Screen fever

Q: I fell in love with a floor screen the other day and just had to buy it. The problem is, now that I have the screen home, I have no idea how to use it. Help!

A: Your story of love-at-first-sight sounds just like mine. I still remember when I fell hard for my first screen and, in a moment of passion, had to have it on the spot. I had wanted a screen in my home since I was a kid, when I mooned over a fabulous screen a friend’s mom used as a backdrop for her dining room buffet.

Try using your screen in one of the following ways:

Dazzle a Dull Spot

We all have a stagnant spot in our home that screams for that elusive something to give it a bit of pizzazz. In my home, it was the front corner of my living room, an awkward area sandwiched between two windows. At market one year, I discovered a hand-painted screen that proved to be the salvation of that problematic corner. When I placed the screen in the corner as a backdrop for a small conversation area, it made the space feel more intimate and filled it with character. That was the day I came down with a serious case of screen fever and couldn’t wait to find other screens that would work magic in my home.

Conceal Eyesores

Screens are the perfect tools for covering up things in your home you would rather guests not see. I put one on my screened porch to conceal garden tools. A friend of mine uses one on her porch to obstruct the view of her home’s air conditioning unit and to provide some privacy from the neighbors. Another friend uses a screen in her laundry room to hide her washer and dryer, making the space seem like a butler’s pantry, not a washroom.

Define Areas

Screens are masters at separating different spaces in your home. For instance, if your dining room and family room share one big space, give each its own territory by putting a screen between them. If you have double-use rooms, like a home office that occasionally serves as a guest room, use a screen to partition the unused area until it’s needed.

Act as Art

Use a screen to display a rotating collection of art. Hang a set of botanicals, child’s art or black-and-white photographic studies from interesting ribbons secured at the top of the screen. Or, use a screen as art. Hang one above your sofa as a piece of bold artwork. Many of today’s newer homes have ceilings that reach to the heavens. What better way to liven up this loft space than by filling it with a gorgeous screen?