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Chinese Screens

Are you decorating your home and looking for a simple room divider that looks great and can be moved at a moment’s notice?  Why not consider Chinese screens for a touch of oriental flair that can become a great focal point in any home.

Decorating With Chinese Screens

Chinese screens are surprisingly versatile.  They can be used as a partition to visually divide or separate a room; used in the corner of a room to soften angles; stand along a wall as a decorating feature; as a headboard for a bed; to provide privacy in the home; to screen off an area such as a home office; or simply to provide a focal point.

The advantage of the screen is its portability – it can be moved to any other point in the home at a moment’s notice, making it great if you decide that it would be better served somewhere else or if you wish to change your decorating scheme.  Screens also come in a huge range of styles and colours.  Traditional Chinese screens have virtually infinite variations, as they can be carved, covered in silk or rice paper, inlaid with other materials such as brass, painted in any pattern you can think of, be made of different types of wood (from bamboo, through to expensive teak and mahogany), or be covered in fabrics of different textures and patterns.  Because of the variations available, it is easy to see why Chinese screens can suit just about any décor, even if it is not a traditional oriental theme you are going for.  They will look equally at home in a contemporary or country theme.

Chinese screens are chosen for their appearance rather than their strength or privacy - look into security screen doors for more information on security doors.

Chinese Screens and Feng Shui

Screens first appeared in China during the Warring States period (from 475 BC to 221BC) and have been used in homes, temples and palaces ever since for their Feng Shui (link to Feng Shui).  One of their main functions is to provide privacy and protection.  In Chinese, screens are called “pingfeng”, and this means to shield against the wind.  The wind is a cause of disease according to Traditional Chinese Medicine.  In China, the screen was placed near the head at night to stop drafts.  The number of panels in a screen varies from screen to screen but there were never any more than twelve panels.

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