Smart Room Divider Ideas To Optimize Your Indoor Spaces

Room divider ideas continue to flourish as more people are spending time indoors than ever before. Interior space division is predicated on walls and floors. Meanwhile, the cornerstone of a room divider is organization. 

Although a general term, a room divider refers to more than just the classic three-panel screens. If you’re not familiar with the latest modern styles, we’ll show a few examples that will inspire your next room makeover. 

Room Divider Ideas

Partition screens are used to divide spaces and hide storage items. In the above example, a three panel divider hides bathroom towels and clothes. Such dividers are appealing to those who live in small spaces and studio apartments. According to Christiane Lemieux, founder of the Inside, “They can separate a bedroom from the living area in a small apartment or they can act as a decorative storage area to hide junk or clutter.”

Types Of Room Dividers

When thinking in terms of room dividers, there are generally 4 different styles. These include:

  • Hanging: This separation style is made of fabric or paper products and can be interlocked according to size.
  • Folding: A simple division design that can be used with little to no installation. Unfortunately, their simplicity comes at a cost, as they are not very versatile in terms of size.
  • Permanent: By connecting a visually pleasing construct to your wall, ceiling, or floor, permanent dividers can offer you the privacy you need with a touch of flare.
  • Sliding: Like the hanging separators, sliding partitions allow you to have the privacy you want when you want it and vice versa.

Turn Everyday Items Into Room Dividers

Turning regular household objects into creative room dividers is cost-efficient. Listed below are a few ideas that work in most indoor settings.

Bookshelf Divider

16 Piece Book Shelf
mihomes

If you have an 8-piece shelving unit that could use repurposing, combine and customize them by adding cute trinkets and plants.

Stacked Window Frames

Framed glass divider
VGC NYC Inc.

Old window frames or 20-gallon fish tanks stacked on top of one another could make for a cool reading nook while dividing your bedroom area. 

Pillar Wrapped Bookshelves

Pillar Wrapped 4 Piece Bookshelves

Shelving is a basic component with all household storage spaces. Wide, narrow, long, short, flexible spacing, open or closed shelves, variable height, material cost are storage considerations. A shelf unit should be designed to fit your needs and located in a perfect place based on your needs.  

Double Sided Fireplace

double sided fireplace
Camber Construction

Did you think a fireplace could be a room divider idea? This is a great option if you like small fireplaces and live in a cold climate region. There are many ways you can keep your spaces warm, but an electric fireplace offers fast and efficient heating. If you’re looking to add a fireplace to your layout, consider buying one that can double as a room divider.

Vaulted Ceilings & Sheer Curtains

Cantero 4 Panel 70 Room Divider

Finding an effective room separator for vaulted ceilings can be a difficult task. Luckily, some long sheer curtains and a simple pulley system can go a long way.

Bookshelf Dresser Combo

BMA Architects

An entertainment system or stylish bookshelf dresser can turn a room into a trendy destination when you have the right divider.

11 DIY Room dividers 

The following are room dividers you can make on your own. 

Screen Dividers

Cantero 4 Panel 70 Room Divider

Building a room divider such as this one is pretty easy, especially if you prefer a simple design without extra decorative features and accessories. The three panels are made of plywood and the frame is made of wood trim pieces.

The other materials needed for the project include 6 hinges with screws, wood varnish, paint, nails, wood glue, and basic tools. Check out ohohdeco for more details.

Hanging Curtains

Cantero 4 Panel 70 Room Divider

Curtains are efficient and effective when you want a visual separation. They don’t offer acoustic insulation and they’re only meant to provide minimal privacy or conceal things. Check out heatherednest to find out how to make a curtain rod in just a few minutes.

Pipes And Plants

Cantero 4 Panel 70 Room Divider

Room dividers ideas also include greenery. You can casually and discreetly create a separation between the living room and the dining area using shelves and plants. You can build the divider using metal pipes and wooden boards and you can paint it to make it match the surrounding decor. This idea was featured on apartmenttherapy.

Jute Hanging

Cantero 4 Panel 70 Room Divider

When creating separate spaces in the same room, a DIY rope wall divider would help. In this example from the-brick-house, solid walls would make the space seem smaller and block your  light source. These rope walls create a nice visual barrier between the spaces without totally closing off the office.

Folding Screen Bamboo

Cantero 4 Panel 70 Room Divider

Make your project easier with a ready-made divider like this rattan example. This woven room divider was featured on sugarandcloth. Feel free to use yarn in various colors to create patterns and designs.

PVC Balcony Divider 

Cantero 4 Panel 70 Room Divider

If you want to, you can also transform a plant stand into a divider. A small DIY divider like this one would fit nicely on the balcony where you can use it to set up a little private nook or use it to block the view and get some privacy from your neighbors. Check out ikeahackers to find out how it’s done.

Wooden Crates

Cantero 4 Panel 70 Room Divider

Another cool idea is to stack a bunch of wooden crates and create a room divider that also doubles as a storage unit. You can use the crates as bookshelves or you can place planters in them. It’s a nice idea for a bedroom that has a sleeping area and also a seating or work area.

Old Doors

Cantero 4 Panel 70 Room Divider

These rolling doors look like a folding screen on wheels. Among room divider ideas, the casters provide an  interesting touch. The panel dividers are made of repurposed shutters, doors, and other things. Check out inmyownstyle for more ideas.

Window Shutters

Cantero 4 Panel 70 Room Divider

This project is from uttenreitherdesign. The wheels add flexibility and mobility, making it easy to open and close doors and create private spaces. If you want to set up dividers in your home, replace the walls and doors with rolling screens.

Bamboo Dividers

Cantero 4 Panel 70 Room Divider

If you want something casual, a DIY room divider that creates a clear barrier without being too invasive, perhaps you’d like the idea featured on ikeahackers. This is a bamboo divider that is easy to build and which can also be customized in all sorts of ways.

Mobile PVC Dividers

Cantero 4 Panel 70 Room Divider

The screen features on kootutmurut are also a cool idea for a room divider. The project is simple and the design leaves lots of room for customization. Use this opportunity to add some color or pattern to the room. Add casters so you can move the screen around.

Cantero Room Divider
Cantero 4 Panel 70 Room Divider

The Cantero divider is a three panel folding screen made of solid wood but its design is very different from the ones featured above. It’s simple and the four panels show different sections of the patterns, adding dynamism to the design.

The silver circle pattern is only applied on one side and the frame is finished on both sides. There are also three other color options to choose from.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What Is A Sneeze Guard Acrylic Barrier?

A custom fabricated barrier that functions as a preventative tool to safeguard against human contact. The acrylic guards help implement social distancing while maintaining physical separation among family members and employees.  

How To Clean Homemade Room Dividers?

No matter what kind of room divider you create, whether it’s cloth, wood, or bamboo, it’s going to get dirty. For homemade cloth dividers with removable fabric, a hand wash is recommended. If they are not removable you could go over the fabric, wood, or bamboo with gentle multi surface cleaner and a wet microfiber cloth.

What Is IEQ?

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) is used to describe the conditions inside a building. Factored into an IEQ rating are air quality, access to daylight and views, acoustic conditions, and occupant control over lighting and thermal comfort. How space is used also affects IEQ ratings. 

How Much Do Home Dividers Cost?

The cost is up to you. You can use a PVC kit and curtains for under $20. You could invest in scrap wood for under $10 and a cheap macrame. The most expensive DIY on this list would be the bamboo steaks with lights. 

Do Room Dividers Block Noise?

Noise can be partially blocked and minimized with soundproof room dividers. However, they’re not like standard room dividers. You can use free-standing, curtains, wall panels, acoustic foam,  or glass partitions.

DIY Room Divider Ideas Conclusion

Now that you have a working understanding of room dividers, you should be able to make an informed decision on how to divide interior space. When creating a visual separation, use a divider that looks appealing.

The best room dividers not only give you personal space but also hide things in your living space you don’t want others to see. When a room is too big or too small, a room divider can help, and that’s the beauty of space dividers. 

A divider may consist of a simple folding screen, cloth panels from floor to ceiling, or a three-dimension unit for storage. With divider ideas, whether modern or retro, they are easy to set up. Partitions play double duty as they offer added decor and storage. Also, don’t rule out found objects. When you keep an open mind, beautiful things can happen.