We got the Norman brand of plantation shutters from Blinds Plus Shutters. They will bring samples. I don't show if any of these vendors has an actual showroom, but, if so, you may be able to see more examples. The Norman shutter is smooth and has a low sheen. The thickness of the slats and the panels look like painted wood, but there are no brushstrokes or wood grain patterns that show through. The moldings are similar in smoothness to your baseboard and door moldings in your home.
I personally would not worry about losing light as they are very good at keeping light out and very adjustable to let light in. We even got the option where the top slats are adjustable separately from the bottom slats, so I frequently just open the top to let light in and this allow privacy at the bottom.
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