Room Dividers

Segmenting a room into more than one living or entertaining space can be one of the easiest decorating tasks, creating "rooms" within a single room. This popular practice is often done with room dividers, either permanent or mobile structures that can be as low as a couple of feet to as high as the ceiling.

The First Room Dividers

Historically, the Chinese used the first room dividers as early as the third century B.C. These folding screens were made of paper or wood. Wooden screens often had intricate painting applied to them depicting stories. Each panel held a self-contained story or image and was secured with leather ties and heavy metal hinges.

The Japanese screens of yesterday were not just decorative, but highly functional. They were used for tea ceremonies, Buddhist rites, and backgrounds for cultural exhibitions. These screens were valued for their mobility and were built to fold in either direction.

For centuries, the art of screen making evolved and collectors all over the world valued them for their beauty and function. The Western screens of Europe and later America became an amalgamation of both the Chinese and Japanese screens and several cultures today contribute to the art of screen making.

Variety of Room Dividers

Similar to the original Chinese and Japanese screens, today's screens and room dividers can serve several purposes at once. Double-sided dividers can be decorative on one side, and functional on the other. Bookcases, pegboards, and photo displays can be used as a room divider. Even draped fabric can be hung from the ceiling and be used as a romantic room divider. Open dividers such as bookcases and display shelving are especially great for small spaces since the see-through aspect of the shelving allows for light and air to circulate throughout the room.

Different Dividers for Different Rooms

Customized room dividers can be created to reflect the room that they are in. They can also be customized to be functional as well. Room dividers separating the kitchen from the dining area can have cubbies installed to house linens or bar items. Open shelving dividers can display glassware or serving pieces. Closed-shelving dividers can house items used in the dining area on one side and kitchen tools and cookware on the other.

Room dividers such as screens are often used in the bedroom as a subtle way to separate sleeping quarters from a changing area or bathroom. They are also great for hiding a storage area in a bedroom without encroaching on an otherwise peaceful setting.

Economic Necessity

As the cost of renting and owning housing and living spaces continues to increase in price, more and more people are opting for alternative living spaces such as lofts. These open living spaces require room dividers to maintain some semblance of privacy without sacrificing style. Many modern furniture styles such as modular cater to these alternative living spaces and incorporate room dividers in many of their lines.

By Sophia Markoulakis