Hide and chic
With its bespoke, crafted solutions and radical service, Sorrento Shutters is bringing a timeless elegance to homes across the Bay.
Kane Burton-Brown still remembers the moment shutters first caught his eye. He was walking down a quiet street in London during his OE, when he noticed the sleek look of his neighbour’s bay window. The clean lines and the way the light was filtered made him stop. There was something different about it. Then he realised: it was the shutters.
“I remember thinking, ‘I really like that,’” he says. “It was the first time I’d properly noticed shutters and thought, ‘One day, I want those in my own home.’ After that, I started seeing them everywhere. They just stood out. They’re beautiful, they’re aesthetic and elegant, and they're very practical in terms of functionality in dealing with light control and privacy.”
It was this random observation that opened his eyes to the window treatments industry and led him to almost a decade helping people achieve that same mix of sophistication and utility that shutters offer. Eventually, this path led Kane to start Sorrento Shutters last year, a company he’s built on his belief in beautiful craftsmanship and genuine service.
“I wanted to bring something to the market where I was comfortable and felt good about what I had to offer,” he explains. “For me, that was the best high-quality shutters and blinds that I could find paired with what I call ‘radical service’.”
With a smile he admits that, “people are kind of funny with that word radical,” but Sorrento is built on the idea that providing excellent service is radical in our current environment, where downsizing and cost cutting tends to affect the customer experience.
“It’s actually hard to find good service. And I believe good service starts with listening.”
After communicating their vision, Kane assists people through the process to achieve it, helping them with things like colour selection and material of the shutters.
“We do guide them because most people just know they love shutters. They’ve seen shutters in their friend’s home or in a neighbour’s home and they know that they’ve loved the look, so we help them navigate all the options,” he says. “The process is clear and friendly and designed to keep clients in the loop so that they have a clear idea of exactly what’s on offer and exactly what they’re buying. By the time we’ve left, you will know exactly what we can offer you and you will know exactly what it will cost.”
You also know that you’ll be getting the highest quality product and craftsmanship. All of their work is bespoke.
“All of our products are custom-made to fit flawlessly. That's part of the elegance of it. Everything just fits beautifully. It’s designed to get that perfect end result.”
But shutters offer more than a striking elegance. They open up spaces, improve comfort, and don’t take up all the wall space, unlike curtains, with Kane saying that “they make a room feel larger, and create that luxury designer effect.”
There are also the remarkable insulation benefits and reduction of condensation, with Kane quoting a 50 percent improvement over blinds. It’s a massive difference, and one he says comes up all the time in the company’s client feedback. This impact is something he’s also noticed in his own home.
“The first thing we did was put shutters in because it was a great way of making the house look a lot smarter instantly. We were going to get double-glazing, but we thought we'd see how it goes with the shutters first. And boy... we will double-glaze the house one day, but that's gone way down the list now.”
Even the name speaks to the thought and care that Kane brings, with Sorrento Shutters being chosen because it sounded timeless and memorable, which matches his view of shutters.
“It had a nice ring to it,” he says, noting that durability and elegance were the qualities he wanted people to associate with the brand from the very first word.
After almost a decade in the game, Kane says he finds the work immensely satisfying.
“I love going into people’s homes, meeting new people and helping them bring their vision to life,” he smiles. “But it’s easy to feel that way when you’re looking after your customers and they love your work.”