Over the past two weeks I’ve written about working with metal and stone. In my mind, a discussion about alternative materials that can be used in furniture making isn’t complete until handmade Japanese paper is covered.

Equipment

Over the next year or so I started to make the odd piece that included some of the papers I bought that day. These were mainly small table lanterns, though I did make a few frames for a couple of the paper pieces and framed and hung them, as you would a photograph or painting.

I used tapioca paste to adhere the papers to the insides of the lanterns. When the lights inside the lanterns are turned on the effect is multiplied; when backlit, the textures and colours of the papers become even more beautiful and powerful. I still have one of those lanterns on my bedside table to this day.

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I then started to experiment with freestanding shoji screen designs. Their construction wasn’t overly complex and the look was unique. And there was a lot of room for experimentation when working with the paper. Sure, I could apply a simple paper to the back side of the frame for an authentic look, but I could also then apply other papers to the face of that paper for a unique look. I made a number of these screens and sold a few at local shows.

I quickly got into fixed shoji screen systems that slide. These act like doors and add a serene look to any home. I’ve since built and installed many sliding shoji screen systems in Ontario and beyond. Once I even incorporated ink-drawn artwork into the gridwork of some of the screens. In that case, the customer chose some Japanese symbols to be drawn and I hired a Japanese ink artist to draw the symbols on papers that were pre-cut to fit into the openings.

I quickly started looking into Japanese design, especially furniture design and history. The antique Japanese furniture pieces I read about were stunning and had a rich history. Even the tools and techniques Japanese craftspeople used fascinated me. Everything in Japan seemed to be done so differently than I was used to in the West.

Next, I started to make a few Japanese-inspired pieces, which I really enjoyed. A step tansu was the first piece I made that was heavily inspired by Japanese furniture design. At first, I tried to find out exactly how these pieces were made, but uncovering the construction techniques was difficult so I came up with my own approach to joinery that would honour the past, but would also speak to what I learned. I even added Japanese paper to the risers and two doors in the step tansu I made, which was a lot of fun.

Limitations and opportunities

Sure, there are limitations to what handmade Japanese paper can do. I’ve had pets and kids who have gone through some of the papers in screens I’ve made for my home. Thankfully, these papers are easily replaced. These papers overly strong, but if they’re used in the right location that isn’t an issue.

To me, it’s more about the design opportunities handmade Japanese paper provides. When backlit, it comes alive. When featured in the frame, as in a cabinet door or riser, it provides a striking focal point. When it’s in a shoji screen it provides a lightweight, opaque surface that adds beauty to a room. And since most of the colours are quite organic (most of the dyes come from nature) these papers look amazing beside wood.

Our pages

Not surprisingly, since I’ve been writing and editing this magazine for almost 20 years, we’ve run a number of articles about pieces that include handmade Japanese paper. Not to turn you away from our great publication, but I’ve also written an article about working with handmade Japanese paper for the U.S. publication Fine Woodworking Magazine. You can read that article here.

Below are links to a few of the articles in Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement:

Japanese paper lantern
Build a modern floor lantern
Step tansu
Make a recipe box
Make a sliding shoji screen