How can I use a room separator creatively to divide spaces in my home?

Sunita Vellapally Sunita Vellapally
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Most modern Indian apartments and houses have an open-plan layout. While this makes the entire area look spacious, there are times when one feels the need for privacy. A room separator is an excellent idea to partition spaces within an open plan into smaller areas where one can relax, eat or sleep without disturbances. The best part is that unlike building a dividing wall that not only costs a lot but also blocks the natural light in the area, room separators are cheap and flexible so that one can move them around easily or even fold them away to bring and openness to the area.

What are the advantages of room separators?

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· They are an easy way to divide spaces to make them more private or cosy.

· They aren’t expensive. One can easily find cheap room divider options such as curtains or blinds. Additionally, it is not a labour intensive project. One can even buy a screen or undertake a DIY project to install room separator curtains or panels.

· They offer flexibility in the interiors as they aren’t as permanent as a wall and one can shift them around or remove them to open out the area.

Disadvantages of room separators

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· While they serve the purpose of dividing the area into smaller rooms, not every type of separator provides privacy.

· For instance, room separator shelves without a back panel allow views into the area through the shelves.

· Similarly, they don’t cut out the sound that travels freely between the divided spaces. Unless one uses the right room separator design, it can look out of place if it doesn’t blend with the rest of the area, causing it to look awkward.

It’s best to consult an interior designer for ensuring that the room divider matches the overall design style of the area.

What are the different types of room separators one can use to divide areas?

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One can find a range of room dividers in different materials, styles and colours. It’s good to be aware of the different options to find the solution that’s best suited to a room.

Curtains

Room separator curtains are the simplest idea for dividing a room. Installing them on a track on the ceiling provides the flexibility of drawing them to separate two areas only when one needs to do so. At other times, it can be left open. The decision on whether to choose sheer curtains or thicker textile will depend on the amount of privacy one requires in the area and the natural light within it.

Bookcases or shelf dividers

Among the room separator ideas, which one often sees in homes nowadays, are book cases or shelf partitions. Their advantage is that they are functional as one can use them to store books or accessories. A bookcase or shelf is more permanent than a curtain as one can’t move it easily. Instead of a bookshelf, one can also install a wardrobe as a room divider.

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Sofas as room separators

If the main intention is to create smaller rooms within a large hall, without prioritizing privacy, then a large sofa can work well as a living room divider between spaces. It won’t block the view into the adjoining area but will serve as a guide to where one room ends and another begins.

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Freestanding panels or screens

These focus on providing privacy to an area. One can find them in a range of materials, including plastic, wood and metal. They can be solid or latticed to filter light from one area into another. Similarly, one can choose between fixed or foldable options.

Sliding doors as room separators

While they are a more permanent solution than foldable screens, curtains or even bookshelves, sliding doors work well for partitioning spaces. What’s more? One can choose between glass sliding doors that don’t block natural light or solid uPVC doors that provide complete privacy.

Get more ideas for including sliding doors in your home.

What materials can I use for room separators?

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It’s essential to consider the requirements that one expects from the space as well as the budget before deciding on the material that is ideal for room separator design for your house. One can even mix more than two types of materials to create the divider.

Wood

Installing a faux wall comprising wood panels is a quicker solution that building a brick and mortar wall. Additionally, one can include glass panels within wooden frames to ensure that the brightness of the room doesn’t suffer. As a material that’s easy to work with, one can use it to create decorative wooden screens that are partially see through, bookshelves or even wardrobes. Natural-wood partitions are beautiful, making them perfect for bedroom or living room dividers but they cost more than other materials such as plastic, PVC and MDF.

Get inspired by these amazing ideas for wooden partitions.

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WPC

For those who like the look of wood for the room separator, but have a small budget, Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) is a cheaper alternative. It resembles wood but is much easier to maintain as it’s not prone to warping and is water-resistant.

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PVC

PVC is versatile as it comes in a range of colours and finishes to suit almost any design style. The high-quality versions of these plastic room separators look classy and are so well-finished that it’s hard to believe it’s made of plastic.

MDF

Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) is another cheaper alternative to wood. By coating the surface with a laminate, one can replicate the look of wood or any other material.

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Metal

Like wood, metal is another versatile solution for a room separator. From a solid metal sheet panel to cutout screens or hanging dividers, they can bring ample style to any area.

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Textile

For room separator curtains, one can use anything from sheer fabric to thicker textiles. For a glamorous partition, bead curtains are a charming alternative.

​How much does a room separator cost?

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The prices of partition panels or room dividers can vary depending on their design, dimensions and the quality of the material used. For instance, wooden panels can range from INR 55 per square feet to INR 250 per square feet. Decorative designs with handcrafting can work out more expensive. In comparison, WPC is approximately INR 180 per square feet, whereas MDF is much cheaper at INR 60 per square feet on an average.

When using metal for a room separator, aluminium is the cheapest option. It can vary in between INR 35 per square feet to INR 180 per square feet for fireproof variants. Stainless steel is one of the most expensive options for a partition at around INR 1500 per square feet.

Plastic room separators made of PVC range between INR 75 to INR 225 per square feet.

How do I choose the right room separator for my home?

With the variety of options of materials and  styles to choose from, it’s not easy to decide on the perfect one. That’s why we recommend consulting a professional who can understand one’s requirements, assess the area that needs the partition to get an idea of the passage space and lighting, present the various alternatives and help to finalise the design that is best suited to the room.

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