The folding screen is one of the most underrated, overlooked, and underused pieces of furniture in interior design. There, I said it. (And not just for their obvious practical purposes, by the way—but also for the beauty and intrigue they can bring to a room.)
Let’s start with the history, which is a long and fascinating one: the folding screen originated all the way back in ancient China, during the age of the Han Dynasty, before spreading to Europe in the late medieval period, but its design has changed surprisingly little across the centuries. In fact, you could argue that it hasn’t really altered at all; essentially, it’s still just a series of panels mounted onto hinges. It seems incredible to me that such a simple piece of design could have stood the test of time. What I really love most about them, though, is they sit somewhere between the worlds of both art and design—and I have to confess, I don’t believe this holds true for most home furnishings. I am a firm believer that a chair is, first and foremost, a chair, and not a piece of art. Who wants to sit on some cabbage-shaped piece of stainless steel with no upholstery?
But what is it about the whimsy of the folding screen that makes it an exception to my (admittedly slightly preposterous) rule?
You could look to examples from the past: Some of my all-time favorite artists have tried their hand at creating sensational screens, from Eileen Gray with her iconic Japanese-inspired lacquered pieces—two of which are currently on show at Sotheby’s in London—to the lesser-known early works of Francis Bacon, produced in the 1930s when he briefly had his own interior design studio. Then, of course, there are the postmodernist wonders that I love so much, like Dan Friedman’s fanatically bonkers works. I once restored one of his screens which was purchased from Keith Haring by my then-client: A highly academic process that involved spraying ping pong balls neon pink and sticking black and white ostrich feathers onto them, it ended up being the inspiration for the entire scheme.
But I digress, as this isn’t an essay about the history and artistry of the folding screen. Instead, I’m offering a few tips from a self-confessed interior know-it-all on how to use them creatively in your homes—and also make them a feature in your lives.
My nickname for a room divider screen, after all, is an “area maker.” Whether you’re blessed with rooms large or small, sometimes you just need to mix things up and split a space in two. (Or three, or four…) And what better way to do this than with a screen? It’s the very embodiment of versatility, given that you can endlessly reconfigure the proportions of your space with their careful placement.
Personally, I think curved screens work particularly well for this sort of thing. The Joamin Baumann slatted screen is one of my favorite designs, so simple and elegant that somehow you almost don’t even notice it. A moment of quietude and modesty in a room is absolutely essential—not every piece of furniture needs to be mouthing off, or to feel larger than life. (Even though, if you’re anything like me, achieving that is easier said than done.) Don’t be afraid to bring clashing lines and curves into a room, either—not only does it make a room feel dynamic, there’s also something a little sexy about it. And don’t worry if you can’t afford the real Baumann: there a plenty of lookalikes out there. You might get lucky at a thrift store or car boot sale, but your best bet when you have something this specific in mind is to search online—eBay and Vinterior are a great start for this sort of thing.
As well as being “area makers,” screens also make for great light diffusers—a well-placed parchment paper Japanese-style screen is the perfect alternative to a traditional blind or curtain. (They also make for the perfect shadow puppet stage—just saying.) These are relatively easy to make, too. Essentially, you start with a series of thin lightweight wooden frames. (Also worth noting: You’ll need to double up for this, so if you’re looking to make a three-panel screen, you’ll need six panels.) Once you have made your frames you’ll need to line them: I recommend using cheap wallpaper lining paper that comes on a roll; the kind you can buy from any hardware store. Then, to achieve that translucency, all you need to do is wipe on some cooking oil with a cotton pad. (Alternatively, you could also use muslin, if the former method sounds a tad too kindergarten arts and crafts class.) Then, simply cut your paper to size, staple gun it into place, and stick the other panel on top to hide your handiwork—oh, and don’t forget your hinges.
It’s also important to consider your screen’s height. I’m very into what I call a demi-screen: a.k.a. a tiny, seemingly useless screen that is there purely to look pretty and bring a touch of joy to a room. They work especially well as backdrops to chairs or occasional tables, covered in trinkets. And if you’re usually afraid of color or pattern, now is the perfect moment to overcome this irrational fear—take the plunge with some high-contrast color. If you have a yellow upholstered chair, for example, go for a glossy purple demi-screen behind, or if you’re in the neutral camp, a white linen chair looks particularly ravishing with a shiny lacquer brown or black screen behind it. (Very Andrée Putman, the queen of monochrome.)
With something like this, I would either have it made custom, or go ahead and make it yourself. For my very first project, which was a fashion store in Lisbon with a 500 euro budget, I knocked one up myself; it’s not as tricky as you might think. Most timber merchants will cut MDF or ply to size, then all you need to do is pop on a few hinges and gloss it up. Or, if you’re feeling bolder still? For the Lisbon store, I painted it up in black and then used masking tape to create giant zig-zags, then filled it in with white and gloss varnished the entire thing. It looked totally fabulous—but then, I would say that.
For a seriously showstopping effect, however, you’re going to have to scale things up. There’s no two ways about it: an enormous screen makes for a real wow moment. As I mentioned earlier, I once based an entire room around a screen. Admittedly, it was a one-of-a-kind museum piece that is likely to never enter the marketplace again—but don’t let that put you off. Giant screens work well as focal points in a room or for hiding unsightly and unwanted eyesores. And if you can’t take inspiration from something that already exists, then you’ll just have to make your own inspiration. Having said that, if you happen to be in Milan anytime before February 2024, there is a fantastic exhibition at the Fondazione Prada featuring 70 folding screens all the way from the 17th century up to the present day. So go check it out, get inspired—and most importantly? Go big.
