25 Genius Room Divider Ideas to Maximize Your Space
Think glass partitions, wooden slats and DIY folding screens.
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From studio apartments to spacious abodes, open-concept floor plans make an interior feel larger and brighter — but they also lack privacy and a sense of separation between rooms. Whether temporary or permanent, clever room divider ideas help create the illusion of distinctive spaces. Picture a glass partition between the kitchen and dining room, a folding screen in a bedroom corner or wooden slats serving as a living room wall. Not only can room dividers transform a space, but they often serve as a statement piece or architectural feature.
Invest in an antique design, hang Japanese shoji screens or install an artful glass partition. Looking for a DIY idea? Build your own wooden slat wall, use curtains in place of a bedroom wall or weave a hanging macramé divider. Rely on creative room dividers to makeshift an office wall, create a headboard or forge a hallway. No matter your home style, we've rounded up design inspiration that'll improve your space.
Space Out Wooden Slats
Create division between a staircase and living room by installing warm wood slats vertically, just as Maestri Studio does here. Place them ½ inch or a full inch apart, depending on how much transparency you'd like between the spaces.
Try Glass Partition on a Half Wall
A glass partition ensures a seamless flow from kitchen to dining area in this cozy bungalow designed by Four Brothers Design + Build. The glass creates a sense of separation, while also keeping the rooms connected.
Hang a Macramé Divider
Partially enclosure your home office with a playful macramé divider. With a roll of cotton cord and wooden dowel, this knotted divider is easy to make yourself.
Paint Wood Slats Black
Create contrast in a bright living room by installing black wood slats in an entryway, like this setup from Kaminski + Pew. You can even use wood slats to create a hidden door, so you can move around the house with ease.
Arrange a Rattan Screen
A decorative screen introduces a pop of warmth and texture in an empty bedroom corner. It also provides a private space for dressing!
Mix Materials
Take note from Kaminski + Pew and rely on a combination of wooden slats and frosted glass partition to create a wall between two rooms. The glass allows natural light to flow between the two rooms but doesn't forgo privacy.
Make a Hallway
Block off a living room with sky-high tinted glass partitions. This way, the sofa won't look like it's floating in space, and a clear hallway is created.
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DIY a Woven Divider
Personalize a simple rattan or bamboo screen by weaving the slots with yarn of various colors. Try a mix of vertical and horizontal strands to create more visual interest.
Install a Decorative Glass Partition
In this modern interior, Maestri Studio doesn't settle for a basic glass partition. Here, glass panels with geometric designs separate a wet bar from the rest of the house.
Hang Curtains Around the Bedroom
To forge a bedroom, blogger Brigette Muller hangs curtains in an archway of her railroad-style apartment. Not only do they soften the space, but they ensure there's a quiet and private area to rest.
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Put In a Freestanding Fireplace
Place a modern double-sided fireplace between two rooms, which instantly elevates both spaces while also creating a degree of separation.
RELATED: Stunning Fireplace Decor Ideas That'll Make Your Home Chic and Cozy
Build Modern Wood Slats
Turn a few 2' x 4' boards into a sleek room divider. This blogger includes six inches between each board, but you can do more or less depending on your space.
Opt for Rolling Wood
A tambour screen sets a dramatic mood in this city apartment designed by studio CAK. Depending on your daily needs, this wooden screen can be rolled and readjusted to open or close a space.
Weave in Artful Glass
Designer Elizabeth Metcalfe shows how a simple doorway can be transformed into something delightfully new with the addition of a basic screen panel.
Rely on Louvered Panels
To divide an office from a living room, designer Vicente Wolf installed a room divider constructed of minimalist louvered panels. Painted a bright white, the panels also help to brighten up the open space.
Hang Shoji Screens
For a serene and minimalist office, Gemma Parker Design opted to cocoon the walls in Shoji screen details. These room dividers are normally used free-standing in Japanese abodes.
Turn a Screen Into a Headboard
A wood room divider stationed behind a floor-skimming bed brings instant sophistication to this bedroom designed by Form + Field. This concept works exceptionally well in a studio apartment, if you'd prefer your bed to stand out.
Take an Artist Approach
Artist Angela Crusciaki Blehm deconstructed a room divider into two separate panels to frame an abstract of her own making and a sleek slipper sofa. A coat of white paint lends the dividers a plaster-like, postmodern vibe.
Decorate a Bedroom Corner
If you have extra space between your nightstand and wall, consider doing as New York City firm Mendelson Group did in this haven-like bedroom, and install an artful screen.
Makeshift a Door
Intricately carved folding screens, fashioned as doors, give this Texas living room designed by Wills Design Associates an elevated, bespoke feeling.
Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is the associate lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she wrote for publications including ELLE Decor, Chairish, BobVila.com, Unique Homes Magazine and LODGING Magazine, in addition to crafting product copy for home brands like BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.
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