How to use a screen in the interior

The screen is a fairly ancient invention, undeservedly forgotten by most of us. This is perhaps the most unusual piece of exotic furniture brought to Europe. You can’t dare to call it furniture, but rather a movable wall or a folding screen..

The history of the “movable wall” begins in China, it was there that they appeared in the 7th century, and already in the 8th century they moved to Japan. Screens came to Europe in the 17th century, along with the fashion for everything Chinese. In the duality of its function – hiding something behind the doors, at least partially revealing it – the Europeans immediately saw not only decorative effects, but also opportunities for very elegant spatial games. Screens gained particular popularity in the 19th-20th centuries. The layout of apartments at that time required dividing the living space into zones, and the screens easily coped with this task, covering with themselves what should not be seen by outsiders.

The open spaces of a modern home, with their zoning principles, again force us to turn our eyes to a guest from the past. Instead of a complex design of sliding partitions, it is sometimes better to get a screen. It is cheaper and can be carried, folded and stowed away. The space organized with its help can be designed for a variety of purposes. This exotic item takes pride of place in boudoirs, bedrooms and small living rooms, sometimes separating the dining area or the like of an office. But the real reason for the love of screens is the atmosphere of intimacy and solitude they create. Therefore, most often, corners for reading, conversation or sleep are arranged behind the doors. Of course, this is an ideal place for relaxation and communication of the elite – a narrow circle of close friends.

In modern interiors, very few old Japanese products have survived, including screens. If you happen to come across these unique things with traditional motives of pagodas, tigers and dragons, with wood carving, inlays with colored stones or painting on silk, take a closer look at their conventional and full of meaning, thought and fantasy drawing. They can have countless leaves, but the most common are six- and eight-leafed. The painting was placed at eye level, while people then sat on the floor. In contrast to the images on scrolls, tapestries, canopies and curtains, the designs on the screens have a horizontal orientation and pass from one leaf to another. The plot of the painting should be read from right to left. If you look behind the back of the screen, you will find that it is decorated with a completely different pattern. Products made using a complex lacquer technique are especially striking – pieces of gold foil in a thick layer of varnish do not shine, but flicker, as in a Japanese house with its diffused light..

Little has survived from the historical prototype in modern screens. Produced by well-known furniture companies, they amaze with their variety: a wooden or metal frame can be of the most bizarre silhouettes, covered with fabric, paper, leather or filled with glass. Even kevlar mesh is used – a high-tech material used in the space industry.

Do you think the screen is old-fashioned? Of course, you cannot call it a basic necessity. But the oriental ability to turn everyday life into art, and even a kind of ritual, has always created a special aura around these objects. And it is not a sin for us to learn the ability to organically combine benefits and beauty in an oriental way. Whether it will become a useful item in the house and at the same time a real decoration of it depends only on us. We offer several ideas for using screens in the interior.

This screen is just an example of versatility. Moreover, different parts of it can be arranged in different ways. You can paint in any color, but so that it is in harmony with the general atmosphere of the room. For the office, stricter colors are appropriate, for the bedroom, more subtle.

Such a property of the screen as mobility is great in the kitchen. And if she is also adequately equipped, she will be simply irreplaceable. Metal sheets with holes of various sizes and shapes are attached to the frames of the two sashes using overhead strips. Screws are screwed into small ones, metal hooks are enough to insert into large ones. The third sash is decorated with simply crossbars, on which it is convenient to hang ladles and other kitchen utensils.

Hiding and blocking is not all that a screen is capable of. It can be “re-profiled” into a rack. Become almost transparent, but take on the responsibility for the placement and storage of things. Boards are thrown over the crossbeams to create comfortable shelves. They are the same kind of stiffening ribs that give stability to the newly-made cabinet. The design is lightweight and mobile, if desired, it can be quickly disassembled.

The desire to endow the screen with more functionality led to the idea of ​​arranging large pockets on it. Moreover, they can be with a zipper, buttons, Velcro and simply open. The transparent pockets are especially exquisite. But they must be filled with the same exquisite decorative content. In the children’s room, they will most likely house toys, in the bathroom – bath and toilet accessories, in the office – magazines, notebooks, books.

Ethnic style involves the use of natural materials, and almost all natural is environmentally friendly. A screen, woven from one rattan shoot (and even with an ottoman), can be put to the window, replacing the curtain with it, you can fence off a crib, a matrimonial bed, a place for swimming and much more.

The screen is just a testing ground for creativity, the designers say. And they offer us options that you can make yourself.

If you don’t have a balcony, you can … draw it on the screen. And not only the balcony itself, but also the pots with petunias, violets and orange trees placed on it. You can even depict a blooming garden, put a screen at the window and forget that the yard is cold and dirty. If you do not know how to draw, paste over it with photos of your favorite actors, relatives, applications.

The screen made of bamboo is strong enough and will serve you for a long time. It must be covered with a decorative fabric made of coarse fibers and secured with cord loops.

An original and simple solution: a screen that replaces the dressing room and a mirror. MDF boards are pasted over with mirror tiles. The result is a visually light partition, which literally dissolves into space. With the help of such a simple design, you can change the interior of your room every day, just moving the screen to different places, thereby allowing every corner to repeat. The main thing is not to break your forehead against an “invisible barrier”.

If you buy plate doors in a building materials store, and connect them with hinges, you get the desired one. The screen not only separates the workplace, but also structures the space of the room. Thanks to her, an impromptu wall appears behind the sofa bed in the center..

The easiest option is to pull on the slats and secure the cloth.

The screen is an intrigue in the interior, which our homes sometimes lack so much, professionals say. For many centuries it has been regularly performing its function – dividing space, hiding something behind the doors, at the same time attracts attention and arouses interest. In essence, she has always been associated with the life of a woman, love flirting, the secrets of dressing up. It just so happened: even in ancient Japan, due to a complex system of social prohibitions, a lady had no right to do without a screen covering her called “whale”. This gave the subject a strong emotional charge. Today, when there are almost no secrets left, and society is seized with a passion to show, not hide, this thing may seem archaic and useless to someone. Screen – for those who do not want the secret to disappear from life.