Choosing a Japanese Shoji screen
Introduction
One can attribute the beautiful clean lines of a Japanese residence to its neat appearance. A Japanese home appears to be quite empty compared to its typical Western counterpart, which is usually filled with large furniture, gadgets, and ornaments.
A Japanese home generally uses natural materials in its finishes with lots of wood and stone adding to the sense of elegance. In Japanese interior design, less is definitely more and it is not like in the West where people feel the need to add elements to a room, in fact the goal is to keep distractions to a minimum and allow the beauty of the room to be admired. building and its materials. .
In this article we will focus on the design and construction of shoji screens which, when used in a home, can impart a very Japanese flair to the décor.
frames
A good quality western made shoji The shade is ideally made with a beech frame, the ideal thickness is 1-3 / 8 “with the kumiko or grid / lattice pattern in cedar. The main frame should be finished with a clear catalyzed lacquer for easy cleaning and durability.
Paper
Shoji paper is opaque and blocks the view but not the light. The paper used should preferably be Warlon paper, which is a Japanese paper with a laminated PVC resin on each side. It is very durable and washable too.
The most popular paper is white Warlon paper with a small amount of paper fiber, but it is also available in amber, bamboo, and maple leaf patterns.
When a stiffer screen is required, the best option would be Warlon Acrylic, which looks like Warlon paper but is a 2mm thick rigid sheet. it can be used instead of glass because it is waterproof and weather resistant.
If you already have windows that you want to give the look of shoji paper, you can convert them using Haru Warlon, which looks like Warlon paper but is in fact an adhesive-backed acrylic film to apply on glass.
Laminate papers are also available, White Unryu is a very smooth looking paper with long curly paper fibers and Amber Kinwashi is a Japanese paper with short trimmed fibers.
These papers get their strength because they are laminated on both sides with a styrene core. For closet partitions, closet doors or light fixtures, single-sided Kinwashi and Unryu papers are also available.
On a more practical note, one can easily change the shoji paper when it rips, or change it for a different color or pattern whenever desired.
Tracks
Traditionally, shoji screen rails are made of wood, and if you apply an occasional coat of paste wax to them and keep them clean, they should serve you well for a long time. Wooden rails are usually attached to the ceiling and the floor.
If you have a wooden floor, then the bottom rail is usually made of wood, the same that is used for the floor and can be embedded. Modern displays must incorporate a Teflon guide to ensure trouble-free operation.
If you want to use a shoji screen to protect a closet or closet, then a metal rail, usually aluminum, with rollers that, because they are captive to the rail, cannot jump or get stuck, is preferable.
Details
An important design detail is the door handle, the hole where you can put your fingers to open and close the screen. The best are ebony and should be embedded in the frame of the shoji, never attached to its surface.
If you have small children or pets, you can consider a solid bottom panel on the shoji screen. If your particular screen is wider or taller than normal, this panel can also help stiffen the screen.
environmental friendly
In these environmentally friendly days, a shoji screen can also ward off the chill of a window in winter and improve the efficiency of an air conditioner in summer.
In a humid environment, a shoji screen can control the humidity in the room by absorbing it on humid days and then discharging it to the atmosphere when the driest conditions prevail.
Of course, shoji screens are also made from natural materials from sustainable sources.
Atmosphere and mystique
If you want to add an oriental flavor to your interior design scheme, adding some shoji screens could be the answer, they are a warm natural feature with geometrically designed lines.
The texture of the wood and paper creates an aura of comfort while the geometric grid squeezes the space. This contrast gives off an air of mystique and together with the softened sunlight that passes through the atmospheric paper, it completely bathes the room.