doesn’t just measure width and height. We measure with the installation method in mind, because depth and trim determine what “clean” looks like.

Our design process documentation specifically notes that in the in-home consultation, a specialist measures every window and notes depth, arches, and trim details.  If you have specialty shapes (arches, angles) or wide openings, those notes become even more important. They influence how the shutter is built so it doesn’t sag, bind, or look patchy.

We review inspiration and align on finishes

During the consult, we’ll look at your home’s style and your preferences. We encourage homeowners to show inspiration images if they have them, and our own process content calls out reviewing inspiration and discussing stain or paint preferences as part of the in-home consultation step.

This is also where we talk about color matching, because one of the most common questions is whether shutters can be color-matched to existing trim, and our published content answers that directly: yes.

We guide you through the choices that actually matter

A good consultation should simplify decisions, not create ten new ones. For shutters, the big levers are typically:

• Material direction
• Louver size
• Tilt style (the look of the control mechanism)
• Panel configuration and frame style

Elizabeth Shutters’ own “How Custom Shutter Design Works” breakdown highlights material selection and louver configuration, including common louver size options and the general effect they create (traditional vs balanced vs more open and contemporary).

For closet doors, the consultation often includes how you want the doors to function (sliding, bifold, hinged), what finish level you want, and whether you want glass or mirror elements. The closet door configurations page references a wide range of design and material options, including wood, specialty woods, and glass or mirror options, which is why in-home samples can make the decision faster and cleaner.

We give you a quote based on real measurements

This is where the consultation pays off.

Instead of ballparking from photos or guessing from “standard sizes,” we price from what’s actually in your home. That means your quote reflects the real build, the real configuration, and the real installation considerations.

When homeowners compare bids, the biggest confusion usually comes from comparing quotes that aren’t quoting the same thing. The consultation is how we eliminate that ambiguity.

What happens after the consultation

If you decide to move forward, we finalize specifications and move your order into production and scheduling. Once the product is ready, professional installation is where the project becomes “invisible,” meaning everything aligns, closes cleanly, and operates smoothly. Our own process content describes installers fitting panels within the frame for precise alignment and adjusting hinges, magnets, and tension screws so panels swing and close smoothly.

As for timing, one of our published FAQ sections states that most projects are completed in 4–6 weeks from consultation to installation. Real-world lead times can vary based on season, project complexity, and the number of openings, but that’s the baseline expectation we see referenced in our own materials.

How to prepare for your in-home consultation

You don’t need to stage your house like a photo shoot, but a little preparation makes the appointment faster and more productive.

A few things that help:

1. Make sure we can access the windows or closet openings you want addressed. Clear heavy furniture away from tight corners if possible.

2. If you have window screens, cranks, alarms, or anything mounted near the trim, don’t remove them. Just point them out so we design around them.

3. Have decision-makers present if you can. The consult is where finish and configuration choices happen, and it’s easier when the people who care about the look are in the room.

4. If you have inspiration images, keep them ready. One or two examples of what you like is more useful than twenty. We’re looking for pattern, not perfection.

What a good consultation is not

Truth-first: if a company is quoting shutters without measuring, you’re taking on risk. Shutters and closet doors are not forgiving products. A small measurement error can become a visible gap or a panel that binds.

A good consultation also shouldn’t feel like pressure. You’re investing in something that becomes part of your home. A professional should be comfortable explaining tradeoffs, not pushing you into a decision you don’t understand.

Why our consultation is built this way

We’ve been doing this for a long time. Our “How We Work” page highlights a reputation built over decades and focuses on longevity and service as key aspects when investing in custom products. The in-home consultation is where we safeguard your outcome. It’s where we verify fit, assist with style choices, and ensure your shutters or closet doors look right in your home’s light and architecture, not just on a website.