As open-plan spaces became more desirable, so did the concept of making them multi-purpose. Fortunately, room dividers offer a simple, stylish way to make your home more flexible, allowing you to designate areas for different activities—or just carve out some privacy. You can tailor these partitions to best suit your needs and lifestyle. Read on to explore 23 ways to divide and conquer beautifully!
Open-And-Close Room Divider Ideas
These room dividers are ideal for situations where you want to simply and quickly transition between sectioning off and opening up your space. Note that these dividers will add some visual privacy, but they won’t do much to block sound.
Folding Screen
A hallmark of Asian design for centuries, folding screens are simple, lightweight, and attractive. These room dividers hinge together three, four, or more panels that may be translucent (known as shoji in Japanese) or opaque (fusuma). A basic four-panel shoji screen can be had for about $100.
DIY Folding Screen
DIY a folding screen by stapling a favorite fabric onto hinged panel frames.
Tip: When attaching panels, mount hinges on alternating sides so the screen can fold up. (Check out this blogger’s supply list for specifics.)
Curtain
For instant space partitioning, call on a curtain. Suspend a rod from the ceiling and use rings or hooks to attach drapery panels. Think velvet for drama or go gauzy for a lighter look. You can pull closed for privacy or open for spaciousness. Curtains are perfect for sectioning off a sleeping area in a studio apartment or mother-in-law suite.
Barn Door
If a curtain feels too flimsy, jump on the trendy barn door bandwagon, which you can often DIY from a kit for under $200. Or build your own with guidance from This Old House’s Mark Powers.
Simple Sliding Door
For a simpler sliding door project, make a frame out of 2-by-2s, nail or glue on Masonite sheets, add wheels to the bottom and hinged loops to the top, then hang from plumbing pipe attached to the wall.
If you’re up for a more complex project, opt for bifold or hanging accordion doors. Often used in commercial or professional settings like meeting rooms, accordion doors suspend from an overhead track but eschew a floor track to avoid a tripping hazard. They’re typically manufactured from vinyl, laminates, wood, aluminum, or acrylic.
Wood Divider Screen
Wood divider screens start at around $200, but you can DIY one for less with three sheets of 16-inch by 64-inch plywood and, for the frame, a dozen pieces of 3/4-inch-by-2-inch lumber — half of them 16 inches long and the rest 6 feet long.
Build the frame, attach the plywood boards (painted in your preferred shade), and hinge together.
Tip: High quality hinges add stability and look nicer too, so don’t skimp! (Go here for full instructions.)
Storage Room Divider Ideas
Some spaces—like a shared children’s bedroom or makeshift home office—will benefit from a partition that includes places to put things. Additionally, large dividers filled with books or toys will muffle sound better than simple flat panels. These ideas fill the bill.
Bookcase
Any bookcase, set perpendicular to a wall instead of flush against it, becomes an instant room divider. Just be sure to secure it for safety: Attach metal L-brackets to the top of the bookcase and a wall stud, then drive a few screws through the side of the unit into the same stud. For further insurance against tipping, anchor the bottom.
Bookcase With Locking Wheels
A bookcase with locking wheels affords utmost flexibility, especially in larger spaces like a loft or basement. Just roll and lock the bookcase where you want to separate the space today, and move it to a new location tomorrow. This solution works much better on hard floors than on carpet.
Tall, Wide Bookcases
The bigger the bookcase, the greater the privacy. Set up a tall, wide pair, back to back, to create storage on both sides of the divided space for books, toys, knickknacks, etc.
Cubbies
Go low with cubbies (a.k.a. cube storage) to delineate a border on the floor while maintaining open space above. Cubbies are remarkably versatile, suitable for anything from easy-to-access toy storage to a home for valuable display items.
Prefer to build your own cubbies? This Old House’s Kevin O’Connor shows how in an easy family project tutorial using simple square cuts and basic assembly and finishing.
Headboard
A high-profile headboard with shelving on both sides can delineate a sleeping area while offering useful storage.
Open Shelving
Open shelving physically divides a space while allowing in some light and offering lots of versatility. Depending on shelf size, you may even be able to install a flat screen TV on a swiveling base. Just like with bookcases, anchoring is the key to safety, especially if you have young children or live in earthquake-prone areas. Get some tips from the U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission.
Columned Room Divider
DIY a columned room divider for your home’s entranceway can direct incoming traffic toward a particular area. As shown above, you can also include some low shelving for items you like to keep near the front door. While you’ll need some solid mitering skills to build this attractive piece, our tutorial takes you through the process step by step.
Best Room Dividers To Let in Light
Some spaces—such as an exercise or meditation area—call for a floor-to-ceiling partition that also lets in light. These dividers offer the least privacy, but they provide some visual space differentiation while still preserving a feeling of openness.
Macramé
Tie one on! Create a hanging room divider with the macramé, the art of knotting rope to produce textiles. (Check out this blog for a how-to using 700 feet of cotton rope.) You can add air plants to subtly invoke a more natural environment or make larger hanging holders for potted plants.
Linen Fabric
For simplicity and elegance, suspend a piece of sheer linen fabric. Go with a barely-there neutral to suit any décor or choose a bold shade, like this red, to make more of a statement.
Stitch a hem at the top and bottom and insert a rod in each, one to hang the divider from the ceiling and the other to add just enough weight so it won’t waft too much in a breeze.
Wooden Slats
If you’ve got a pile of wooden boards in your workshop, why not turn them into a slatted partition—simply a row of boards with gaps every few inches. Straight, high-quality lumber yields sturdy results, but imperfections can be part of the partition’s charm.
Tip: Make gaps caused by bowed or warped lumber less obvious by spacing them wider apart.
Wooden Blocks
Let the building blocks of style set your place apart—literally and metaphorically. This designer used chunky beech squares and rectangles to fashion a double-sided partition to separate a den from a dining room. The effect is warm and organic, yet modern and chic, and with solid construction it’s a lot more stable than the Jenga game it channels!
Best Room Dividers for Salvagers and Upcyclers
If you’re always ready to remake found objects or yard-sale steals, consider these space-sculpting projects.
Folding Screen Made from Doors or Shutters
DIY a folding screen using discarded doors or shutters as panels. Stain, paint, or keep in as-found condition depending on your decor, then install hinges to connect panels.
Tree Branches
Bring a sense of the outdoors in with a room divider fashioned from fallen tree branches. Insert branches (birch looks particularly beautiful) to a secure base, adding stones at the bottom to enhance the natural look, or twine with twinkling lights for a fairytale forest feel. If you gather your own tree branches, make sure to thoroughly clean and finish them before bringing them inside.
Old Window Frames
Give old window frames a new life as translucent room dividers. They can hang from the ceiling or rest on the floor, hinged together as a screen.
Our Conclusion
The right divider for your space will depend on the amount of space you have and the degree of privacy you need. Consider whether you want light to pass through it, whether sound muffling is important, whether you need additional storage space, and whether you want to construct and install the divider yourself. Use the ideas above as starting points to create room partitions that fit your style.