Shoji Screen Decorating Tips

Posted on Dec 14, 2011

How to Accessorize Your Home with Shoji Screens

Japanese shoji screens or folding screens historically were used as portable painted backdrops for tea ceremonies, concerts and dances. In the later 1800s, when western trade opened up with Japan, shoji screens became widely used as decorative pieces in interiors throughout Europe. Today, Japanese shoji screens are as popular as ever. Their inherent flexibility, versatility and beauty make them both a functional and an attractive addition to any room. Below are four suggestions on how to accessorize your home with a shoji screen.

1.  Shoji Screen as a Room Divider

Shoji screens generally come in a variety of sizes ranging from two to six panels long. If you live in an open-plan home or loft apartment, shoji screens are a wonderful way to divide one large area into smaller spaces with distinct and defined functions. Many shoji screens come with different designs on each side to create a fresh effect from either perspective.

2. Shoji Screen as Freestanding Work of Art

From their inception, shoji screens have been available with beautifully painted scenes on stretched canvas and the same is true today. Choose from countless options and own a work of art that can serve as an eye-catching conversation piece or as an elegant backdrop…all for a very affordable price.

3. Shoji Screen as Privacy Screen or Window Blocker

Portable shoji screens adapted from shoji sliding doors are made with rice paper stretched between a lattice-style wood framework. The translucent quality of the rice paper allows light to flow through while effectively obscuring the view on either side of the screen. This proves very handy for windows that give uncomfortably close to your next-door neighbors or to create a privacy screen in a small office or store.

4. Shoji Screen as a Headboard for your Bed

Looking for a decorative piece to create a dramatic or stylish finish to your bed ensemble? Shoji screens offer a wonderfully versatile and affordable option to consider. With some inexpensive hardware you can pick up at your local DIY store, you can easily fix the wood frame of the screen to the wall and start dreaming under an ornamental canopy of your choice!

Categories: Design   General  

« Newer Older »