Fusuma paper

Large-format Japanese paper for covering doors and walls

Ichimatsu Red Fusuma Paper Fusuma Paper, Pine Fusuma Paper: Sparrows

 

Fusuma doors, or simply fusuma, are traditional Japanese sliding doors used for built-in closets, walk-in closets, and room dividers. Unlike shoji, fusuma doors are smooth, without visible slats, and are neither translucent nor transparent.

Types of Fusuma Paper

There are thousands of different types of fusuma paper. They can be broadly divided into the following categories:

  • Patterned and Ornamental Papers
  • Patterned Paper
  • Textured and fiber-based papers, grass wallpaper

Our Collections:

At our showroom in Berlin: Cosmos, Ginga, Hanaakari, Harukaze, Kyoraku, Sazanami, Seika, Seiryu, Shinsen, Shuho, Shoen, Shoun, Urara, Yutaka… and many others

In the online store:

Cosmos, Harukaze, Seika, Shinsen

As a gallery/brochure: Seika, Shinsen

Fusuma are lightweight doors

Traditional fusuma are crafted using an intricate artisanal process. This involves stretching many layers of paper over a lattice frame. However, fusuma paper can also be applied like wallpaper to a smooth, flat surface, such as smooth doors or drywall.

Uses of Fusuma Paper

Fusuma paper is commonly used in Europe for sliding doors, cabinet doors, and other types of sliding doors.

In addition to their original use as door coverings, fusuma papers are used for a wide variety of other purposes, such as wallpaper, lampshade material, and for folding screens and room dividers. Fusuma papers are also popular in completely different areas, such as high-quality printing paper for invitations, business cards, or menus.

Door-sized papers

Since fusuma paper was originally intended for covering sliding doors, its dimensions are based on the standard size of Japanese doors. For this reason, almost all fusuma paper measures approximately 95 x 205 cm. Some papers are available in 95 x 240 cm or 135 x 205 cm, and very few—mostly very plain fusuma papers—are available in rolls, typically 50 or 100 meters long.

Processing Fusuma Paper

Base material

Fusuma paper is traditionally stretched over wooden frames in multiple layers. It is easier to apply it to panel material or finished doors. These instructions apply to applying the paper to smooth, untreated wooden panels. Possible substrates include:

  • HDF (high-density fiberboard): panels that are smooth on both sides and uncoated (brown)
  • MDF (medium-density fiberboard)
  • Lightweight MDF panels
  • Panels with a veneer surface: blockboard, multiplex

Please note:

  • Highly absorbent substrates, such as lightweight MDF panels and veneered panels, must be pre-pasted or primed. Otherwise, the panel may absorb a large portion of the paste, preventing the paper from adhering properly.
  • With veneered panels and dark panels, the wood grain or color of the substrate may show through the paper. Either apply a light-colored primer to such panels or, before applying the Fusuma paper, affix a lighter-colored recycled paper—such as plain Shoji paper—as a base layer!

We recommend MDF and HDF as substrate materials. If you would like to apply Fusuma paper to other surfaces, such as drywall or plastered walls, please test it yourself first!

Adhesive

To apply Fusuma paper to untreated wooden surfaces, we recommend using standard cellulose-based wallpaper paste. If you want to apply Fusuma paper to non-absorbent backing boards, standard wallpaper paste will not hold.

Processing

Fusuma paper must always be applied to both sides of a panel. Panels with paper applied to only one side may warp!

First, cut the fusuma paper to size, making it slightly larger (2–3 cm) than the door so you can wrap it around the edge of the door. It’s best to start by applying the paper to the back of the door. You can also use plain fusuma paper without a pattern for this, such as from the Cosmos or Hanaakari collections.

If you are using powdered paste, mix it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Like simple paper wallpaper, Fusuma paper swells and expands when it comes into contact with water. As it dries, it shrinks back again. For this reason, the paste is applied to the paper rather than to the surface to be covered. Only the edge of the door is pasted.

Let the paper soak for a few minutes, then place it on the door or panel. Start at one end of the door and gently press the paper down with your hands as you continue to lower it. Then press and smooth the fusuma paper from the center of the door outward. This should remove as many wrinkles and air bubbles as possible.

When rubbing the paper, you should place a plain sheet of paper underneath it—especially when working with high-quality fusuma paper containing gold dust or similar materials. This will prevent damage to the damp fusuma paper.

Once you’ve applied the wallpaper to the first side of the door, don’t wait for the paper to dry (the door could warp in the meantime); instead, wallpaper the second side right away. The process is exactly the same as for the first side. To let it dry, it’s best to stand the door upright or rest it on two trestles. It’s important to allow air to circulate around the door from all sides so it can dry evenly. If the door dries on one side only or is tilted, it will warp. Avoid moving the door as much as possible while it’s drying, and give it enough time—for example, overnight.