Multi-use Spaces: How to Divide a Room With Style

Sometimes it's necessary to bring some visual separation to your space. Perhaps you're living in an apartment with less square footage and need to create two rooms or separate your bedroom from your living area.

An ideal solution is with a room divider, but how to do this with finesse and style while retaining a spacious and pleasing aesthetic?

Room dividers are not necessarily structures. There are clever ways to create a temporary divider while offering designated functions within a room.

How do you divide a room easily?

The best room dividers are those that blend seamlessly into your decor and don't necessarily look like a room divider as such.

The trick is to provide a subtle change as the eye roams a room to determine how a space functions, particularly in an open floor plan and studio-style apartments, where one room is a multipurpose space.

Bringing zones to your open-plan spaces works just as well for large areas as it does for smaller rooms. There are simply different ways to do it.

How can I divide a room without walls?

With numerous creative ways to divide rooms, it's down to your personal decor taste and what will work best from a practical perspective.

Use the natural light for living areas and keep the corners and darker parts of the room for say, a bedroom area.

A neutral colour palette will help with a seamless integration from one space to the next. By keeping walls light and bright, you'll offer the perception of spaciousness. This will also keep your options open to add pops of colour and be able to utilise the walls for artwork and more.

1. Clever furniture arrangement

Separate spaces and create a room divider without an actual structure. When an open plan space moves from kitchen to dining to living, it's easy to arrange furniture that will visually divide a room.

Place a sofa facing away from the kitchen, say, toward a fireplace or window, with an accent table behind it, which can indicate separate rooms and functions.

An open-plan floor design is a popular interior trend where the kitchen, dining room, and living areas share the space. With thoughtful planning, furniture arrangement is possibly the best budget-friendly option to designate room function.

2. Floor rugs

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Another great visual room divider idea is with area rugs. Create a living area within your space with a rug.

A lush sheepskin will add instant luxury and warmth to a room and with seating arranged in a welcoming layout, you'll have a dedicated space that functions as a living room. Texture and depth can help delineate your areas and what better way than floor rugs.

Create a conversation area and consider introducing items like a sheepskin shaggy bean bag and stone sets for a more interactive and interesting way to 'zone' your room.

3. Open shelving unit

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Not only does this offer extra storage space it can also create a central focal point and add interest. Floor-to-ceiling shelves can house books, plants, photos, and favourite decor pieces while functioning as a room divider.

Be sure to secure open shelves and freestanding units for obvious safety reasons. Metal l brackets attached to a wall stud are the safer way to go here. The side of your shelving will attach to the stud.

With the use of storage units, you can also hide some clutter for a more streamlined and clean aesthetic. Bring in matching baskets or organisers and arrange them accordingly on the shelves

4. Accent wall

This works well for a dining area and large open-plan living spaces. An accent wall doesn't have to be limited to one painted colour, although that's what we usually visualise when thinking of a feature wall.

Create a photo gallery wall, fix a slatted wood frame above a dining table and make a living wall with herbs and plants.

Get smart with mirrors, which are excellent at offering the perception of additional space. If strategically placed opposite a visual room divider, your areas will be well defined.

5. Folding screen ideas:

Folding screens have come a long way from the flimsy, mundane concertina-style of days gone by. They provide all the benefits of a temporary wall while offering a visually appealing room divider.

Folding or hinged wooden partitions can add warmth to a room, offer extra privacy for a sleeping area and hide an office in a living room corner.

Room dividers can be made from things like wardrobe doors to create an instant sliding door that can partially conceal another room function. Ikea has excellent options for this (and many more room divider ideas). This is a great solution for a half wall.

A barn door style with large rustic hinges and runners might be the perfect room divider for your farmhouse home decor style.

6. Fabric screens

This type of screen might seem a little temporary or DIY-like, but it's an effective and budget-friendly way to divide a room. Hang curtains or make your own from your favorite fabric.

Fabric choices like canvas will hang nicely and can handle anchor points at ceiling height and floor level to secure in place.

Get creative and go boho with some cotton rope and sheer fabric so that light will filter through while still offering separation.

This kind of screen is a wonderful opportunity to put your personal stamp on your home interior decor and build something that speaks to you and reflects your personality.

How can I make my open-plan room more cosy yet stylish?

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With a multi-purpose open space, a good rule of thumb is to declutter and be organised. Be sure that everything has a place.

Bring in luxurious fabrics and textiles, like sheepskin, to throw on your sofa. Keep the colour scheme to a monochromatic visual that will allow you to bring in bright warmth through artwork and other accessories that you just can't do without.

What can I do with my small studio apartment?

Room layout is an important factor here. Defining spaces within one area can be tricky. If you're in a larger studio, consider installing a pocket door or sliding option to close off your bedroom at the very least.

If this is not possible, a freestanding screen and open storage units will work just as well. Again, consider items like rugs and techniques like furniture arrangement.

Studio walls are great real estate in small-sized homes and can also act as storage. Think vertical and go high to avoid visible clutter and excess at eye level. Utilise the area under your bed, and better still, install large drawers to store items in.

In conclusion:

Creating and defining certain areas within your home can make your space feel bigger, brighter, and more useful and effective for the needs of your household.

Don't be afraid to try things it might take a few tries to get things perfect and that's fine. Trial and error is a big part of interior design and home decor.

Do your research and plan. Pinterest and Instagram have excellent ideas for visual inspiration - use these resources!