Homeowners who want to create niche living spaces, add storage areas to their home, or experiment with clashing decor can easily segment rooms with room dividers. Folding screens, bookcases, and wooden slats can turn one room into two with just a little planning. Read our guide below for 20 different room divider ideas that can transform your home.
Open-And-Close Room Divider Ideas
Open-and-close room dividers allow for simple transitions between sectioned-off and open spaces. They offer visual privacy, but do not block sound.
Pro Tip: Suzanne Felber, an interior designer based in Dallas, Texas, advises: “Think of screens as temporary walls. They can completely transform a space without your having to spend a fortune on remodeling.”
Below are some popular options.
1. Folding Screen
Folding screens, staples of Asian design, are simple, lightweight, and attractive. They’re available in many styles, such as translucent shoji screens and opaque fusuma screens. A basic four-panel folding screen costs $20–$50 at your local big box store. Folding screens are also extremely easy to move and fold.
Pro Tip: Rich from This Old House’s Arlington project advises: “Colors, wood size, wood pulls – aluminum pulls” are all customizable options when selecting dividers. He notes that even budget-friendly laminate versions can achieve a designer look at a fraction of the cost.
2. DIY Folding Screen
Create your own folding screen by stapling fabric onto hinged panel frames. This do-it-yourself project allows you to match the screen to your decor perfectly. Remember to mount hinges on alternating sides so you can easily fold the screen up.
3. Curtain
Partition your room easily with curtains. Simply suspend a rod from the ceiling and use rings or hooks to attach drapery panels. Velvet curtains add drama, and gauzy fabrics generate a lighter ambiance. Curtains are especially useful for sectioning off sleeping areas in studio apartments or guest suites. They’re also easy to change out and clean.
Canvas curtain dividers offer another practical option. In one basement renovation, homeowner and interior decorator Elizabeth Willett hung a soft canvas room divider beside the fireplace, allowing air, light, and traffic to flow between the office and living areas while maintaining visual separation.
4. Barn Door
Barn doors have become increasingly popular as room dividers, and you can install one with a DIY kit from your local hardware store for less than $200. You can also build your own with guidance from home improvement experts. These doors add a rustic charm to your room, and are firmer barriers than curtains. You can paint or stain them to match your modern or traditional decor.
Pro Tip: When considering a barn door installation, think about your wall space. As seen in a recent This Old House project, the homeowner wanted privacy between their bedroom and bathroom. The expert noted: “You have a great usable wall right here for it. And the kits they have now nice large doors with the black iron hardware on it. It will really go along with that industrial look that you have.”
5. Simple Sliding Door
Create a modern sliding door frame with two-by-twos, attach Masonite sheets, add wheels to the bottom, and hang the structure from a plumbing pipe that you’ve attached to the wall. This option is a perfect complement to contemporary and industrial styles.
6. Wood Divider Screen
Wood divider screens offer a natural, warm aesthetic, and you can customize them to reflect your personal style. Store-bought options can be less than $200, but you can create your own model for less by using plywood sheets and lumber. Building a wood divider screen as a DIY project allows you to tailor the size and finish to your preferences.
Storage Room Divider Ideas
Consider a divider with storage space if you need more room to store your belongings. These dividers are usually larger than other types, so they can muffle sound more effectively than simple flat panels.
7. Bookcase
Repurposing a bookcase as a room divider is simple and effective. Place the bookcase so that it’s perpendicular to your wall instead of flush against it. Secure the bookcase using metal L-brackets that you’ve attached to wall studs, and anchor the bottom to prevent tipping. You can also buy or build bookcases that feature stabilizing feet. You can use bookcases as storage for books, decorative items, and other essentials.
8. Bookcase With Locking Wheels
A bookcase with locking wheels is an especially flexible option, and is best for larger spaces such as lofts or basements. This mobile solution allows you to easily reconfigure your space as long as your room has hard floors.
9. Tall, Wide Bookcases
Consider using tall, wide bookcases for extra privacy and storage. Place two units back to back to create storage on both sides of the divided space. This arrangement is ideal for storing books, displaying decor items, or organizing office supplies. Tall bookcases create a cozy, enclosed feeling in open areas.
Pro Tip: When architect Barbara Bestor designed floor-to-ceiling bookcases for her home office, she discovered that simple construction could achieve stunning results. “I needed complete coverage on a minimum budget,” she explains, proving that effective room dividers don’t require elaborate schemes.
10. Cubbies
Cube storage units, or cubbies, are unimposing, and divide floorspace without crowding your room. You can use cubbies to store toys in a playroom, display collectibles in a living area, or organize supplies in a craft space. Cubbies’ modular nature allows you to easily customize them.
11. Headboard
A headboard with built-in shelving can divide your bedroom and serve as an aesthetically pleasing storage solution. This dual-purpose piece can separate a sleeping area from a dressing area or home office, and adds space in which you can store books, decor, and personal items.
Pro Tip: Architect Mark Reilly, who designed a minimalist canopy bed with built-in bookcase headboard, explains: “The bookcase serves as both headboard and backdrop, providing storage for extra books, reading glasses, and decorative objects. The fixed shelves mimic the rectangles formed by the bed, the bench, even the beams overhead—creating an airiness that suggests a larger space.”
12. Open Shelving
Open shelving units create physical divisions that allow light to pass through. You must properly anchor this type of furniture for safety, especially in homes with young children, or those that are in earthquake-prone areas.
13. Columned Room Divider
A columned room divider can add architectural interest to your space and direct traffic flow. This type of divider works well in entryways or between living and dining areas. You can add low shelving to your dividers within which you can store items such as keys or mail. Use columns to define rooms without blocking natural light or movement.
Pro Tip: Christopher Beidel, owner of Pernt, a handmade-furniture company in Brooklyn, New York, recommends: “A columned room divider creates an architectural feature that will gently redirect foot traffic while providing extra storage for books or even boots.”
Best Room Dividers To Let in Light
Room dividers made of linen fabric or wooden slats offer less privacy than other types, but they are frequently the most visually attractive, and offer an open, airy feel. These are most ideal for small spaces because they make rooms feel larger and more connected.
14. Macramé
Macramé, a textile made of knotted rope, can serve as a uniquely beautiful room divider. This bohemian-inspired option adds texture and interest to your space, and you can incorporate air plants into its weaving to bring a touch of nature indoors. Macramé dividers add a handmade touch to your room.
15. Linen Fabric
Hang a piece of sheer linen fabric to divide your room in a simple, elegant way. Choose a neutral tone for a subtle effect or a bold color to make a statement. Create hems at the top and bottom of the fabric into which you can insert rods for hanging and weighting the fabric. Linen fabric adds softness and a natural look to your space, and creates visual interest without overwhelming the space.
16. Wooden Slats
A slatted partition made from wooden boards offers a modern, architectural look. You can control how much privacy and light your room gets with this DIY-friendly option. Use straight, high-quality lumber for a polished look, or embrace the character of imperfect boards for a more rustic aesthetic.
In a 1989 This Old House project in East Otis, Massachusetts, builder Sobon created a striking “timber screen” room divider using vertical members of oak, red maple, white birch and American beech. The homeowner, Kathleen Williams, described living with the multi-wood screen as “spiritual.”
17. Wooden Blocks
Create a unique and eye-catching room divider with chunky wooden blocks, which combine form and function. This divider solution offers a warm, organic feel with a modern twist. You can arrange wooden blocks in different patterns to add a unique and artistic touch to any space.
Best Room Dividers for Salvagers and Upcyclers
Consider the creative room dividers below if you enjoy repurposing objects you find in yard sales or other markets:
18. Folding Screen Made from Doors or Shutters
Transform a discarded door or shutters into a one-of-a-kind folding screen. You can stain or paint the panels, or leave them in their original condition, depending on your tastes. Connect the panels with hinges to create a flexible, movable divider that adds character to your space.
19. Tree Branches
Make a room divider out of fallen tree branches to bring a touch of nature to your indoor space. Extend the branches from a sturdy base, and add stones at the bottom for a more natural look. Intertwine the branches with fairy lights for a whimsical touch. Tree branch dividers are eco-friendly and add a natural, organic element to your decor.
20. Old Window Frames
Repurpose old window frames to create translucent room dividers. You can suspend these from the ceiling or connect them with hinges to create a freestanding screen. These glass panes can separate a room into smaller areas without blocking light. Old window frames add vintage charm to your home.
