LoveMyPlace.com - Renovation, Design, Real Estate

There’s an emerging trend in home design and decor that has no shape, colour or texture. It’s the notion of privacy and it’s going to exert more and more influence on the way we live in our homes. Perhaps that’s why decorative screens are popping up in more and more homes.

Decorative screens were invented to serve two purposes — to prevent drafts and to hide transitional areas and entranceways, particularly those used by servants.

Neither is an issue in most homes today. So why are room dividers and screens showing up more and more in contemporary design? It’s because they are so well-suited to defining space and contributing to a sense of seclusion, says LMP design editor and interior designer William MacDonald.

“Creating privacy in architecture and design is really strong trend in Europe and New York,” says MacDonald. “Privacy is the ultimate luxury on the market right now, and it’s not that easy to come by. So everyone wants to be in the VIP lounge, the executive class check-in. I think it’s a reaction to an Internet world, in which everything is out there for everybody to see.”

The urge for some room of one’s own is prompting many designers working with “open concept” areas to build new walls. Plants, fabric panels and other freestanding decorative pieces are also being used to define space.

Glass artist Lucy Roussel has noticed growing interest in the glass panels she makes, which are frequently used as room dividers. “Larger spaces like lofts are nice, but people seem to want to divide them in a productive way,” says Roussel.

Roussel’s pieces are made from cast glass about an inch thick, into which she incorporates natural elements such as large fern fronds, poppy blossoms or spent milkweed pods, or industrial materials such as steel mesh or sheeting. Pieces can be either fixed to the floor or ceiling, or seated in a solid steel base.

Ranging in height from 2.5 to 6.5 feet, and in widths from seven inches to three or four feet, prices start at about $800 for smaller pieces, while taller pieces can go as high as $3,000.

They’re especially popular with those living in lofts, says Roussel. “People want to create room divisions without obstructing the light,” explains Roussel. In smaller spaces, she adds, homeowners want to define areas without producing a maze-like effect.

MacDonald thinks there will be more and more demand for pieces like those Roussel creates. “I love that screens allow you to create multiple spaces within one large space, and that they lend a sense of architecture. They can be used in any room, even outdoors.”

Roussel’s work can be seen at Material Matters (215 Spadina Ave., 416-977-3387 - www.materialmatters.ca ) or the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga (1-888-805-8888 - www.livingartccentre.ca). You can also get more information at www.lucyroussel.com.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 15th, 2007 at 2:43 pm and is filed under News, Design/Decor. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.