The Room Divider: Room Zoning On A Budget
1st Mar 2023Posted by Alice Ewens on 1st Mar 2023
A well-placed room divider and strategic room zoning can make all the difference to open-plan living and you don't need to break the bank to do it well.
Open-plan living has been popular for a few years now but post Pandemic, our desire for more privacy and boundaries within the home have made room zoning and using room dividers a rising trend. Turns out, we don't always like living on top of each other or trying to do very different activities in one space. Plus, with the rising costs of living, many of us are downsizing to smaller apartments where it can be hard to carve out dedicated spaces.
Adding physical walls can make a small space smaller, not to mention the cost. So how can you create dedicated spaces for different life needs without compromising light, flow, space or bank balance?
What Is Room Zoning What's A Room Divider?
Room zoning is how we break up a larger space into smaller areas for different uses. Also referred to as 'broken-plan' as a reaction to the open-plan living trend. When you want or need to use a single room or space for different purposes, you can break it up into zones, and you can do this with strategically placed furniture!
What's A Room Divider?
A room divider can be anything that breaks your open space up into zones! It can be a folding screen, a static book case or even some low-level sideboards that split a room up into sections.
Using Rugs To Create Room Zones
One of the easiest ways to create defined zones in your space is to use rugs. A rug placed in front of a sofa, perhaps under a coffee table, creates a visual change. This will create a dedicated living area. Using different textures, colours, or patterns for different rugs can also help create distinct areas or zones in your space. Consider a rug under your dining table or a rug under your desk in a bedroom space.
Check out our 'Should You Out A Rug Under A Dining Table' blog!
@at_home_with_becks featuring our Jolene Navy Blue Velvet 2 Seater Sofa
Sideboards & Consoles Makes Great Affordable Room Dividers
Another budget-friendly way to break up your space is to add vertical dividers. Shelving and storage furniture is a great way to do this. For taller shelving, opt for open frame shelving without a back if you can to still let light through and avoid making the room feel small. Lower level sideboards and console tables also act as great room dividers behind sofas.
Using Plants & Mirrors As Room Dividers
Another way to add vertical boundaries in an open-plan space is with plants and tall floor mirrors! Plants are very on-trend in interior design and can add calm and nature to your room. A tall leafy monstera, smaller ferns on an open frame shelving unit, a full living plant wall or just a few hanging plants can create some gorgeous room zoning that softens harsh straight edges. Adding in some reflective floor mirrors will help a space feel larger.
@isa_luiza27 featuring our Hima Gold Large Arch Wall Mirror
Breakfast Bars & Barstools As Kitchen-Diner Dividers
A breakfast bar can add that physical break and transition in your room that create distinct areas. You could put your more formal dining table on one side, and keep all the cooking and utilities on the other side of a breakfast bar. Couple with some bar chairs for informal dining or even workspace and you've created a dining room 'zone' within your open-plan kitchen-diner that can help the space feel more cohesive and defined.
@busylittlelea featuring our 2x Pesaro Mustard Yellow Velvet Counter Stools Black Legs
How Do You Do Yours?
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