My new project
By Yuki
@yukimori (10193)
United States
November 14, 2015 1:25pm CST
I found a shoji screen on the side of the road yesterday. I'm still working on decluttering our apartment, but brought it home because I've wanted one for years.
The wooden frame is in good shape. It has fabric across the panels instead of paper, but it's torn in several places. It's also covered in animal hair, so it'll live outside on the patio at least until I take it apart, remove the fabric, and wipe it down with a bleach solution.
Which raises a good question: what should I replace it with? I'm thinking fabric will be the best idea because it'll have a better chance of standing up to the kids than paper, but then there's the matter of color. Do I just use white because it's traditional? Or do I want to go all out and make it rainbow-hued? If I go with rainbow colors, should I try to find a fabric with a gradient of colors, or would it be better to go for a color block theme instead?
Decisions, decisions...
12 people like this
12 responses
@purplealabaster (22085)
• United States
14 Nov 15
White might be traditional, but if you are going for standing up to the children, then surely you know that colors would be the best. Gradient would be lovely, but block would be beautiful as well. What are you going to do?
3 people like this
@yukimori (10193)
• United States
15 Nov 15
I have no idea!
I'm probably just going to strip the frame, clean it up, and stash it behind the wood stove or under the bed until I find some fabric I like. I discussed it with hubby and we agreed that maybe something with a nice sakura (cherry blossom) pattern would be good.
Then again, I was batting around the idea of buying some brightly-colored paper lanterns and having the colors match that... and now I'm thinking that I just might see how a nice bright red works with it.
Or I could do the smart thing and wait until I start redecorating the entire apartment, then do something to make the shoji match everything else.
But that's too easy, right? 
3 people like this
@purplealabaster (22085)
• United States
15 Nov 15
@yukimori Oh my goodness! I do think that the sakura pattern would be beautiful, but then again all the other ideas you have would be just as lovely. I do think that waiting until you redecorate and matching it to the apartment would be the lazy thing to do, though. I expect more from you than that.
3 people like this
@yukimori (10193)
• United States
15 Nov 15
@purplealabaster I'm not lazy. I'm... uh... extremely selective of where I choose to apply my limited energy for the day. Or week. Or whatever.
Seriously, though, I really have to watch how much I do. The fibromyalgia kicks my butt if I'm not careful. 
Seriously, though, I really have to watch how much I do. The fibromyalgia kicks my butt if I'm not careful. 2 people like this
@yukimori (10193)
• United States
15 Nov 15
It's a Japanese screen. They typically have wooden frames with paper stretched across them.
This is the exact one I found. I'm kind of surprised by the list price... I would have figured it for a bit less than that!
Buy ORE International 4-Panel Room Divider, Natural at Walmart.com
5 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174208)
• United States
17 Nov 15
@yukimori Very nice! I'm not at all surprised by the quoted price, hon... Things like that always go for more than we thought! LOL! (It's actually almost 1/3 higher than I thought it would be, considering the one Pretty made cost about $2! Most of that was for the black cloth she painted her dragons on!)
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174208)
• United States
17 Nov 15
@JudyEv Everybody can be good at that sort of thing... well, as long as you aren't color blind or trying to blind anyone with the colors!
Hmmm... I know those two things have totally different meanings, but isn't it unusual that both COULD mean the same thing? LOL!
3 people like this
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
15 Nov 15
I am jealous..I have always wanted one too..but i think you should be bold and make a statement of your new find and create something special out of it..and post pics when you are done!
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10193)
• United States
15 Nov 15
Oh, I definitely will! I'm probably going to get started today because it feels like there's a storm rolling in. The prescriptions I take haven't even made a dent in the pain this morning. I haven't looked at the forecast yet but I'm guessing we'll have snow this evening. 
So I'll get it stripped and cleaned up, and then go from there. 
So I'll get it stripped and cleaned up, and then go from there. 2 people like this
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
15 Nov 15
@yukimori just make it as special as you are to us!!..bright and bold and colorful and fun!
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
21 Jan 16
I didn't know what a shoji screen was and just looked it up. If only I strolled down to the comments, I would have seen someone asking that already, hehe.
My boyfriends parents had just tossed out a shoji screen. I liked it but never thought about repurposing it with fabric (as it was paper and very fragile).
That's a brilliant idea and I hope you had the time to repurpose the one you found! 
For me, I like the traditional white in fabric! I think it'd match nicely and look more classic but it all depends on what you'll be using the screen for, and in which area of your home. Regardless, I am sure it'll look beautiful after being restored!
Awesome find!
For me, I like the traditional white in fabric! I think it'd match nicely and look more classic but it all depends on what you'll be using the screen for, and in which area of your home. Regardless, I am sure it'll look beautiful after being restored!
Awesome find!1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (174208)
• United States
16 Nov 15
You found the screen on the side of the road? That sounds odd! I do understand, but it still sounds odd!
We have one Pretty created in one of her classes in High School. Instead of the many panes she created the screen with one large pane for each section. Hers is made using bamboo canes taken from our yard as the frames, then she used a black yarn to hold the frames together. She made three pictures of Chinese Dragons for the subject of her frames... Her teacher loved it.
I would not use white, even though that is traditional, since you do have small children. White might not stay white very long.
I think it would be beautiful if you went with a color-block starting with the light colors at the top and gradually darker colors downwards.
I hope it turns out nice, however you do it, hon!
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10193)
• United States
16 Nov 15
Yep, it was sitting there on the curb next to the apartments' Dumpster and recycling bins.
I suspect if I use white for it, the kids will think it's a blank canvas and redecorate it with their crayons and markers. Then again, the toddler is more obsessed with decorating herself when she gets hold of the markers, so the screen might be safe...
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10193)
• United States
17 Nov 15
@DaddyEvil I'd thought about using it to hold family photos. I've been kicking around some ideas for making a photo wall, using mostly photos I've taken... but that means that I'd be in very few of them.
Then again, with photos like these, why would I want to put up any of myself? 
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174208)
• United States
17 Nov 15
@yukimori Here's another thought for you, Dearheart!
When it is almost bath time, hand the kids finger paint and let them paint themselves... take pics of them and glue those up as the panels in your screen!
@Auntylou (4262)
• Oxford, England
19 Nov 15
I think I would go for fabric if you have boisterous children!
