Posted: 9th March 2023
Interior architecture is about more than just how a home looks. The ways in which we choose to divide our indoor spaces also play an important role in how those spaces feel – and even how we function within them. Open-plan interior design schemes have long been the obvious alternative to the traditional walled methods, but more and more people are looking for a different approach, a middle-ground between the two. Here’s where internal screening comes in.
Screening systems have all the thermal and acoustic insulation credentials as conventional walls whilst offering the bonuses associated with an open-plan setup – a real best-of-both-worlds solution – and all at a cost that might surprise you. If you had thought of joining the broken-plan revolution but weren’t sure where to start, read on for our top tips on how to get the ball rolling.
Boundaries: A Dividing Issue
Have you ever walked into a room and forgotten what you had gone in there for? Well, you’re not alone. This phenomenon affects us all, irrespective of age. It has come to be known as the location updating effect, but is commonly referred to by another name: the doorway effect.
An explanation for this effect is that we have evolved a system of categorisation in our brains to distinguish between physical environments – and the functions we might be expected to perform in them. In our homes, we build different memory associations with different rooms and our brains group these associations for us. This means that when we walk from one part of the house to another, we also need to access different pathways in the brain. Just like a computer, this reconfiguration can get jammed.
This is all by way of saying that our relationships with our lived-in spaces are a lot more profound than we might have previously thought. How we compartmentalise our homes has a fundamental effect on how we live in them, so achieving the right balance could be just what your interior architecture scheme needs without you even realising it.
The Benefits: At a Glance
We cover these more extensively elsewhere, but they’re worth mentioning again here. Indoor screening systems are as flexible as they are durable. They can be made to fit any design and can be installed with the comfort of knowing they will last and look great for years to come – with minimal maintenance required.
This versatility is a key point. Given that they can be manufactured to meet the needs of the individual client, screening can be used for anything from an update or redesign of an existing structure to a new build, be it commercial or residential. So, even if you weren’t thinking of tearing the walls down, there’s still plenty of scope for internal screening systems to feature in your interior design plans.
The Straight Swap: Screening Systems as Room Dividers
For those who prioritise the light and airy feel of an open-plan design but wish to retain thermal insulation and acoustic isolation, internal screening systems can’t be beaten. The choice of styles and functions available gives unprecedented freedom to how a living space might be divided as well as the feel of those boundaries – with glass being the perfect material for achieving flexibility between openness and privacy.
The appeal of the open-plan style is obvious – and the trend is unlikely to fade anytime soon – but there are two factors to this interior architecture movement that are hard to ignore: energy efficiency and the lack of adaptability. Having one big, open space is going to be heavier on the heating bills, but it also makes it difficult for different people to be doing different things at the same time, especially if there are youngsters running about.
Internal screening systems enable designs that are equal parts sturdy and flexible. At Mercury, our range of screens and doors offer robust solutions to any design aesthetic. Whether you were thinking of fixed screens or one of a variety of door styles available – or a combination of all of the above – these systems can be made to your exact specifications, without the need for compromising on stylistic consistency.
Subdivision: Using Screening to Partition a Room
Having clearly defined spaces can have some interesting by-products – as evidenced by the doorway effect – but our need to distinguish between the functions of particular places also has its obvious advantages. Our mode of behaviour before sleep will quite naturally be different to when we are preparing our meals, for example.
If we live alone, this change of mode of behaviour is restricted to one person. When there’s more than just one of us in a living space, however, there’s a very good chance that these modes will be in conflict with another, in which case an open-plan environment can quickly become uncomfortable.
With internal screening, any indoor space can be partitioned to suit your specific needs. Be it a work-from-home office or just a quiet spot to read a book whilst keeping an eye on the kids, a simple partition in a physical space might be all you need – and screening is an easy way to achieve this, however big or small the space may be.
The Statement: Screening as Centrepiece
Focusing on the practical benefits of using internal screening misses one vital aspect: its strong aesthetic appeal. Well placed pivot or sliding doors not only enhance the flow of light and sense of calm in a home but they also exist as architectural points of focus in their own right. Gone are the days when every interior architecture decision was made on purely functional terms – they can be as much of a visual statement as the art on your walls, too.
Styles in Practice: A Quick Guide
If you think that internal screening and doors are for you but you can’t see how they might fit into your pre-existing design plan, we’ve put together a couple of examples of where various styles are commonly used and how they might fit into your ideas…
The Thin Line between Separation and Integration
A home needs to be many things all at once. Finding the right balance can be tricky and often the conventional methods require some kind of compromise, either on a property’s performance or its aesthetics. Internal screening offers us the opportunity to segment our lived-in spaces exactly as we see fit with all the associated positives of an open-plan design – all while looking great and never requiring a drop of paint. Win-win situations rarely get clearer than that.
Click here to find out more about the internal screening solutions Mercury has to offer or speak with one of our experts today.
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