How to: Makeshift Bath Dividers

Because of space limitations and based on housing arrangements, two or more people may have to share the same bedroom without a lot of awareness of privacy or person space. Houses typically don’t have built-in room dividers for making massive rooms smaller or more private, and adding a wall to divide a room is not normally a practical choice. Creative furniture placement and hardened bedroom dividers can give each room sharer her own space, and the dividers can be moved or removed as desired later on.

Bookshelves and Big Furniture

It is possible to divide a bedroom without changing the room itself in any manner by adding a single or several large freestanding bookshelves. A massive bookshelf can reach close to the ceiling, providing an almost wall-like room divider. Several bookshelves may be placed end to end to lengthen the makeshift wall or back to back so each half or part of this room has its own space for storing books, electronics and decor. A vintage hutch or large entertainment center cabinet may also serve as a viable bedroom divider while providing space for lights, decor or storage.

Shoji Screens

A shoji display or folding display — the hinged, accordion-style decor similar to accordion closet doors — doubles as a room divider. More than one can be utilized in case the space is large. Cover the display areas with a roster of cork to provide pinup space for room sharers to hang artwork and notes. A small base made from boards at either end of the display aids the viewing stand up constantly, preventing it from being knocked over.

Curtains

An expansion curtain pole spanning a small room may suffice for hanging a real curtain between room halves or sections. For much more substantial support, a curtain track attached to the ceiling may be used for hanging a curtain. Ceiling hooks mounted in either end of the room on the ground or wall provide more ways to hang a curtain; utilize either a curtain pole via the hooks or roping tied to each hook. Heavy curtains provide more solitude, keeping visibility of the other hand to a minimal. Sheer drapes allow visibility during the material, while providing a sense of division between the bedroom spaces.

Beads, CDs and Homemade Art Dividers

Beads on a string, or beaded drapes, can divide a room area. True beaded drapes provide a little bit of an artsy flair to your room divider; homemade beads made from the poles of metal cans, bottle caps or rolled magazine pages, connected on strings to create ropes of beads, add some quirky interest. Columns of aged compact discs with holes punched at either end, attached to clear line and hung from the ceiling, make interesting hanging room dividers.

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