Get More Privacy with Room Divider Screens
Anyone who has ever had to share a house, apartment, or dorm with roommates can tell you that privacy is a very hot commodity in those situations. It’s one thing to live in a crowded space with your own family, but quite another when thrown together with virtual strangers. Nevertheless, if you’re forced to share cramped quarters because of tight finances, then one way to make the arrangement somewhat more tolerable is to set up room divider screens in strategic locations.
Room divider screens (also known as shoji) are essentially foldable partitions that provide at least a small measure of privacy in your living space. They’re made from a variety of materials, and come in plain or decorated versions. Most commonly, the frame is constructed of some kind of wood. On the expensive side, you can purchase room divider screens made from mahogany, cherry, walnut, or oak. If you want to save a bit of money, you can go for something like pine. In addition to wood, shoji frames can be made from bamboo or metal.
The screen portion is also comes in a wide array of materials. Traditional room divider screens that follow the Japanese manufacturing style might use a light, translucent paper to form the screen. But modern creations tend to favor sturdier materials such as canvas or nylon to yield a greater amount of privacy. In addition, some current designs incorporate the use of wood shutters or blinds for an impenetrable look, while others include pockets or pouches that can be used for storage. Talk about functionality! I’ve even seen room divider screens that have different size photo frames along the panels where you can display your favorite pictures.
Many room divider screens come with designs printed on the panels. Here again, you’ll have a huge selection of themes or motifs to choose from, though Asian or Oriental designs remain the most popular. Many times, the screen portion will be decorated with Chinese characters or peaceful scenes of nature. A waterfall, perfect ocean wave, or delicate lotus flower are all favorites when it comes to decorating room divider screens. If none of these suit your taste or if you want to personalize your shoji, then you can buy a plain one and paint it yourself.
Inexpensive room divider screens can be found at most furniture stores or at online boutiques. At the low end of the scale, you can get one of these products for about $50. But there are certainly far more expensive options as well, with the most opulent, handcrafted pieces priced at $600 or more. Obviously, the final purchasing decision comes down to a matter of taste and budget, though for basic privacy needs, a cheap, simple shoji should work just fine.
