The Best Room Divider

Buying Guide

As open-plan concepts have taken over both residential and commercial real estate, people have found themselves longing for the privacy found in past design trends. While many homes feature plenty of privacy in the bedrooms and bathrooms, open living areas are all the rage. In fact, in many houses, the living room and kitchen are joined, offering fewer places for household members to escape for a little “me time.”

But sometimes, a wall is exactly what you need. If you can create privacy zones, you can enjoy the benefits of an open-plan home while keeping your household members comfortable. You can do that in the way you arrange your furniture, but if that isn’t an option or you need something a little more tangible, a room divider can create a visual divider. Best of all, when you’re finished, you can fold it up and store it.

Another great use for room dividers is to hide a messy area from houseguests. If you’ve set an area aside as a home office or simply to do paperwork, a room divider lets you cover that area as needed. The same can work in reverse. A room divider can come in handy for those work videoconferences. Set it up as a background to keep eyes off the interior of your home.

It’s important to note that most room dividers are designed to set one area apart from another visually. If you’re looking for soundproofing, you might be disappointed. Thick curtains can provide more sound insulation than other types, so consider that if you’re looking for some peace and quiet.

Occasionally, you’ll need to clean your room divider. Different material types come with different cleaning requirements, so it’s important to look into the construction of your divider. Cloth-based dividers like curtains can likely be washed, but if your partition is wood, you’ll probably need specialized cleaning material.

• Unless you intend to keep your partition in place full-time, make sure you have a place to store it. Check the dimensions when folded up and measure the space ahead of time.
• In addition to letting you tuck a panel in to shorten it, accordion-style room dividers can be bunched up and expanded to fill exactly the width you need.
• Pay close attention to the height of any room divider you choose. You may want to make sure it conceals the tallest person you expect to have in your house.
• Most room dividers are designed as visual blocks. You won’t get the sound insulation you’d get from a permanent wall.
• Barn doors can be another way to close off areas that need to sometimes be open. This can be more expensive, however, and require a more intensive installation process.
• Wall dividers can be great to create a changing area in a room. You’ll only need to place it far enough from the wall to keep you comfortable while you’re changing clothes. Best of all, you may be able to hang some items from it.
• For non-permanent room divider options, also keep in mind portability. You’ll have to be able to fold it up, but it also should be lightweight enough for you to carry it around.
• If you opt for a lighter option, make sure your room divider is sturdy enough to remain in place once you’ve set it up.
• The room-facing side of your divider can be valuable real estate, depending on the style you choose. You could hang pictures or other decorative items from it to liven up your space.
• Some room dividers can be painted to match your décor. Look for a material that’s paintable. Woods and fabrics can be painted. Plastics aren’t quite as easy to paint, but you can find specialized paints if you want to go that route.