Coromandel

Coromandel Screen

Ming Dynasty Coromandel screen

In her usual inimitable style, Cote de Texas wrote about Rose Tarlow in this post, which has resulted in some lively exchanges. However, what particularly interested me was Tarlow's use of Coromandel screens in two design schemes, (pictures 4 & 5 of Cote de Texas's post, reproduced here below). Screens generally, but Coromandel screens in particular are a very effective design device. I particulary like the depth that is provided by the rich textures and dark colouring.

The creation of these screens originated in China in the C16th, and the name derives from the Coromandel Coast in India where screens and other furnishings from China were loaded onto ships carrying goods to Europe, in the C17th.

Six panel

Twelve panel - much more impact and drama.

Showcase

If this room looks like a showroom that's because it partly is. The owner is a dealer in essentially neoclassical pieces, displayed enticingly on the Mies van der Rohe table, which is paired with Le Corbusier armchairs. Bathed in the light afforded by the loft's large windows is a Biedermeier daybed, which mixes so easily with the modernity of the armchairs. And then another favourite, the architectural prints hanging above the dark lacquered Chinese screen, with its gold painting, capturing the golden hues of the entire room.

My only complaint, (and yes, I do have one), is that it would all come together much better with a rug of some description, which would define the sitting area and the dining area, (the latter with its Knoll 'Saarinen" table and Hoffman dining chairs).

Oh, and I would hang the blinds in a linear row, because I like things to be symmetrical. Of course.

Virtual screen

In a recent post I discussed the use of screens, and their cross cultural references. In this picture a Directoire-style (post Revolution, the French Directory from 1795-1799) screen is used to great effect to define this library, allowing the pretty visual impact to be unimpaired by the virtual screening. The choice of a cream painted glossy floor and a matt sage green for the wood work, creates a restful ambiance in an area intended for relaxation and reading. These muted colours have been used throughout other areas of the house, and will be posted in the coming days.

Screening for attention

Folding screens, like many other things were invented in China too (probably in the fourth century BC), and these are three good examples of those that are made by one of my favourite manufacturers here in Thailand.

Their usage is versatile - for decoration, as a panel against the wall; to divide an area, and to provide privacy between one area and its neighbour. They can also be used to draw attention to them upon initial visual contact, rather than the areas around them, (perhaps an attribute many of us would wish for ourselves).

As well as their versatility, the design possibilities are also limitless, and they cross cultural barriers too.

Altogether a "must have" in an interior designer's box of tricks.