Floor to ceiling room divider with door

This eclectic living room designed by Montreal-based Les Ensembliers feels open and airy, thanks to the large windows, high ceilings, and bright white paint. The printed drapes, dark coffee table, navy geometric rug, and mural folding screen with a black backdrop ground the space to prevent it from feeling one-dimensional.

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How do you divide a room without construction?
What can I use instead of a room divider?
What is the cheapest way to divide a room?

Forget drywall—one of the easiest ways to define space in your home is with a simple yet stylish room divider. Whether you are looking to create privacy or designate spaces for different activities, a divider might just be the small space decorating solution for you. It can help you carve out a dreamy bedroom in a studio apartment, a reading nook in a cozy living room, or a home office in a bedroom, all while giving the illusion of more square footage. Even better, when you go the DIY route, it can be cheap to create and install.

The possibilities for personality-filled materials to use in your room divider are endless, from salvaged windows and thrift-store folding doors to fabric, rope, chicken wire, plywood, and even macrame and succulents (one of many indoor plants that warm up a living space!). Many divider designs get their next-level look with a simple coat of paint too. Now for 21 room divider ideas to inspire you to create one of your own. Get ready to start DIYing!

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1 High-Gloss Rolling Doors

Your space will shine bright with this DIY room divider featuring a thrift-store folding door that’s been upcycled with a coat of glossy white paint. Casters make it a cinch to maneuver.

Get the tutorial at In My Own Style.

SHOP HIGH-GLOSS PAINT

Interior designer Liz Morrow built this slat divider to define separate areas without making her living space feel closed off. "I love how it allows the light to come through from the large windows in the dining room, but it still gives the living room a cozy feeling," she says.

Get the tutorial at Liz Morrow Studios.

4 Floor-to-Ceiling Rope Wall

rope wall dividing two sunny white rooms with a golden yellow chair and sunburst mirror in background

5 Salvaged Window Room Divider

salvaged window with white grilles used as a room divider in a black, white and grey room with vintage decor

Bring charm and history to your space with a salvaged window room divider. This one is super simple to DIY: Install two eye bolts on the window as attachment points, screw corresponding eye bolts into a ceiling beam, and hang with wire or chain. The window will delineate separate spaces while still letting light flow through.

See more from this room at Snazzy Home.

boho room divider idea made from green and white patterned fabric hung on a pvc pipe frame on wheels

Put your old curtains or fabric scraps to work with a tutorial that’s both fun and easy to follow. This brightly patterned screen does double duty by dividing spaces and bringing color and personality to your home.

Get the tutorial at Kootut Murut.

SHOP MARIMEKKO FABRIC

7 DIY Wood Folding Screen with Acrylic Light Panels

3 panel stained wood frame with opaque white inserts used as a room divider in a sunroom

Wendi Wachtel / H2OBungalow

If you're handy, try this project from blogger Wendi Wachtel. She built the wood frame from scratch, then inserted opaque acrylic light panels to provide a visual screen that doesn't block light.

Get the tutorial at H2OBungalow.

8 Ikea Frosted Glass Sliding Doors Divider

frosted glass room divider used to partition off a sleeping area in a modern white apartment with pop art mural

Turn your studio apartment into a one-bedroom with this clever hack of . This frosted glass door offers privacy without sacrificing sunshine.

Get the tutorial at Ikea Hackers.

3 panel natural wood folding screen with macrame inserts that could be used as a room divider

Another genius Ikea hack uses parts of a popular pine storage system to craft a wooden folding screen. Dress it up with macrame for an on-trend, boho chic look.

Get the tutorial at My French Twist.

SHOP MACRAME CORD

modern wood frame room divider with plywood square inserts cut and stained to create geometric patterns

This striking DIY room divider is made using only a stack of humble plywood and 1×2 lumber. Its six-foot-tall paravent design effectively partitions a space when needed and folds up in seconds for easy storage.

Get the tutorial at Ohoh Deco.

11 Gold Fretwork Room Divider

gold fretwork diy room divider in shabby chic home office with french country chair and table with repurposed sawhorse legs

This DIY fretwork screen features a geometric rectangular motif that is both classic and presently trending. Add instant glamour to your space by painting your screen a brilliant gold.

Get the tutorial at Remodelaholic.

SHOP GOLD PAINT

12 DIY Upholstered Room Divider

3 panel room divider upholstered in yellow fabric featuring a scrolling white and black pattern

This multifunctional room divider is padded and upholstered on one side for comfort and style. With one easy flip, it transforms into a chalkboard for jotting down notes and hanging fun pictures.

Get the tutorial at Effortless Style.

SHOP CHALKBOARD PAINT

13 Twinkling Branches Room Divider

diy room divider made from open white wood frames filled with branches that have been covered in twinkling lights

This is the perfect project for hunter-gatherer types. Twinkle lights and natural branches come together for a magical look that will awe your guests.

Get the tutorial at Mark Montano.

SHOP STRING LIGHTS

14 Floor-to-Ceiling Sliding Barn Door

white sliding barn door room divider leading to a pale blue green bedroom with soft pink details

Solve your open floor plan problems by getting in on the sliding barn door trend. This DIY project cuts down the usually high cost of sliding doors by using cedar fence slats.

Get the tutorial at Pretty Providence.

SHOP DOOR PULLS

15 Chalk Paint Louvered Room Divider

3 panel louvered folding screen painted robin's egg blue that could be used as a room divider

This DIY bifold door room divider is topped with robin's egg blue chalk paint for a charming, weathered look. Use it to section off an area or to create a makeshift dressing room in your bedroom.

Get the tutorial at H2O Bungalow.

SHOP CHALK PAINT

16 DIY Chicken Wire Screen

chicken wire room divider on a porch, with bundles of rosemary and black and white photos clipped on with clothes pins

If you love country farmhouse décor, then this is the project for you. This unique room divider is crafted from aged pallet wood and honeycombed chicken wire for a rustic look.

Get the tutorial at All Things Heart & Home.

SHOP CHICKEN WIRE

horizontal wood slates spaced 1 inch apart attached to two floor to ceiling poles to create a room divider

This wood-slatted room divider can be dressed up with pictures and plants for the maximalist decorator, or kept in its natural glory for the minimalist. Use this piece to divide two spaces, or even as a headboard.

Get the tutorial at Lady Explorer.

aqua and white striped folding screen used as a room divider beside a white upholstered and skirted chair

Confessions of a Serial DIYer

A thrift store folding screen gets a face-lift using pastel paint and patterned stencils. Use it to sanction off a crafting corner or dressing area.

Get the tutorial at Confessions of a Serial DIYer.

SHOP STENCILS

two piece room divider made from a pair of folding doors covered in hexagon patterned white wallpaper

This neutral geometric DIY room divider is made from folding doors covered in hexagon-patterned peel-and-stick wallpaper. Check your local Habitat for Humanity or other architectural salvage yard for salvaged folding doors to make this a penny-saving project.

Get the tutorial at The Handyman’s Daughter.

SHOP HEXAGON WALLPAPER

beaded curtain room divider

This simple, graphic beaded curtain gives a retro nod to the '60s and '70s while staying modern. It’s made using oversized Styrofoam balls and acrylic gesso for added texture.

Get the tutorial at Design Love Fest.

SHOP STYROFOAM BALLS

hanging succulent wall room divider

22 Yarn-Woven Rattan Room Divider

yarn woven room divider

Separate work from play with this rattan room divider with DIY woven yarn details. The best thing about this idea is that it’s very simple to customize: You can create any design, shape, or color combination you like! The divider can even pull double duty as a place to display favorite photos or artwork; just clip the pieces onto the yarn using gold binder clips.

How do you divide a room without construction?

6 Ways To Separate a Room Without Building a Wall.

Curtains. Using curtains as a partition is a simple technique to segregate portions in a room. ... .

Screens. Screen dividers help divide a room without entirely closing it off. ... .

Glass Partitions. ... .

Bookcase Divider. ... .

Artificial Wall..

What can I use instead of a room divider?

These room dividers are ideal for situations where you want to simply and quickly transition between sectioning off and opening up your space..

Folding Screen. Rikki Snyder. ... .

DIY Folding Screen. Courtesy Helen Hou-Sandí ... .

Curtain. ... .

Barn Door. ... .

Simple Sliding Door. ... .

Wood Divider Screen. ... .

Bookcase. ... .

Bookcase with locking wheels..

What is the cheapest way to divide a room?

One of the most inexpensive ways to divide a room is to use curtains. You can use curtains you already have or make ones from canvas, sheets, and curtain liners. With so many inexpensive rods in different shapes and sizes, you can put up an artistic and practical divider in little or no time.