As part of a recent project, we've been busy researching Indian screens, and a few of them were so beautiful that we just had to share. Carved from stone, these intricate window lattices (also known as jali walls) have survived hundreds of years...

Most of these photos come from Agra, India, the home of the famous Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. The jali provides natural ventilation and screening from sunlight, but the thing we love most about it is the patterns it creates from shadow and light.

These are feats of architectural craft and carving can't really be replicated, but they can inspire us in our own homes. For starters, we'd check out Emma Jeffs' latticed window film, this latticed library, and Chinese window screens, which are made of wood and can be found in antique shops. Other ideas for Indian-inspired screens? Let us know in the comments.

Photos: colros licensed via Creative Commons, dharmesh licensed via Creative Commons, snjr22 licensed via Creative Commons, Arifv licensed via Creative Commons, Philip Larson licensed via Creative Commons