Japanese style in the interior, despite its obvious minimalism in the choice of materials and visual means, is extremely popular in the design of elite housing. Spacious apartments, lofts in Scandinavian, European oriental style, built on the principle of open space, need careful zoning.

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Japanese curtains are functionality and elegance.

Japanese curtains and partitions help to highlight functional zones without interfering with the architecture of the home. They leave the opportunity to change proportions and unite the space at any time. You can make such curtains yourself without spending much time and effort.

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They can be confidently called an exotic decorative element that came to us from the land of the rising sun.

Briefly about Japanese curtains and partitions, design features

The basic principle that light Japanese partitions follow is simple lines, discreet colors, and elegant design. They are used not only to decorate window openings, but also to create partitions in a room, decorate arches, and passages.

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In design, they are similar to vertical blinds.

The entire curtain consists of separate interconnected panels, of which there can be from 2 to 5, sometimes more. Each part has a rectangular shape, the width is no more than 1 meter, the length is from the ceiling to the floor. In some cases, it can be reduced as needed to the level of the window sill.

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Each panel is reinforced with a frame and the fabric on it is straightened and has no folds or drapes.

Such blinds are mounted on a cornice with several guides, the number of which coincides with the number of panels or is a multiple of it. Each is located on its own guide and moves freely to the side. Japanese curtains can be assembled to the width of one panel, like a folding mobile partition. Hanging in a ladder or cascade is popular.

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Japanese curtains consist of fabric panels with special weights at the bottom of the panels, which move along the cornice using different types of control.

Japanese partitions look good on large "French windows" to the floor, on wide window openings. They are used in a large kitchen to separate the work space from the dining area or to separate the kitchen and dining room in an open-plan apartment.

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Japanese curtains are easy to use and maintain.

The advantages of Japanese curtains are their mobility, ergonomics, and ease of maintenance. Such panels do not collect dust, as they have no folds or gathers. As a rule, the fabrics are natural and can be treated with dust-repellent and antistatic impregnations.

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A special fastening allows them to be used not only as decoration for a window opening, but also as a partition to divide a room.

It is very convenient to use photo printing as a design, creating real pictures. Both the simplest manual and industrial electromechanisms are used for control. You can change the curtains for new ones as often as the owner wants.

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Thanks to the multi-panel design, you can combine the panels in any order and create stylish and interesting looks.

How to sew Japanese curtains with your own hands

Thanks to the simplicity of the design and clear principles of operation, Japanese curtains and partitions can be sewn independently. Choose fabrics with a simple texture, paying special attention to the composition and pattern. Plain-dyed canvases or photo prints are convenient.

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Thanks to their laconic appearance, the curtains take up a minimum of space.

There is a technology for applying perforation, which allows for greater light transmission in the event that the partition needs to be as light as possible. This is convenient if the stove and sink are separated from the table in the kitchen.

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Lightweight, translucent fabric hides unnecessary details but lets in enough light.

The materials used are both light, translucent, and dense, heavy, opaque. Among the fabrics, traditional ones take first place:

  • flax;
  • cotton;
  • in Japanese traditions - silk;
  • jute;
  • bamboo;
  • imitation rice paper;
  • budget - plastic.
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Artificial and natural materials are used to make Japanese canvases.

For self-sewing you will need the following tools: a sewing machine, threads and needles, scissors, guides and weights according to the size of each panel and in accordance with their number, a curtain rod with several guides, fastening accessories for the curtain rod and hooks for hanging curtains.

japanese curtains cornice
It is convenient to buy a ready-made cornice, but you can also adapt the profile yourself.

Drawing and patterns of Japanese curtains

When starting work on Japanese panels, you need to calculate the amount of material. In the classic version, the width of each strip is 60 cm, but everything depends on the proportions of a particular room. The length is equal to the distance from the cornice to the floor, that is, the height of the room plus 10 cm for allowances. If the partition is located across the width of the room, then the number of panels is calculated using the formula width divided by 60. Based on this data (number of strips, their length and width), the total amount of material is determined.

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Don't forget to allow for seam allowances for finishing the edge.

Important! If the calculation results in a fractional number, it is rounded up, since the easiest way to adjust the size is to change the hem size.

Pay attention to the width of the fabric. Most often, you can find fabrics from 100 cm on sale. If you choose the 140-150 cm option, then from one cut along the length you will get two finished fabrics. Similarly, the length of the guides (the height of the room minus 5 cm) and the width of the weights (according to the width of each curtain - 60 cm) are calculated. Their number is 2 guides per fabric and 1 weight.

Japanese curtains with weights
Special weight for Japanese curtains.

How to sew curtains, instructions with photos

Sewing Japanese curtains is quite simple, the main difficulty is the large length of the seams, so manual processing is undesirable, it is better to use a sewing machine. How to make Japanese curtains with your own hands step-by-step instructions will demonstrate in detail. Remember that if the fabric is capable of shrinkage, before cutting it must be moistened and ironed so that the curtains do not shrink during the first wash.

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Japanese panels come only in short or floor-length versions, all other shapes are excluded.

Important! When cutting, it is necessary to strictly observe the direction of the main thread on the fabric so that the curtains do not become skewed.

  • When the cutting is complete, the side panels are processed first. Do not pull the stitching so that the fabric does not wrinkle. After completing this stage, iron the material well, as this will be difficult to do later. Remember to leave an opening into which the guides will be inserted.
  • The second stage is sewing the top edge. It should be made so that rings or special hooks can be sewn to it for insertion into the guides. Special loops-hooks are sold in the department, next to the department of curtain rods and guides.
  • Lightweight fabrics can be attached with Velcro tape, then one part of the tape is sewn along the top edge of the fabric, and the second side of the tape is glued to the cornice with mounting glue or tape.
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Japanese curtains can be both a decorative element for windows and an excellent solution for decorating niches, walls, and doorways.
  • You can use guides suspended from the cornice, similar to regular curtains on hooks.
  • Finally, the bottom edge is stitched. All hems are made 5 cm wide so that structural elements can be threaded inside, in this case, weights.
  • Japanese curtains are hung in an extended position; it is most convenient to use a curtain rod.
japanese curtains fastening
Don't forget to have a long pole to move the curtains once they are finished.

Photo printing on Japanese curtains

The most original method, fully consistent with the traditions of their native country, is photo printing. It can be easily ordered at a copy center or online.

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When printing photos, a design chosen by the customer or from the company’s catalogue is applied to the canvas.

Flowers, birds, and landscapes in watercolor style predominate in Japanese photo prints. However, regular photographs look no less attractive. The print is applied to several canvases (thus creating a single panel) or only to the central one.

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These can be pictures of nature, abstract drawings, reproductions.

The best way to apply photo prints is the sublimation method. The name is based on the characteristics of the paint used - sublimation. The paint is not poured or printed on the fabric, but evaporates from the tracing paper onto the product when heated.

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This way, inaccuracies in the transfer of the drawing are avoided and impeccable image quality is achieved.

Important! Graininess, image clarity, color rendering and other characteristics depend on the quality of the material provided, the image file format, the number of pixels and the size.

Dividing a room with Japanese curtains

Japanese panels are very often used for zoning rooms. The most popular place for their placement is the kitchen. In general, this is completely consistent with how these partitions have been used since ancient times to arrange housing in Japan.

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Nothing has changed since then, since the main advantage of this method is its ease and mobility.

This is why people love to hang Japanese curtains in the kitchen, separating a part of the room where you can sit quietly, chat, eat or relax with a cup of tea.

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This is a stylish solution that can be changed quite quickly by moving the cornice to a new location.

It is most convenient if there is some structural element in the room that enhances the impression of the curtains. This could be an arch, a ceiling beam, a column, which are often found in studio apartments. Despite the fact that Japanese partitions were initially used more often in large halls, they look great in small rooms too.

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In this case, light, translucent fabrics are chosen.

The best examples and photos of the use of Japanese curtains and partitions in the interior

Stylists' recommendations state that Japanese design is based on ecology, naturalness, and organicity. The best photographs show interiors in shades of sky, grass, and water. These are diluted shades of green, pistachio, mint shades, sand, beige, vanilla, pink-blue tones, azure, and gray-silver colors.

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Japanese curtains provide unlimited freedom in decorating any room.

Harmony is what a Japanese-style partition brings to the interior. They add airiness and volume to the space, and do not shade the room. To add expressiveness, it is worth using more saturated orange tones, lemon, red, and green.

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You can combine light and more saturated colors, transparent and dense textures.

VIDEO: Variety of Japanese curtains in interiors.

50 photos of modern Japanese curtains in the interior: