Room Divider Screen
Whether it’s to create separation in a large room or to cover up something unsightly on a wall (ugly radiator, we’re looking at you), implementing a room divider screen can solve various home design issues. And, when it boasts its unique design elements, the screen adds an artistic flair to your space.
Decorative room divider screens come in various materials, including wood, bamboo, fabric, lacquer, and paper. Choosing the right one and deciding where to place it can be daunting. We tapped a few interior design experts for advice on how to add “art” to “partition.”
How to select the right screen
Alessandra Wood, VP of style for online interior design service Modsy, says to look at your current technique to decide on the right one.
“If your decor is modern with an eclectic, lean, patterned fabric or bamboo screens can add color or texture to the space,” she says. “If your decor is more streamlined, I’d opt for something that blends traditional and contemporary, such as this one from Urban Outfitters.”
Screens can double as art pieces
Rice paper screens can work in “Muji” style minimalist decor or “Japandi” (Scandinavian functionality meets Japanese rustic) spaces that leverage minimalist decor and light woods.
Beyond splitting up space, NYC- and Paris-based interior designer, Alexander Doherty suggests that “a phenomenal way of adding personality to a room is by decorating with a screen that essentially takes the place of art.”
A perfect choice for doing so is a Coromandel screen. Dating back to the late-17th and early-18th centuries, these room divider screens are carved wooden folding panels coated in black or dark lacquer and sometimes decorated. “Coco Chanel was famous for owning numerous Coromandel screens in her Paris apartment,” Doherty adds.
Doherty cautions against shorter screens, especially if you place them against a wall and behind a piece of furniture like a sofa or bed. The screen should be tall enough that it goes as close to the ceiling as possible for that freestanding, concertina effect. If you find a shorter screen you love, he suggests placing it on the side of a piece of furniture. For example, on one side of a sofa with an end table and lamp.
Fashionable screens solve functional problems
New York City-based design expert Kendra Ovesen says screens are an extremely versatile and affordable way to significantly impact any space, which is essential in today’s climate. “Right now, many of us are using our homes as the ultimate multi-purpose space–working, eating, sleeping, relaxing,” she explains.
Unless you have the square footage, this new way can be challenging. “Creating physical boundaries helps structure your day,” Ovesen says. “And screens are a flexible way to bring temporary definition to any room.”
Set up a room divider screen to carve out your workspace, create a feeling of privacy, and enhance focus. Then when you’re ready to clock out, fold the screen up or move it to a wall for easy access.
A simple decorative screen also acts as an excellent problem-solver. Unsightly radiator? Cramped quarters? Damaged wall? The screen has it covered–literally.
Ovesen emphasizes that a screen can conceal the parts of your home you don’t love instead of breaking the bank or starting a complicated project.
“You can go full statement piece and pick a fabric pattern with tons of personality, or get a design that [uses] other materials like glass or metal,” she says. Her pro tip: Reflective materials can make small spaces feel roomier.
Wood notes, “Placing a colorful screen behind your sofa adds depth to the space and can help break up large planes within the space.” This popular tactic works well in eclectic spaces where you might also have artwork or mirrors hung on that wall.
