apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Something that 2 of my neighbors have done is to put the Ikea Expedit up as a dividing wall in their studio between their living area and their bed.

Plus it doubles as a book shelf (with plenty of room for books on both sides) and allows light through

There was a cool post on AT recently where someone creatively used sliding doors from Ikea to create a semiopaque wall to divide a studio bedroom. I'll post the link if I find it.

I love the compression walls that TheLivingSpace builds in NYC apartments. Does anyone know of anything similar in DC? I feel like that would be the closest way to get a look similar to the Atlanta condo pictured above in my question.

Or if anyone knows how to build an even similar half-wall? One that only goes halfway from the floor to the ceiling and it doesn't need to cross the entire apartment floor length - perhaps only half of it. Thanks!

Drywall and wood or metal studs is all it takes to build a wall. You can buy the stuff for less than $500 at Home Depot.

I have a studio with a similar layout to yours, except the right half with the closet is already partly separated as a bed alcove. I am building an open bookcase covering half the opening that will divide the rooms without shutting them off entirely and create much needed book storage space.

There was a great one in last month's issue of Interior Design Magazine. Sadly, I can not find a photo online to link you to, but if you have the issue, or know someone that does, check out the loft space they have featured. I believe this site also has something for 700 on their classifieds list but that is over your target price.

Though the raw materials to build a wall are cheap, I'm guessing the process of doing this in a co-op would take additional fees (deposits and such). Not to mention code issues.

I second the curtains.

another idea would be to take raw canvases or stretch your own, or fabric stretchers (use 2" pine, very inexpensive) and use copper, black, or galvanized pipe for the stand and use pipe straps to secure to canvas from the top and then use various connector pieces then secure to the ground. I did this in my attic as well as at my shop. Canvases at home and for floor to ceiling curtains at work.

I couldn't find the AT post, but here's the (very long) product link for the tempered glass sliding doors at Ikea. The glass will let sunshine through and they just happen to be exactly $500. :)

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15597&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=42695&langId=-1&categoryId=15857&chosenPartNumber=50073843

AT Chicago had a pretty good bit on using curtains as dividers. Click on my name for the link.

Just Fyi -

This apartment is in Atlanta at the Metropolis condo building on Peachtree Street in Midtown. There are about 600 units in this building of two towers, and many of the one bedroom floor plans feature walls like this. If you craigslist atlanta real estate and search "Metropolis" you will find a number of units for sale with pictures. There are many more buildings like this in atlanta done by the Novarre group: Spire, Element, Twelve and a few mmore i cannot remember. very interesting use of space.

makes me miss atlanta a little!

Here's the actual listing on Craig's

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/rfs/204151414.html

I know this will turn many folks off, but the idea is what I'm talking about: Christopher Lowell did a show decorating a Manhattan style loft space and made a platform bed with attached dividing wall. If you got a great carpenter, this idea could be turned into something special. Click on my name to see the idea.

The discussion around half-height walls got me thinking - has anyone ever tried using office cubicle components for these types of applications? Obviously they are often very homely, so I'm curious about whether anyone has been able to fix them up, etc. I would imagine used ones could be brought pretty cheaply.

hoppekat - that's the only Christopher Lowell show I've ever liked. I've always thought that was a neat idea.

Jackie, is this the one you are referring to?

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2006/06/divide-and-conquer.html

It can be found on the ikeahacker blog, under Vince's sliding door room divider.

Aimee,
That's it! Thanks.

Just want to correct my earlier post and note that after clicking through the Ikea page, it looks like the prices actually vary bit around the $500 mark ($425-$600) depending on the size.

How about string curtains in combination with the hospital track?
Look at the photo gallery at http://www.decorfil.it/english.htm to get an idea of the effect. It's cheap, transparent and rather elegant too.

I also just bought a condo in DC that is just a little bigger and something I did that makes the space feel larger is i downgraded to a twin sized bed ( yes, i know, it sounds shocking but it's worked out FINE ) and got a really cool daybed from westelm.com. It looks like a couch in the normal day to day and i constantly get 'where's the bedroom'. So my apt. just looks like a big living room -rather than a tiny living room and tiny bedroom - and feels much more spacious because of it.

I feel very out of step with most of you. I have a very nice 20'x20' studio and I use a sofabed. I know it should not be used every night but I have done so for ages. Different sofa beds tho.

There was no Apt.Therapy when I bought my furniture. I did not want to cut up the space, there had been the frame of a Murphy bed but I did not wont to loose the use of that wall.

I am really proud of my apt.
Thanks for all your help. I got a partial refund from a salesman who was bound and determined to give me nothing because of a blog on AT.

Susan

Thanks for all the great advice guys! I LOVED Vince's sliding Ikea wardrobe doors - but they're a little too expensive for me and the installation seems a bit complicated. If I had someone professionally install them the way he did, it would cost about $900+. I've thought about hanging curtains, but I just don't like the look of curtains very much - unless it's a larger space. This space is too small and it would look awkward, I'm afraid.

I've also been considering down-sizing my queen bed and I know it would be an easy solution to space problems. But I can't for many reasons; namely, I need a big bed when friends stay over (so I don't need a sofa bed because my bed is big enough to accomodate us) and also I just can't afford anymore furniture - especially when I already have a great bed + sofa that I like a lot!

I've toyed with the idea of Ikea bookcases and the floor lamps (Dunker or Orgel). Does anyone have any pictures of their apartments using these as dividers? I know there was 1 post earlier on AT using the Dunker Ikea lamps to divide the bedroom area from the rest of the studio - but it wasn't a good picture. It didn't really show the space well or the length of the lamps. I'd rather try one of these ideas.

Also - failed to mention one HUGE problem! The apartment has many windows, but gets ZERO light :( It faces the inner courtyard of the building, but it's a 1st floor unit - so it's always dark in there. Hence my indifference towards sheer panels or open bookcases to let light through. There is no light :( Which is why I think the lamps are a better idea. Any better lamp room dividers you know of?

Thanks so much again everyone!

It's hard to get to exactly from the floorplan, but that kitchen bar looks like it's kind of in the way of putting up a wall to make a bedroom, since it blocks the path to the front door.

Will you stil have space to get by if you put up a wall? Or can you tear out the bar?

Not to poke my nose in, but for the price of a D.C. studio, a $1000 or so isn't that much to pay for a wall considering you're buying the place that costs $100k or more.

Don't people normally borrow extra dough as part of their home loan for a renovation?

Anon, there are rules about how rolling in extra dough for rehab works. Alas, I can't remember the details, as we looked them up when we bought a fixer in 1999, gagged, and quickly decided that all renovations would be paid in cash.

Whether you can borrow extra dough depends on the appraisal in relation to the loan value, too. As property values stabilize in a lot of regions (in California, "stabilize" is a euphemism for "decline"), it's not necessarily a given that your home will build equity so fast that banks are eager to throw money at you. Plus, if you're already stretched to make the payments on the loan value, how do you add more?

I have is the IKEA Kvartal sliding panel system:
http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=12&langId=-1&catalogId=10103&productId=47588
(of course the web page does this product NO justice whatsoever). It's great for dividing an open space & creating instant privacy. It does little to cut off noise but visually, this converts our home office to a guest bedroom for less than $250 (roughly).

Someone from AT Chicago posted their Wicker Park "Nest" last month in AT House Tours that uses the same sliding panels with IKEA screens:
http://apartmenttherapy.com/photo/081806josephhousetour/Costa%20Apt-22

here's another done pretty cheaply using ikea's dignitet and deka curtain rails.

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2006/09/cheryls-cozy-room-divider.html

IKEA EXPEDIT is a brilliant idea. I have been using it in the last 2 places, and it's great for storing books and dividing spaces. My little studio looks like a 1-bedroom.

Good luck.

z

Thanks so much again everyone! RE: the $1000 in wall building... there are a few problems; I can't build a permanent wall until 2009 (Co-Op rules, until all other building renovations are complete), so I don't want to spend $1000 on a temporary wall because that's too much if I have to take it down after a couple of years. Second, I would have to pay for that upfront - I wouldn't be able to roll that into my mortgage with the financing terms I have from the Co-Op.

RE: j's question about the kitchen island: I forgot to mention that the kitchen island isn't there (that's the renovated floorplan). The floorplan is the same as above MINUS that kitchen island/bar. So that area is all open. J: where were you envisioning a wall/divider in this floorplan? I was kind of thinking of the right side in the back (away from the closet), only halfway towards the closet. Any better suggestions? I would seriously appreciate any opinions and advice!!

TO: Jason in BK - could you email me pics and instructions on how you put up your panels and exactly what you bought and how many? That would be so helpful! I was considering some Ikea panels... just didn't know how to execute it or how it would look. Email is: parwana.ashari AT gmail.com

Thanks again!

permanence and furnishing, fall/fail(literally) under different codes.
'you can easily burn your bed but not easily burn your walls.

easily/easel measured in burn rate?

www.fabricarchitecture.com

Click my name for a link to a shot of Dunkers used as a divider between my bed and dining area in my old apartment. There are a couple other shots in that album as well. I love the dunkers. Not using them as a divider anymore, but they're wonderful lamps. Good luck!

i'm a little late but thanks everyone for the good advice -- i'm facing similar problems with my new studio...