Mr Thabo Nkosi
Screens that breathe
Perforation patterns that keep acoustic screens from feeling solid.
Screens are everywhere in our studios and public spaces, but too often they turn lively rooms into sterile boxes. In Durban, with our thick humidity and open-plan habits, I’ve come to appreciate how a screen can divide without closing us in, especially when it’s thoughtfully perforated.
Read it alongside the Karoo Screen page.
Why perforation matters in acoustic screens
When you place a solid screen in a busy foyer or studio, it can feel like a wall has suddenly appeared: sound deadens, light gets blocked, and air seems to stop moving. In our work at Creation Africa, we learned quickly that people don’t want to feel penned in, whether it’s a creative team in Joburg or a lodge lobby out in the Karoo. Perforated screens let sound be managed without killing the energy of a space. They hold back the harsh clatter, but allow voices to feel present and daylight to dapple across the floor.
The Karoo Screen uses a repeated cut-out motif, which breaks up sound waves enough for privacy yet avoids the coffin effect of sealed panels. The plywood and felt combination soaks up echoes in studios or coworking bays, but the open pattern means you can see the room breathe: sunlight moves, you catch a glimpse of stems in an urn, you feel connected. It’s a simple move, but it makes a world of difference in how a room feels over a mug of coffee or a late meeting.
Practical lessons from the workshop floor
We tried a few years back to make screens with tight, tiny perforations, thinking more holes meant more sound control. That backfired: the panels warped in the moisture of Durban’s air and the acoustic felt wouldn’t bond reliably through so many small cuts. It’s not just about making holes, spacing and shape matter. Too many or too few, and you change how the panel bears weight or lets air pass.
Now, we use a motif inspired by dry Karoo scrub, cut with gaps just wide enough to let air and light move. A CNC router makes crisp openings in 18 mm birch ply, then we back the panel with 6 mm wool felt. The felt sits snug, so it won’t sag or peel in the heat, but the motif keeps the screen from becoming a dust trap. Brass-tipped feet add stability, especially when someone knocks into it with a bakkie-load of samples or kids barrelling through a foyer.
Mistakes we’ve seen and how to avoid them
If you go too bold with the perforation, huge cut-outs, wild shapes, your screen loses strength fast. We once tried a version with big leaf patterns for a client’s stoep and it nearly snapped in two when moved. The right motif should balance negative and positive space: enough substance to stand upright, enough openness to feel alive.
Finishing matters just as much as layout. Without careful sanding, the edges scorch or splinter, especially where plywood layers show. Felt can pucker if glued while damp or pressed with too much force. We always let the panels acclimatise in the studio for a day, so there’s no twist or bow when they’re set up in a Joburg winter or a hot Lowveld afternoon.
- Don’t crowd perforations, leave enough ply between cuts for stability.
- Use wool felt for longevity and sound absorption, not recycled PET that goes limp.
- Always finish cut edges to avoid splinters, especially around hands.
- Test the screen upright before delivery to catch any flex or bowing.
- Let the whole piece rest in its new environment before final fixings.
Screens that work with South African light and air
The Karoo Screen was designed to work hard in our climate. In Cape Town, the southeaster can rattle a flimsy object, but a well-weighted, open-pattern screen keeps shape without toppling. Perforation lets the breeze move, preventing that stuffy feeling you get with solid dividers. In Durban, the perforations make sure the felt dries out after a sticky day, so there’s no musty odour building up in a braai room.
We prefer motifs that echo local flora: not just for looks, but because the shapes borrow from forms that have survived our toughest weather. The Karoo pattern, for instance, is both geometric and organic, which means it diffuses sound without leaving strange shadows or dark spots. You get a screen that’s practical, tactile, and never just a slab in the corner. If you have questions or want to discuss a custom motif for your project, send us an email at atelier@creationafrica.co.za.
Where to go next
See the Karoo Screen specs, then the install notes. For a full room brief, the Interior screens or Cowork partition studio pages walk through a visit week. Finish samples live under finishes, and you can book a sample hour at a showroom.