Most people nowadays, especially those living in studio apartments in cities, are forced to settle in smaller spaces. Sometimes, the bedroom, living room, and kitchen even share the same area. While it can be a challenge to manage your home when you only have one room, there are many creative options to divide your small house without taking up too much valuable space. Here are some examples:
1. Use a bookcase as a room divider
Since one of your goals is to maximize space in your home, the better solution is to use practical items. Placing a bookcase perpendicular to a wall will allow you to have a divider and a valuable storage space in one. If you simply want to lightly divide the room, get an open shelf bookcase. If you prefer a firmer division, use a bookcase with a back panel, and cover the back with decorative wallpaper to make it seem like a real wall. The bookcases don’t need to be as tall as the ceiling, but for the sake of achieving the illusion of having an extra room, go for taller ones.
2. Use a clothing rack as a divider
If you happen to rent a studio apartment with ample closet space, you’re lucky. But most people don’t have that “luxury.” When you use a clothing rail, place it in a strategic area that can divide your room. This is best for dividing your bed area from the living room area or simply as a separator to create a dressing room space. Place your frequently used work clothes in there for easy access, and send your seasonal clothes to storage.
3. Place curtains
Everywhere you look, there is clutter. There’s no private, secluded area just to focus. If these describe your place, you need curtains. Curtains are not just good for windows, it’s also great for creating multiple zones by just taking up millimeters of space. If your apartment doesn’t have a bedroom door and you want to physically separate your sleeping area, add a curtain that covers your bed. You can even create other private functional areas, like a reading nook with a comfy seating and small bookshelves. Place the furnishings besides the wall and simply install a rod or a wire by the ceiling so you can hang a curtain to keep the area secluded. Also, if you have too many open shelves by the wall and you have no time to sort their contents out, conceal it by using curtains.
4. Get a space-saving bed
One innovative way to save space is to get a space-saving bed. You may either get a Murphy bed or a bed placed near the ceiling by lofting it. Either way, you can use the valuable space that is consumed by the bed for other purposes, like for a living or dining area. Plus, it looks beautiful and impressive.
5. Hang pendant lamps
Since you make use of lighting anyway, why not use it for another purpose as well, such as visually dividing a space? A string of pendant lamps (three or more) can create a visual barrier that can separate your kitchen from your dining area or couch. Not only does it save floor space, but it also adds ambiance to your home.
6. Use a screen
A screen is a classic tool to separate space. It’s light and easy to move, plus it is very flexible. Foldable shoji screens are common – they can separate almost any area while being a decoration in itself. If you prefer a more modern division, get a screen fitted with mirrors. Mirrors are known to reflect and make space look larger than it really is. When set by a window, the screen can also reflect more light inside, adding to the illusion of spaciousness.
7. Let your couch act as a divider
Besides the bed, the couch is one of the main, largest furniture a house can have. It’s also one of the first things that catch one’s attention when entering a house. Placing it strategically can make it serve as a divider as well. When placed perpendicularly to a wall, it can easily separate the living area from the dining area or kitchen. It can also be set at the foot of the bed, to create a visible division between your sleeping quarters and the living area.