Close-Up: Need a Wall, Not a Problem

The open floor plan is all the rage in lofts and loft-like apartments these days...

Rather than see everything all the time, some apartment dwellers have chosen to creatively break up the space.

Using either a see-through bookcase or a solid backed bookcase, these inside out hosts have created visual barriers that are beautiful as well.

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Comments (12)

where is that bookcase in the picture from?

Wouldn't you have to make sure to keep your bookcases looking neat in this case? Mine always look like a wreck.

frontierperson ~ i believe they had that made.

Those green filing cabinets make me feel all warm inside.

what is that amazing serving tray in the last picture...I want, no NEED, it now....

Another really great room divider is Ikea's often-suggested Expedit bookshelf. It's finished on both sides and when fully constructed (but left unhacked) it has 25 square shelves of available storage space. So you could use a few shelves on one side, a few shelves on the other, and still leave a few open for a see-thru effect.

To cover the "unsightly" side of your stored/displayed items, you can fill in the opposite side of a used square with a 14-inch square picture or block of complementary color on stretched canvas.

I love the faux brick boxes--very nice!

ElizabethR, I've recently gone from "catch all" bookcases to ones that I'm not ashamed to look at. I implemented a few techniques to make this happen:

1. At appropriate intervals I have an intentional, nice looking horizontal stack of books on some of my shelves. This provides a nice bookend for any open shelves I have. The second surprise benefit is that I now have an appealing place to put books that I just received, am in the midst of reading, want to give away, etc.
2. I have large linen boxes on either the bottom shelf or on top of the bookcase (depending on the bookcase) for putting crap.

jess2nola, i believe that serving tray is from urban outfitters. If not that exact pattern, I am sure you can find something similar.

I've got two of the Expedit bookcases and I absolutely love them. They create a bedroom area at one end of my studio without blocking the natural light that comes from the only window. As for what to do with the unsightly side...while a typical bookcase is around 10 or 11 inches deep, the Expedit (and many of the more upscale alternatives) is 16 inches deep. You can easily do two rows of standard 9x6 hardcover books, spines facing out on both sides.

expedits are pretty nice...I used to use one for combined books-and-clothes storage. Beyond the messy factor, my sweaters really liked to slide off.

Now I use this Thomas O'Brien shelf from Target to designate areas in my studio. It's awesome, especially for 240 clams.

http://tinyurl.com/29fxs3

thanks 335ktt...but I want THAT one...