Room screen dividers are traditionally from Asia, but are now incorporated into homes around the world for a variety of purposes.
One might think that room screen dividers are only used in an ornamental way, however the origins of room screen dividers lie in the name – as a means of separating or dividing a room which otherwise has no dividing wall. It is interesting that there are a number of different styles of room screen dividers, in a number of different materials.
Bamboo room screen dividers are often simple, lightweight screens, which add the feng shui element of wood into the home. The feeling of wood in your home brings a sense of peace and tranquility.
Some room screen dividers are decorated with extravagant designs, such as mythical creatures like dragons, dramatic landscapes of misty mountains and flowing rivers, and other times, with extremely lush, colourful designs of foliage, forests etc. All of these designs add their own distinctive feeling or ambience to the room in which they are in, and the level of extravagance of the pattern on the screen is often directly related to the level of emotion one feels from the screen; ie. A dramatic pattern often causes a more overwhelming feeling, while a simple, subdued pattern exudes much more of a feeling of calm into your abode.
Japanese shoji screens are perhaps the most common and popular type of room screen dividers around the world. Typically, the paper is very plain in style, as is the colour, which is in alignment with the Japanese interior home decor theory in general, which encourages minimalism in every way. To stand out is generally looked down upon in Japan, which results in much of their interior style being very subtle. Shoji screens add harmony to any abode, and must be considered when choosing from the variety of screens available.
Whatever type of screen you choose, ensure that it fits in with the rest of the furniture in the room you are decorating. If you get an extravagant screen, ensure the room is painted in extravagant colours too. Likewise, a subdued screen would go well in a subtly coloured room.
Good luck in your quest for the perfect room screen dividers!
