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Close-Up: When the Floor Becomes the Wall

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To create visual privacy, Justine and David, of Inside Out fame, went for one of the more unusual screen solutions...

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Affordable and easily available, tatami mats were the answer! One day, Justine was shopping at Urban Outfitters and they were having a sale on the mats. She bought 2, came home, and turned then on their sides. With a flick of the wrist, the flat mat became an elegantly waved wall.

As guests started showing up in their open plan loft home, Justine and David bought more mats and made 'sleeping pods.' The mats come in different colors and are often made of bamboo--a resilient and renewable resource.

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Comments (12)

yess!! I've been looking for something besides wood panel room dividers. But how do they stay up? Aren't the mats kinda flimsy?

posted by emmalazarus on 2007-10-17 12:50:44
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They sell dividers just like this (but meant to be a divider) at a store called Laytner's on the UWS, I think for $2-300. I also once saw them at Lee's Art Shop on 57th, I think for more $ but with a nicer finish.

posted by Michael on 2007-10-17 12:57:46
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I saw them in action and they stand up well as long as you create enough folds. And these are in the $20 range and not $200!

posted by jill on 2007-10-17 13:08:29
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I love that ladder! where did you get it?

posted by 8ry on 2007-10-17 13:35:03
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that would drive me crazy.

posted by goodnightdean on 2007-10-17 13:37:31
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*lol* Looks exactly like when I used to make forts in the living room when I was a kid. (Without the couch pillows as a campfire and my dog dressed as a fellow pioneer.)

posted by kitties! on 2007-10-17 14:21:54
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You'd have to be really careful with this or it would quickly start looking dorm-ish.

posted by pearlandopal on 2007-10-17 15:24:07
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I tried mats like that before but it still looked like mats on their side.
I have picked up old bi-fold closet doors from the local alleys and painted them: solid or an art scene, depending on how artsy you are.
I would otherwise spend the money on IKEA's Expedit wall unit/room divider. I even cut out some of the squares to house my computer/ DVD monitor on a turntable for versatile use on both sides of the rooms.
But if you ever plan on moving soon, think about the vastness of this piece.
Paul.
kitties! comment is hysterical. :)

posted by paulmuscat on 2007-10-17 15:38:34
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that's a good idea, but are those tatami mats (maybe they're just bamboo mats)? i thought that tatami mats had more thickness to them -- and would be more in the $200 rather than $20 range.

posted by asdf3001 on 2007-10-18 00:43:16
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Isn't it great when you find the solution (however temporary) to a problem that's been puzzling you. Well done!

posted by hrhprincessfiona on 2007-10-18 08:30:50
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I think it looks ridiculous

posted by snot on 2007-10-18 10:01:55
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Those aren't tatami mats.

posted by vagary on 2007-10-18 14:35:42
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