IN THIS ISSUE:
Many many SCREENS aka ROOM DIVIDERS aka objets d’separation to ponder
What a screen may say about you: PSYCHOLOGICAL SCREEN TEST
Lessons from THE LOFT, the great experimenter of ROOM DIVISION, care of ISBN 0-517-56016-X
Dear Snoops,
This week, based on a recent personal experience, we’re acknowledging the need for separation. An act – to divide, or keep apart – which is in many zoomed-out contexts super sad and Fascist, can be (at the personal level) a beautiful and radical expression of agency and self-preservation.
The same is true at home, where we are might feel oppressed by the finite imprint of Archit**ture, a.k.a. THE WALL. Homes, most often, come pre-divided into what are commonly referred to as “rooms”…
FUCK THAT! Don’t be a slave. The space is yours; use it as you please.
“WALLS” ARE DICTATED; “DIVIDERS” ARE PERSONAL AGENCY
Walls are handed to you. You then have two options (IT WOULD SEEM):
Removing walls: In regard to un-dividing space, you’ll quickly encounter a historical fact: knocking down a wall is a lot more effort than erecting them (take for example walls such as Berlin ____, or Great ____ of China). Only for the truly courageous.
Adding walls: New walls, on the other hand, are unsatisfying in their permanence and somehow they seem really far too Masculine, and it’s annoying that, like removing walls, erecting them requires tools.
We propose A THIRD WAY: the room divider.
Image above, as many in this post, from Slesin, Cliff and Rozensztroch’s “THE INTERNATIONAL BOOK OF LOFTS”, ISBN 0-517-56016-X. We’ll get to LESSONS FROM “LOFTS” shortly.
Absolutely NO CONS to a room divider, but many elegant benefits. Such as:
A material manifestation of the appealing philosophies of IMPERMANENCE, FLUIDITY, and (often) ZIG-ZAGGERY
VISUAL SEPARATION from certain things like: at-home “office”, temporary guest “room” (i.e. living room blow-up bed), pet toilet area, etc.
VERTICALITY in a horizontal world (the same appeal as: skylines, basketball, Jenga)
LESSONS FROM THE SEMI-WALL: OPTIONS FOR “RADICAL TRANSPARENCY”
We think it useful to give a moment of respect for the TRANSPARENT “WALL” – i.e. the non-wall wall – the kind of wall/screen in-between that has some pro/con DNA from both in that they are fixed (yuck!) but also offer a kind of visual fluidity (great!).
We advocate on behalf of transparency for the ULTRA INDULGENT because it’s really for those who have excessive space and ergo room for all types of walls, including non-wall walls such as these.
At the end of the day, this section is mainly because there are two examples we’re great fans of – let’s be honest. (Editorial philosophy: If We Admire, We Append.)
FOR THOSE WHO HOLD “FAMILY MEETINGS” WITH PARTNERS TO DISCUSS SOCIAL SCHEDULES: THE DOMESTIC BOARDROOM
FOR NATURALISTS (I.E. FINNS AND GERMANS), WHY NOT PUT YOUR CLOTHES IN A PRISON? Keep an eye on their movements.
N.B.:
We’re not really going into “doorways” here, because there are a lot of super “SOFT DOORWAYS” that include but are not limited to: butchershop-style plastic flaps (SURE! Would love to see this in a home – quite @___concorde actually), Japanese fabric noren (LOVE!) or even the shoji screen, and a variety of beaded curtains from all over the map. These are obviously in the category of non-wall dividers, but also in a totally separate category of “NOT ENOUGH ROOM IN THIS POST TO GO INTO IT”.
LESSONS FROM THE WALL-LESS: THE LOFT
PLUS: Which room divider is right for you?
Here is the thrill of THE LOFT, and why they are a petri dish for ROOM DIVIDER CULTURE:
As domesticated factory spaces, they weren’t designed as “Home”, and so they escape nuclear-family-heteronormativity
Are ergo basically wall-less and often feature-less
We’ve devised a ROOM DIVIDER MATRIX, which helps us to understand what value a room divider might bring to you.
On the Y axis we have VIBE, on a spectrum from SOFT to HARD. (N.B. not about *material* per se). And, on the X axis is PURPOSE, on a spectrum from PRIVACY to DECOR.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF “DIVIDERS", A MULTISCREEN ANALYSIS
HARD/DECOR:
For those with a desperate desire for structure, but a subconscious recognition that said structure must be easily bent/reshaped at a whim.
HARD/PRIVACY
For those who have a functional need for privacy (which doesn’t necessary mean OPAQUE, as in the example below), but abhor SOFT. Brutal and exacting personality type.
SOFT/DECOR
A counter to HARD/DECOR: instead SOFT/DECOR suits those who may experience too much structure and desperately seek freedom, yet abhor CHAOS.
N.B. SOFT does not suggest material softness – and that’s a lesson for considerations in all aspects of “stuff”, i.e. the itchy throw-cushion is “HARD”.
SOFT/PRIVACY
We’re talking “ROMANCE NOVEL”, we’re talking DREAMSCAPE, we’re talking ULTRA PRIVILEGE. SOFT/PRIVACY is the intersection of flirtation and money.
OTHER SCREENS OF NOTE:
Some screens, even of “Design” pedigree, are highly DIY-able. For example, the oft-Pinterested corrugated screen by Jacques Borris (often mistakenly referred to as Jacques BORIS, one R):
And, we think it crucial to explore the screen by notable female designers, but as per usual they are (sadly) in the minority but also do it best:
EXCEEDING SCREEN TIME…
We’ve gone on far too long; lots more screens to discuss. Some held off for future themes including “SEEKING INSPIRATION IN SKYLINES”, and “SHADOWS AS EPHEMERAL DECOR”.
Until then, then.
LOVE AND GOOD LUCK,
I’ve been looking at screens recently but haven’t really been able to find any interesting ones. Some great inspiration in this post 😊
Been a champion of screens a long time but never had the space for one. Thanks for an excellent write up; feeling inspired to play with room division in my tiny studio apt.