French Door Curtains

Archive for August, 2009

A Japanese door curtain, or Noren as it is called by the Japanese, is a great way to create a Zen-like atmosphere in your home. What’s more, it could help with the design of your home according to the principles of Feng Shui. According to the ancient rules, the use of door curtains can be a simple way to block harmful energy. It can also be a solution for difficult Feng Shui situations, especially when a renovation is out of question.

There are a lot of traditional Japanese door curtain designs available on the market. Depending on the Feng Shui effect that you want to achieve an appropriate design should be chosen. All sorts of prosperity designs are a popular choice among the people of the west. A common symbol used on a number of Noren curtains is the Wealth Cat. The Beckoning Cat, as it is also called, is believed to bring good luck to the property owners as well as attract customers into a shop. The Wealth Cat symbol comes from Tokyo’s Gotokuji temple, where a shrine dedicated to it was built long ago.

According to the legend, a sixteenth cantury priest from this temple had a cat that used to bring good fortune to him and to the temple. As a feudal lord named Naotaka was passing by the temple, the cat started beckoning him inside. The lord and his people decided to stop there and rest. Out of a sudden a thunderstorm broke. Naotaka was safe at the temple, and therefore decided to pay tribute to the temple. Today, a picture of the cat with a paw raised in the air can be found in many places and on countless products including Noren door curtains.

Other traditional designs that can often be found on the Japanese Noren include Koi fish, waves, waterfalls, bamboo or dragons. In order to be able to make the most of a Japanese door curtain it is advisable to get to know the Feng Shui principles better. Only then will you be able to achieve the desired effect not only in terms of visual design, but also shape your interior according to the ancient Japanese rules.