SCREEN SIREN

The room divider is making a major comeback — and Gucci, as ever, is leading the trend, with screens that deliver a lot more than privacy.

The room divider is making a comeback

The chief function of the folding panel screen was once entirely practical. Dating back some 2400 years to ancient China, gaining traction in Japan and embraced in Europe throughout the centuries that followed, they were highly ornate objects employed to divide rooms, create discreet dressing areas, and provide structure to any large, open space. (Coco Chanel was a huge fan.)

Fast forward to 2018, and Gucci Décor has reignited a passion for room dividers that’s lain dormant for decades. With colourful, playful jacquard prints inspired by the ready-to-wear collection — think pineapples, octupus and jellyfish, tropical flowers and bees — Gucci’s panel screens are like portable artworks that double as accent pieces. You can use them to change the mood, break up a room, or lend privacy as and when it’s needed. Dying to update your space but not ready to commit to wallpaper? Consider the room divider luxurious experiment. The sheer beauty of these decorative screens is that with a little imagination and a lot of attitude, you can make them anything you want them to be.