Now you can see how people are DIYing all kinds of home decor: gallery walls, gold-plated pottery, rope shelves, and more.— the list goes on. However, I don't think I've ever seen anyone making window screens by hand. Take a look at the shoji that the couple made themselves.
@un____home Now the orange tatami bed also needs to be replaced like this!!! #SingaporeHome #tiktoksg #fyp #unhome #unstudio #furnituremaker #renovation series
♬ Honey Peach Story – Jinshin & following lines
Japanese paper and wooden shoji
It's perhaps no surprise that this homeowner, who DIYed all the window screens in his apartment, also owns a small custom furniture store called Un Studio. Founded in 2020, the studio produces and sells handmade homeware and furniture in small batches.
Image credit: @un____studio
“We love making homewares and thought the best way to express our approach to crafting was to DIY all the furniture in our home. That's what we did. At the time, we were just renovating our house, so we decided to start building the windows first because we had the measurements in mind,” the couple said.
Image credit: @un____studio
Made from solid New Zealand pine or cherry wood and stained or coated with hard wax oil, each set of windows took two to six weeks to complete. “Typically, traditional shoji screens are made from soft wood such as cypress, but this type of wood is not easy to find in Singapore. Therefore, we had to settle for the next best thing. .”
We used Japanese paper, a traditional Japanese paper, for the lattice. Processed using fibers from the inner bark of certain trees, these papers are much more durable than regular papers made from wood pulp.
Image credit: @un____studio
There are three traditional shoji shoji and two yukimi shoji in the house. Unlike traditional shoji that slide left and right on tracks, yukimi shoji can be opened from the bottom.
“Yukimi Shoji screens tend to be set low so that you can sit and have an unobstructed view of the outdoors. In Japan, these screens are typically used in tea rooms and reading rooms.”
The couple deeply identified with the wabi-sabi philosophy of living in harmony with nature, so they incorporated yukimi shoji into their office and living room. This not only allows you to enjoy the view outside, but also allows ventilation of the common areas of the house.
We accept custom shoji orders.
Image credit: @un____studio
Nothing can replace the sense of accomplishment you get when you create something with your bare hands. But if that's not possible, you'll be happy to know that the owners of Un Studio can make almost any DIY project a reality. To have your shoji custom-made, just contact us via email. hello@un-studio.store.
In addition to shoji windows, Un Studio builds just about everything for clients. This has produced everything from dining tables and chairs to bookshelves and cabinets. We also host workshops to help you make your own ceramic products, teach you the know-how, and teach you DIY secrets.
DIY shoji screens installed on the windows of this HDB apartment
More and more people are wearing Bob the Builder hats these days. We recently $6,000 DIY home renovation A project to transform a five-room integrated house. This time, the owner of Un Studio installed handmade shoji screens on the windows of his HDB apartment.
Click here to learn more about home renovations.
Cover image source: @un____studio
Send us an email to never miss the latest news.
More at…