A GUIDE TO HAVING MORE THAN DOORS

One of my first observations of the interior architecture of old Nigerian houses is the reluctance to have aggressive doors between rooms. I fondly remember, brushing my hands through beaded curtains in my home to hear them tinkle.

In pre-colonial South Western Nigeria, a house might have the main door. But it in the house the door ways were usually open or merely had strips of leather, cloth to separate rooms.

The practice trickled in to the 20th century, even with the presence of colonialism, a lot of residential architecture from the mid 20th century had curtains and screens in addition to regular doors. As the century progressed, Modernist architecture swept through the country, and the soft doorway is nearly a relic in urban areas.

However, I still think that having barriers that aren’t doors or softening doors are a beautiful and functional practice. Beads, curtains and ropes allow for better cross-ventilation. They are also an inexpensive method of separating linked areas such as living rooms and dining rooms. They serve well by adding color, texture and dimension in a space.

Below are 4 options to soften your door ways, closet doors or any kind of passage

1. FABRIC CURTAINS

Fabric curtains serve as an excellent barrier between rooms and can change the mood and add dimension to a space depending on the fabric, colour and texture. Choose interesting fabric curtains by following my guide. From velvet to chiffon, from rings to tassels, there is a world of options out there for you to pick from.

The Nadine Goepfert’s curtains have a special place in my heart; the graphic playfulness of the curtains does something for me. The yellow curtains in Daria Zinovatnaya’s space enhance the colour palette of the entire room and follow through with the soft curve of the doorway.

2. BEADED CURTAINS

Beaded curtains are a fantastic way to add a glassy, metallic or wooden texture to your space. Some of them are beaded to reveal a photograph or scene which will double as an art piece. If you are feeling crafty, there are tons of DIY beaded curtain tutorials on You Tube

Here are a few of my faves

3. CHORD CURTAINS

Last but not least are chord curtains. These are made of all kinds of chord; jute, cotton chords, knitting wool; macrame yarn and many others. They are also an awesome way to add dimension and texture to a room. They are often associated with the Bohemian design style. However, they can be used across many design styles. This is one of my favorites because they are the cheapest and perhaps the easiest of these options to make by yourself. YouTube is the place to be for tutorials. Below are some of my favorites.

This list is in no way exhaustive. Curtains to spruce up door ways come in other materials such as leather and wooden rings. This is just a simple guide to walk you through the possibility of having more than a door.

If you have or are considering using interior curtains, let me know in the comments.