7 Ways to Partition Your Home Without Building Walls

These partitioning ideas will not only help maximise floor space but also bring in lots of style to your interiors

Rashmi Haralalka 1 June 2017

Houzz India Contributor. I am a blogger who's passionate about not just home decor but little things around that to the aesthetic appeal. It could be your own kitchen garden or even just sprucing up the lights in the doorway. And it's amazing how these minuscule items add up to the bigger picture. Writing and sharing these is my idea of rejuvenation therapy!

Houzz India Contributor. I am a blogger who's passionate about not just home decor... More

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Open floor plans give a spacious feel to your home but they can take away privacy. Setting up rooms within a room with partial walls, fabric dividers, open shelves and other innovative ways can create an intimate atmosphere, giving visual and, sometimes, auditory isolation. Here are ideas on how to divide a room without a wall. Bring in dividers that still maintain a sense of openness.

Moriq

1. Accentuate with screens
Screens help create a room within a room while adding to the aesthetic appeal. In this space, Moriq Interiors demarcates the dining space with wooden slatted screens, which let through light, views and foot traffic. The screens can be swivelled shut to segregate the dining completely when required.

This is an ingenious wall partition design for the living room in an open-plan living space for the when you want a little bit of privacy for both dining area and the seating zone.

TouchWood Interiors

Instead of wood, you can also consider using metals or fibreglass. You could even get a green thumb (your own or hired) to grow a living green wall, or an one of those cleverly made imitations one can’t tell from the real thing without touching or smelling. TouchWood Interiors has used a bamboo (faux or real?guess!) screen to create a division between the dining area and the foyer.

Tip: Want to avoid the inconvenience of installing permanent screens? Go for classic portable ones of carved wood or etched glass.

So you don’t have a separate living and a dining space? Here are ways to create partitions

BarlisWedlick Architects

2. Isolate with curtains and blinds
A no-fuss way to isolate areas in an open floor plan is to use curtains for partition. For a quirky twist, use bead curtains instead of fabric ones, as shown in the image. Bead curtains create a semi-private barrier that blocks the view but one can walk through. The beads can be made of glass, plastic, bamboo or even acrylic.

S A K Designs

Louvres (blinds or shutters with movable slats) can very effective in shielding the view. The pleated ones here, by SAK Designs, can be pulled down to divide the interconnected spaces of the living room or rolled up to expand the space.

Tip: Try wooden blinds; they will bring a touch of sophistication and warmth to your home.

See how other homes have used partitions

Simon Maxwell Photography

3. Open shelves
Dividers such as open shelves can enhance the aesthetic appeal of a room and also let light through. You can leave some shelves bare to ensure visibility and display your artefacts or books on the others. Doing so gives the illusion of a bigger space while sectioning off two zones.

Jo Cowen Architects

4. Fixed or sliding glass partitions
This translucent glass partition doubles as an interior window and is framed in grey to be in sync with the rest of the furniture. The floor-to-ceiling divider gives a clear view of both the kitchen and the living room. One can also install a sliding door partitions that can be pulled shut to block out kitchen noises and fumes.

KAMAL PREET

5. Set up a counter
While I like to huddle with my family at mealtimes, I do want to keep the area off limits when I cook and channel my inner Masterchef. Designer Kamal Preet goes for a kitchen island to draw an soft boundary around the space while maintaining connectivity with the rest of the house.

Shabnam Gupta

6. Delineate with levels
Setting up distinct boundaries between zones by varying the floor levels can also help divide a space. The step-down living area by The Orange Lane segregates the lounge from the rest of the home. Besides differing levels, the Morroccan-inspired motifs and the wood-and-glass partition further visually demarcate two separate zones.

Tip: Worried about accidents if someone misses a step? Use different floor colours to separate the step-down area.

Prachi Damle Photography

7. Define zones with sectional sofas
Sectional sofas can also be used to play the role of a partition in a space. The white L-shaped sofa in the image carves out the seating area from the rest of the living room. It’s a fantastic way to allow the flow of conversation and views.

Read more:
How to Ace Open Plan Living in India
How to Make Open Kitchens Work in Indian Homes

Tell us:
What are your ideas for temporary room partitions? We want to know. Share in Comments below.