Room Dividers

Despite the suggestion in their name, room dividers are not used as boundaries to shield off different rooms – rather they are intended to separate one room into different sections. Traditionally, room dividers would have been used in women’s bedrooms to shield the women while they were dressing, with many modern period dramas utilising room dividers as a way of showing how upper class women would stand behind the divider while their maids dressed them.

The top uses of a room divider

Essentially, the original idea of a room divider is that it provides some form of privacy without having to leave the room completely, whether allowing an intimate space to change, hiding a certain part of the room, or even concealing unsightly storage.

Nowadays when we tend to include dressing rooms as part of our home designs, room dividers provide more of a benefit across open plan spaces – allowing the user to compartmentalise a large open space and break it down into living areas without the need for walls and doors. For example, using a room divider you can very quickly turn a large entertaining space into a smaller and more intimate dining room for a small dinner party.

Another primary use of a room divider is to provide a cosy feel, especially in the wake of a room which is too large for the furniture in it. The power of a room divider is that it can quickly section off part of a room and bring the walls inwards to mimic more of a welcoming feel.

And then there are those homes which employ the use of a room divider simply for aesthetic purposes – searching for those dividers which make a real statement in their structure and design.

The top designs of popular room dividers

Watch any period drama and you will see that the room dividers gracing their homes are generally created with a concertina structure which is easy to open up and then fold back down so that, when not in use, the divider can store away without taking up much room. Thanks to this innovative and practical design, concertina room dividers are still wildly popular across modern homes, though the market has expanded to include those items which can become more permanent fixtures in living spaces and large rooms.

Some of our favourite room dividers actually do not provide full concealment – preferring instead to offer a divider style wall which resembles a cut out pattern, from the intricately detailed floral designs to straight cut horizontal lines which reflect a more contemporary style.

Other types of room divider include cabinet style dividers, bookcases, plant walls, geometric shapes, plain wooden slats and TV units – all available across different retailers due to their incredibly diverse structures and styles.

How to decide what type of room divider works best for you

Firstly, how thorough does the divide need to be? That is, are you happy with a structure which indicates two separate spaces but is see-through and doesn’t block any views, or do you need a full obstruction of light of view?

Once you have determined what function your room divider needs to serve, consider the designs which will best compliment your space, from block colours to intricate patterns, modern finishes and unique styles. Check out online blogs and articles and see how other homeowners have chosen to separate their living space. A little inspiration could be all it takes to help you turn one large room into a series of welcoming sections which each serve their own purpose.