When and where do Room Dividers originate from?

Room dividers date back many centuries and the first room dividers originated in China around 4th century BC. These Chinese room dividers were used both as decoration and furnishing. They were very expensive as they were heavy ornate works of art. Due to them being so heavy they were not easy to move and thus were meant to stay in place.

Towards the end of the 2nd century room dividers were improved upon by the Japanese and at that time there were many different types of the Japanese folding screen. The first was the ‘byobu’ room divider screen and then after was the more popular ‘shoji’ room divider screen. The shoji paper room divider was easier to move as it was made using light weight paper as the material. The screens were used for functions such as tea ceremonies, religious events and outdoor processions.

Both these room dividers were constructed differently but they were both lightweight and flexible. They also had a very strong core despite being lightweight. Not only were they quite inexpensive but they looked very beautiful.

In these present times room dividers are not only used for residential use but also for many commercial settings. Room Dividers can be found in schools, churches, airports, museums, offices and restaurants. Their main purpose has gone way beyond juts separating space, they are now also used to block out light, to hide unsightly areas, to control the flow of people traffic, to help maintain temperature plus many other uses. Overall they have a number of functional uses which can easily be applied to almost any internal living space.

These days room dividers come in many different sizes and colours. They usually are about 6ft in height and can range anywhere between 3 panels all the way up to 12 panels. They also come in different materials ranging from wooden all the way to glass and metal.

Room dividers also come with a huge amount of different images that can be printed onto the canvas. This makes them very popular as they are able to appeal to a large number of people. There are for example screens that have images of London or New York, images of fast cars, images of beaches, and images of famous people like Marilyn Monroe.

Overall it’s safe to say that room dividers have come a very long way and they serve a multitude of purposes. Not only are beautiful in their appearance but there are functional as well. Room dividers can easily enhance your living space so give them a try today and see for yourself.