Small Space Solution: Use Curtains to Divide

A friend of ours just moved into a pretty small studio and wants to have her bed, a sitting area, a place to play music and then room for books and media without it looking like a closet crammed to the gills with stuff. Also there's really not space to use a bookshelf as a divider. It's a tall order but we think (thanks to this example) that with a curtain divider sectioning off a 'bedroom' she'll have the feeling of more space:

We love this idea of hanging one drape along a side of the bed. It doesn't have to be a giant floor to ceiling curtain to give the illusion of a separate sleeping nook. Found this image from dnaisjustcmyk.

For a seamless and less cluttered look in a small space, consider using hospital track to hang your divider. It will ensure that you can sweep the curtains open easily when you want to, and they'll hang evenly all the way from the ceiling. Image is from commendaces. For more info on hospital track systems, check out this post.

You can also go the route of just giving the illusion of a doorway by adding curtains to either side and leaving an opening. Also love the natural linen look of these dividers. Found the image on apartmentsasha.

And if you have a minimal space and want to try something a little bit more design-y, take a look at these cool magnetic curtains that could be used as dividers.

Comments (6)

I've always thought curtains as room dividers looked really cheap and kinda sad.

You can use fabric as a skinny room divider, but I'd recommend stretching it over a frame of some kind and affixing that to the wall and/or ceiling. Or, those fabric panels on sliding tracks that IKEA sells might also make a nice, inexpensive alternative . . . one that doesn't make half of your room resemble a shower stall.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/range/10374/13289/

Other skinny room divider ideas include translucent plastic screens mounted to the walls or on tracks, or similar screens made out of paper or metal. You could even use reliable do-it-yourself standbys like hollow-core or closet doors.

posted by sunspot42 on April 16th 2009 at 11:49pm
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Mm...love that black iron canopy bed. Any idea where it's from?

posted by Sunfall77 on April 17th 2009 at 12:06am
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The apartment in the top photo remains one of the best small spaces I've ever seen on AT.

posted by Kathryn on April 17th 2009 at 7:26am
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thanks kathryn :)

posted by lcatt on April 17th 2009 at 7:46am
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Does anyone know who makes that gorgeous tufted couch?

posted by katieclaire on April 17th 2009 at 11:52am
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looks like the petrie sofa from crate and barrel:

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=931&f=6643

posted by lcatt on April 17th 2009 at 12:33pm
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