Shoji Screens

How to add a touch of japanese elegance to your home with these traditional and functional room dividers.

What is a shoji screen?

A shoji screen is a trellis-like panel usually made of wood. Each square hole in the panel is filled with Shoji. Shoji is a smooth, vinyl coated fibreglass that is generally translucent. It looks and feels like rice paper.

A shoji screen usually has 3 panels and is foldable. They are generally very light. This makes them every easy to both to store and move around your home.

What is a Japanese Screen for?

A shoji Japanese screen can be used for a variety of purposes around your home. They can just be decorative and make an interesting and unusual feature or talking point in any room.

Alternatively, they can used to actually screen off part of a room or divide it up. This can be very handy if perhaps you want to create a workspace with a desk in a room. It means that that the workplace can still be part of the room but it is somewhat separate. This will help the look of the room and also enable more to be done.

Sometime people use one of these screens to hide unsightly closets or windows where the view is not pleasant.

Shoji screens as sun blocks?

Shoji screens are not waterproof but they do offer a degree of protection from the sun. They are therefore very useful in rooms which are south facing and get too much sunshine in the summer. The shoji screen will allow plenty of light in, but it is somewhat diffused. This can create a lovely atmosphere is a bright room.

Buying Japanese shoji screens

Shoji screens are no longer the exclusive preserve of Japanese homes and they are now readily available in the western world. There is a huge variety on the market and prices range from just a few dollars to thousands.

Screens from Japan come in various sizes and there a huge number of different finishes. Whether you want a natural wood finish, or something like cherry, or even perhaps a black metal frame there is something on the market. The result is that everyone should be able to find the perfect Japanese room divider for their room.

Whatever your budget it is important to look out for a Japan shoji that is well made and sufficiently robust. Although they are very light a shoji folding screen should last for many years.

Do consider a Shoji screen for your home. Unusual, perhaps. Elegant, most definitely.

Author: Richard Lave

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Lave

Our top recommendation for contemporary and traditional Japanese room dividers and shoji screens is Iroomdividers.com. Check out their great selection today if your looking to buy shoji or just find out more.

Feel free to read more about decor in Japanese homes and the traditions and flavors of Japan here:Japanese Home Decor – Japanese Decorations & Paintings – Japanese Style Furniture – Japanese Decorating & Ancient Culture – Japanese Wall Decor & Traditional Japanese Decor – Japanese Bedrooms – Japanese Rooms – Japanese Shoji Screen – Japanese Wall Fans.

Japanese Shoji Screens Home Decor

There are many ways that a person can choose to decorate their home, a room in their home, or an office. There is a way that is becoming more and more popular in decorating any type of room, and that is with Japanese Shoji Screens. Japanese Shoji screens are the most popular form of room dividers in the western world and can be used for purely decorative purposes or as room dividers that decorate. There are many ways to decorate and/or use Japanese Shoji Screens in any space to make that space more tranquil and fresh. These types of room dividers are light and airy, giving small rooms private sections while keeping the feeling of openness.

The first way an individual can decorate with Japanese Shoji Screens is to keep with an Asian theme that is in the home or in a particular room. Asian themes are minimal in design and focus on the space and the function of that space. This Japanese room divider can be used to set the boundaries for any specific space that is wanted or needed while allowing light to come through the screen and illuminate the area. Japanese room dividers can also be used as accents in Asian themed rooms by adding a private reading corner, or making a space to hide things behind. A Japanese Shoji Screen that is used in an Asian inspired room will make the room more calming and soothing. The traditional Japanese Shoji Screen is made with white rice paper and wood with some art work.

Another way to decorate with Japanese Shoji Screens is to incorporate them into an existing room. There are modern forms of the traditional room divider that can be found to suit any one’s decorating tastes. Like with Asian inspired rooms, incorporating these room dividers into existing dcor will allow a person to make individual spaces. It is still wise to stay with the style of simple, clean lines that Japanese room dividers use. Also, an individual can use Shoji screens as a form of decoration by placing them in front of a wall or window, or maybe as a place to change clothes in a bedroom. One could even make a Shoji Screen a focal point by adding a water feature or a vase with calla lilies in front of the room divider. It really depends on the individual’s tastes has how to decorate with a screen.

It does not matter if one chooses to use Japanese Shoji Screens as a main focal point, art decor, or as a functional room divider, these screens will add a sense of calm and tranquility to any space. The beauty of decorating with these screens is that light is able to go through these screens which allows even the smallest of spaces to feel open and airy. Room dividers can turn a large room into many functioning spaces that have an Asian feeling or inspiration, plus, Shoji screens are light enough to be moved if an individual wishes to change the space around.

Using A Shoji Screen

There are several important things that you should remember when you use a Shoji screen to divide a room.

When you are using this type of screen to divide a room, there are several things that you should be sure to remember. First of all, a Shoji screen is not going to completely block the site from the area of the room which has been used, so therefore you might want to be sure that you are using the Shoji screen in a more artful way than in a way that will actually create another room. Remember that the point of the room divider screen is to make a symbolic division between one area and another.

One of the reasons that a lot of people pick this style of room divider screen is based on how it looks. The Shoji screen is going to have a very unique look that you might want to include in the Japanese home decor of the particular room. This is part of the reason that the Shoji screen ends up being the most popular of the room dividers that you might be able to find. With this room divider screen you can feel confidant that the Shoji screen will not only divide the room, but will create an interesting look that will enhance the room.

A place that a lot of people choose to use room dividers is in a bedroom, so that they can have some privacy while they are dressing. This is a good idea if you share a room with someone else, or if you like to leave your clothing on the floor after you are doing changing. Just be sure that you put the room dividers where you can also be unseen from the windows. You might find that the screen is a great addition to any room when it is used in this way.

There are some things that you should always remember before you put up Shoji room dividers. First of all, the point of these types of room dividers is to individualize the room, but it is not going to do so in a permanent way. You will still be able to see above the room divider screen, because it will not be as tall as the actual room. Therefore, you want to use the Shoji screen in such a way that it will be a symbolic division of the room. This is very important for you to remember.

Something else that you want to think about is that when you are using screen room dividers is that you should have other things in your home that also match these room dividers. The screen can really tie together any room, because it is a great piece of furniture to have. It is also nice to look at, which means that you will be able to enjoy these room dividers screen and all of the things that it can offer you. However, you want to be sure that you are allowing the Shoji screen to really get the best use, so be sure that you are putting it in a place that looks nice.

By: Mike Zamora

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Mike Zamora writes articles on room divider. Other information written by the author related to shoji screens, shoji doors can be found on the web.

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