4 min readThere’s an unmistakable beauty that sunlit stained glass has. That’s why it’s a showstopper feature in any home or historic building. But if you’re not an art collector or custom glasswork isn’t in your reno budget, there’s another way to get that look at home. Enter: the centuries-old Korean art of pojagi that’s getting a new life in commercial and residential projects.
Pojagi refers to a Korean textile technique, traditionally used as a wrapping cloth for gifts and other goods. In the home, though, it’s most often used as window curtains as a partition. It keeps the same semi-sheer, warm feeling that other linen curtains have, but it has a patchwork quality that sets it apart. It adds a one-of-a-kind textural element that’s not as overwhelming as patterned drapes.
“Korean culture is kind of a culture of craft,” says designer Cathie Hong of Cathie Hong Interiors. “There are a lot of textile artists, and a lot of handmade goods and handmade ceramics. So pojagi brings in more of that Korean handmade element that I think just adds more interest. It feels like a modern take on a traditional thing that's been around for many, many years.”
Pojagi curtains are made using a double-seam and wrapping technique that encases your raw fabric edges. The finished product is reversible; there’s no “right” or “wrong” side of the piece. This creates border lines around more translucent color patches, which is how you get that stained glass look when light pours through.
Textile artist Shaadee Mae creates pojagi curtains by commission for clients, and no two curtains are the same. She frequently works with dead stock or gifted fabric, turning scraps into something beautiful. “It's sort of like this flow state,” Mae says. “It feels very improvisational, very organic in that sense, which is really freeing.”
Pojagi excels as a window treatment, but that’s not its only application. It’s a versatile art, whether you have the time and money to commission something more intricate or just need to use a few large rectangles of fabric. “It could be drapery, it could be a room partition,” Hong says. “A lot of times it's actually just even framed as artwork.”
If you seek out pojagi for your own space, you’ll find that it’s mainly custom-made—it's not something that's intended to be mass-produced. That one-of-a-kind, handspun quality makes it feel very special.
You can even commission a piece that incorporates materials that evoke family memories. In the above post, Mae shows off a pojagi curtain she made that included vintage fabric from a client’s personal history. The lacy, embroidered tablecloth pieces were incorporated into the project for a one-of-a-kind, gorgeous curtain.
Even in commercial projects, pojagi can create a very homey feel. When Korean American chef Deuki Hong reached out to Cathie Hong for the design of his cafe, Sōhn, he wanted to transform an industrial loft into a warm, soft space. Cathie Hong is Korean American and frequently travels to Korea in the summer. Upon seeing pojagi curtains all over the bakeries she went to, she thought it was a perfect fit for Sōhn. She worked with Korean textile artist Yejin Shin to make colorful curtains that made the homey atmosphere come to life, as a tribute to Korean cafe culture.
One of interior designer Jessica Helgerson’s favorite projects incorporated pojagi curtains throughout a Central Park West apartment. She commissioned textile artist Wonju Seo to create three unique pieces, each suited to let the light in a different room in the home.
“Our client was Korean American and was eager to have her Korean heritage represented throughout the apartment,” Helgerson says. “Though the front rooms look out onto Central Park, the sides of the apartment are quite close to the neighboring buildings. We wanted to let in the light while filtering the very compromised views, and this traditional Korean textile tradition felt like a perfect solution.”
So, how would pojagi fit in your home? Well, if you’re looking to honor Korean design heritage, or you just want to have a one-of-a-kind feature that celebrates the imperfect and the ephemeral, it’s a great pick. It offers an option to those who want to add subtle color to their homes without having to do something as expensive as repainting an entire wall or getting custom glasswork done. It’s much easier to switch out when you’re ready for a new look, too.
Just note that for a true pojagi piece, you’ll likely need to commission an artist to make one, but it’ll be completely unique to your space.
