The Advantages of Minimalism

When it comes to ones home or office someone who may not normally be picky might change their attitude, which is completely understandable. For many these are the places that one may spend most of their time, so why not create an atmosphere that you want to be in. A home should be a place where one can feel comfortable and safe, as well as feel proud of. A home is also a space where one can let their creative side come out. You can tell a lot about a person when you look at their home. How they decorate it, what it smells like, and the type of atmosphere they have created. There are 7.6 billion people in the world and each person has a different style, or a different taste. One persons boho chic room may not appeal to another, or a modern sculpture may be a work of art to one and make another roll their eyes in the back of their head. It is our goal at Oriental Furniture to have products that appeal to many different tastes. There is one style that will never go out of trend and will always be high in demand, and that is simplistic, or minimalistic. A simplistic piece can easily fit into a minimalistic or a shabby chic home.

Many people are in favor of living a minimalistic lifestyle, and it actually makes a lot of sense. There are many ways that having a minimalist home decreases stress levels. If you think about it, how often do you find yourself frazzled by the amount of “stuff” you have laying around the house. It is quite easy to make a home feel cluttered with too much furniture and decorative items. Not to mention the more furniture means more places for dust to settle which naturally leads to more cleaning. No one wants to come home after a long day of work to a disarray of chores and clutter. Honestly, that is enough to make me want to simplify my home ASAP. 

If you are looking to add some pieces to your home that will help to create a minimalistic environment or just simply like simple things look no further. Our simplistic Shoji screens are highly practical and exceptionally easy to style. They will fit in with other designs and will not leave you scratching your head trying to figure out where it belongs.

Browse our easy to style screens here.

The Wonders of Bamboo

Bamboo is a flowering evergreen perennial from the grass family known as Poaceae. Along with other grasses fro the Poaceae family Bamboo tends to be hollow on the inside and has a wood like texture. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world. Some species of Bamboo can grow up to 36 inches in 24 hours, that is 1 inch every 40 minutes.

Having a higher compressive strength than wood, brick or concrete  Bamboo also has a  tensile strength that rivals steel. Because of this Bamboo has economical significance. Through out Asia Bamboo is used for building materials, as a food source, and a versatile raw product. Bamboo is also great for filtering gout airborne toxins such as carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and Benzene. It is amazing how versatile Bamboo is and it is a relatively easy crop to grow.

In Chinese tradition Bamboo the significance of lucky Bamboo depends on how many stalks you have. I am talking about the variety of Bamboo that you out inside your home, not the kind that you see along side the road that grows in voluptuous crops. There are different meanings associated with the arrangements of Bamboo. Two stalks represent love, three represent Fu (happiness), Lu (wealth), and Soh (long life), four stalks represents the parts of life that impact wealth. The arrangements go up to ten stalks and ends with twenty one which represents a powerful blessing.

Bamboo is highly momentous and is consistently sought after. There is high demand for house plants nowadays and Bamboo is a plant that you will find in most peoples homes. Bamboo is also used for many decorative designs, as well as furniture. It is important to know have the knowledge about something that we as people use so frequently and in many ways. In a way by educating ones self in even the smallest things such as what kind of house plant one has in their home, or the Bamboo chair they own, we are showing respect for the materials we are lucky to have. It also creates more of a personal significance, and I can certainly tell you that after learning more about Bamboo I would love to have more pieces in my home crafted from it. The Bamboo pieces that we sell at Room Dividers are special to us because we feel that they represent a culture and a style that we hold high respect for. We are simply captivated by the hues of Bamboo, it is not easy to miss the various shades of green and tan.

We offer alluring pieces made from Bamboo that will compliment any and all spaces, adding a simple touch of nature to your space. Take a peek at what we have to offer!

Bamboo Room Dividers

A Pop of Color

In the last few weeks the great outdoors has gone through many changes. The snow has melted away, and there has been ample amounts of rain, which has powered the growth of new spring foliage. There is a color that has become more prominent and will be staying with us for the upcoming months, that color is Green. If you were to look outside right now what would you see? Probably many trees with bright green leaves that have just begun to unfold, and lush grass that is finally pigmented with chlorophyll. We can all come out of our shells to let the sun willfully rid us of the inevitable winter gloom that has hung over our heads these past months. It is easy for one to feel a wave of new life developing within, almost as if we have a new start. There is a sense of rejuvenation and excitement as we begin to truly feel the warm weather approaching.

The color green has various key traits that make it an optimal color. Green falls directly in the middle of the color spectrum making it the easiest color for the human eye to see. Our bodies go through less strain when trying to perceive the color green which results in a relaxed nervous system.  Being such a calming color green is ideal for color therapy, and is usually found in schools and hospitals. It is instinctual for humans to know that when vegetation is green it is most likely safe for consumption. This is why green symbolizes freshness, and good health. Green also embodies the natural world which represents growth, fertility, energy, tranquility, and luck.

Green is an exceptionally powerful color and if being around the color does so much for us then we should certainly have more of it close by. Luckily at Room Dividers  we are highly enthusiastic about having a large assortment of products in all the colors in the spectrum.

All Things Green

 

Why We Love Our Art Print Room Dividers

When it comes to Room Dividers people can be very picky, and we don’t blame them. A room divider can be anywhere from two feet tall with 3 panels to six feet tall with 6 panels. When one picks out a room divider it is an important decision to make. A room divider can easily change the atmosphere of a space by adding flare or my simply creating a peaceful environment. There are far more options than one may thing when it comes to room dividers, at least at our store. We offer simple Shoji screens which can match perfectly with any style, but there are also dividers that are exclusively for particular tastes. On our website we have Art Print Room Dividers and there are over 200 unique prints that we have to offer. The prints are bold and saturated with color giving the photo the justice it deserves. Plus they are double sided so they are perfect for partitioning a space. If you have a dream of living in Paris we have a gorgeous print of the Eiffel Tower. If you are an avid animal lover we have dividers with paintings of African Savanah Wildlife as well as photographs of packs of Wild horses as they storm through the desert. Maybe you prefer paintings by the classics like Edgar Degas. Last but not least we have dividers with exquisite oriental prints.

That is why we love out Art Print Room Dividers, and we hope you love them too!

Art Print Room Dividers

Art and Happiness

There is no denying that creating art is marvelous for one’s brain. For some it is a mediation and for others it is a form of therapy, there is a long list of benefits one gains from art. Art has been used to help relieve stress as well as to boost ones self esteem. Overall ones quality of life is drastically improved when one is creative. If making art is so powerful for the creator isn’t it valuable to the viewer as well?

Van Gogh once said “Paintings have a life of their own that derives from the painters soul.” There is deep sentiment within a painting for an artist and in turn the art also provokes emotion and thought inside a viewer. Your brain goes through diverse changes when you look at a work of art. By looking at art your brain becomes stimulated as it tries to organize patterns and making sense of shapes. There is also increased blood flow to the brain by as much as 10%. That is the equivalent of looking at someone you love. Hopefully most of you can imagine exactly how you would feel looking at someone you love. Maybe a little warm, excited, and certainly happy. 

If looking at art is so good for you then what is holding you back from surrounding yourself with beautiful pieces of art. One of my favorite painters is Monet and when I look at his paintings I feel a sense of ease. Naturally I put one of our room dividers with a Monet print on it to good use in my. What is art to you? What moves you?

At Room Dividers have an abundance of screens with prints of famous artists to pictures of trickling streams, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Here are some of our favorite Dividers

 

Au Naturel

Today a majority of furniture and household items are made out of materials other than wood. Plastic is one of the most common elements used now days due to it’s convenience. Plastic lasts a long time and it usually calls for less repairs, unlike wood, plus it is commonly cheaper. However, despite the effort companies have made to replace wood, it is a project that will never fully be done. There is much more beauty and sentimental value when it comes to wood.

A majority of items like furniture, tools, and modes of transportation were originally crafted from wood partially because one had minimal options for materials but wood was and still is extremely useful. There are copious varieties of wood that offer different benefits from color, to strength, and even to durability. For example, the hardest wood in the world comes from what is called an Ironwood tree, which goes by the name of Australian Buloke which comes from Eastern and Southern Australia. The second strongest wood actually comes from a flowering plant in the cashew family, it goes by the name of Schinopsis Brasiliensis, it is native to Brazil. Wood has other unique values that you simply cannot replicate with other materials, such as the particular patterns. The pattern one sees in wood comes from what is known as wood grain which is the longitudinal layout of wood fibers. The complex markings are completely natural and are unique to each piece of wood. Wood can be bent into a curve, or cut and chiseled into a pattern. As hard as wood is it is a clay to craftsman that can be molded into what ever they desire.

Wood goes with an array of tastes and can easily fit in with any style. Switch out your plastic chairs for some wooden ones and notice how the space changes. Replace the shelf you bought from Ikea with a alluring shelf made from Mahogany. Each piece you purchase will hold some sort of history within in. From it’s past owner/s to the person who created that unique piece. These are characteristics that you find in wood will not appear in pieces made my plastic or industrial materials.

At Room dividers we have an assortment of room dividers that are beautifully made and are a quick fix if you are craving that au naturel look. If you love trees but aren’t into having a wooden room divider we have plenty of dividers with tree prints that will do the trick.

Wooden Room Dividers

 

The History Behind Room Dividers

Nowadays the portable Room Dividers you see in a majority of stores may seem like they are a relatively new design. However, these pieces came from China around the 4th century BC. From the beginning, the screens have been used for practical and decorative purposes. In addition to being a practical tool for partitioning a space they were works of art.

Since they were created approximately 2300-2400 Years ago the screens have come a long way. By the 2nd century BC, the Japanese had adopted their own versions of the original designs from China. These became known as the Japanese folding screen, which had multiple variations. The first was the Byobu screens which were lavishly adorned. They were made from multiple joined panels allowing one to fold the screen. The folding capability of the Japanese screens made for them to be more agile. After the Byobu screen came the Shoji screen. The Shoji screen incorporated a layered rice paper that was lightweight which made the screens easier to move.

Between the 15th – 17th century Europeans and later Americans who had traveled to the Pacific rim began returning home with the screens where they soon began to sell room dividers to the public. The arrival of the screens in the new market led the local craftsman to begin creating their own versions of the screens. American and European craftsman began incorporating materials such as silk, leather, wood, mirrors, tapestry and embroidery. The usage of these materials resulted in the screens being adequate for preventing drafts in sizable spaces. The screens also became a luxury good and signified class status amongst the western nobility.

Today, room dividers are not only used in homes. The screens have spread throughout society and are used in a wide variety of settings ranging from hospitals and clinics, to yoga studios, and airports. A single room divider can drastically alter and improve the atmosphere within a room. They offer privacy in places where it is needed, and a decorative element to a rooms layout. Room dividers are extremely versatile and are easy to install. Our company is extending the tradition of asian style room dividers and adapting them to modern aesthetic. At Room Dividers, we are proud to offer screens that fit in any home and accommodate just about any budget. 

Room Dividers

 

 

The Significance of Cherry Blossoms

            Although it is the beginning of Spring, there is still a wintery chill in the air. However, it is comforting to know that in a matter of weeks we will be shedding layers and sitting outside to soak up the warm Spring sun. If you look past the lingering cold grey weather you will see small blossoms that are starting to protrude out of the ground. The trees are expanding, pushing new leaves out from their branches. Spring is blossoming if you look for it.  Instead of focusing on the last hints of winter, lets focus on the beauty that is yet to come.

            Cherry Blossoms are on the verge of bursting open and with that we will feel the full power of Spring. The blossoms will fill the air with a light, sweet scent and the landscape will be dusted with a pink hue. For me, Cherry Blossoms invoke a feeling of warm breezes that washes away all of the coldness that built up in our bodies and homes over the course of the winter.

            Not only are Cherry Blossoms easy on the eyes and nose, but they hold quite a lot of symbolism. Cherry Blossoms go back hundreds of years in the Japanese culture. They represent more than just a beautiful fragile flower. In Japanese culture  Cherry Blossoms represent a form of beauty that is life itself. They see the fragility in the flower and it reminds them that life is precious, and short. The delicate blossoms inspire one to take a minute in the day to stop and look at what is growing around you and recognize the beauty those small buds hold. Before we know it, it will be summer, then fall, and soon after that the snow will cover the landscape. If Winter is especially hard for you, don’t fret, we offer beautiful Room Dividers covered in Cherry Blossoms that will make Spring last all year long right in your very own home.

Cherry Blossom Screens