Trends Watch: Room Dividers for Multi-Functional Small Spaces

The last two years have completely altered the direction of interior design and decorating. It was not an organic progression of previous home design trends. Instead what we got was a global pandemic that completely and radically altered the way we live, spend time in our homes, and in general, interact with the world around us. Suddenly, everyone not familiar with the basics of work from home started to frantically search around for ergonomic, minimal desks that made a difference. Healthier living, better ventilation, and multitasking interiors became the norm. And this has propelled smart room dividers to the top of the trends chart.

Artistic-room-divider-steals-the-spotlight-in-this-dashing-dining-room-and-living-area-72148 — Artistic room divider steals the spotlight in this dashing dining room and living area [From: Eddie Lee]

Smart-room-dividers-made-from-wood-slats-are-pretty-popular-in-the-modern-home-92797-217x155

Add-a-bit-of-greenery-to-your-home-with-a-trendy-creative-room-divider-23014-217x155

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Room dividers offer a great way to create a room-within-a-room without committing to a more permanent wall. They bring with them a world of benefits and many of us have been left searching for that ideal way to delineate space while still keeping the living area as open as possible. It is this search that has led us to these fascinating and ingenious room dividers along with a few tips that we are sure will help our readers in making the right choice.

Finding the One You Need

The trickiest part about adding a smart room divider is finding one that exactly meets your needs. And this is much easier said than done. For starters, you want the divider to fit in with the style and textural appeal of the room it adorns. Then you want it to fit into your decorating budget and the balance between the two can be hard to strike. We often believe that when it comes to clever and functional room dividers that can multitask, bespoke creations are the best option. You can talk to a local craftsman or even architect to get the right one and in a material of your choice.

Elegant-and-minimal-bookshelf-in-wood-is-just-perfect-for-the-open-plan-living-area-and-neatly-hides-the-kitchen-88160 — Elegant and minimal bookshelf in wood is just perfect for the open plan living area and neatly hides the kitchen [From: MusaDesign Interior Design]

Foldable-shutters-act-as-versatile-roomd-dividers-in-any-compact-setting-35927 — Foldable shutters act as versatile roomd dividers in any compact setting [From: Houzz]

Small-industrial-dining-room-and-living-area-is-separated-by-reclaimed-wooden-windows-partition-76274 — Small industrial dining room and living area is separated by reclaimed wooden windows partition (From: Houzz]

Multifunctional Room Dividers

It does not really take a design expert to figure out that in a world where homes are becoming office spaces, school classrooms and recreational retreats, all at the same time, you need areas that can multitask with ease. And this is where the versatile room divider comes in handy with endless options to choose from. Few of the most popular include open wooden bookshelf dividers in the living room, double-sided fireplaces that serve both the living area and the dining at the same time, half walls with ample storage space, custom glass enclosures with wine storage facility and even in some rare cases woodsy walls that conceal a single-wall kitchen on the other side! Those are just a few of the many options to choose from depending on what your needs are!

Room-divider-between-the-dining-area-and-kitchen-made-with-horizontal-wooden-slats-also-acts-as-the-kitchen-wall-25638 — Room divider between the dining area and kitchen made with horizontal wooden slats also acts as the kitchen wall [From: Hsu McCullough]

A look at the woodsy room divider from the kitchen side with slim floating shelves [From: Hsu McCullough]

Stunning-contemporary-wine-cellar-acts-as-a-partition-between-the-dining-area-and-living-space-68036 — Stunning contemporary wine cellar acts as a partition between the dining area and living space [From: David Marquardt Architectural Photography]

White-bookshelf-dividers-the-small-bedroom-from-the-living-space-inside-the-tiny-studio-apartment-30576 — White bookshelf dividers the small bedroom from the living space inside the tiny studio apartment [From: Corynne Pless]

Contrast and Style

Sure, your room divider can double as a bookshelf or can hide a fold-out desk that creates a cool little workspace in the living area, but what about the aesthetic aspect of it all? One of the more popular room dividers these days is the simple installation using wooden slats. The vertical wooden slat room divider is the ore popular one, but we do not dissuade you from trying out the horizontal ones as well. The choice is all about a sense of height in the room and optics. This divider also adds textural contrast to the setting and occupies almost no space at all while still allowing light to pass through.