Why We’re All Room Dividing Wrong
Look, I get it. You’re not some interior designer from a magazine spread. You’re a regular person with a regular home and regular problems. Like me. Let’s call me Sarah. I’m 42, I’ve lived in 12 different places, and I’ve made every room dividing mistake known to humankind.
It was 2010, I think. Maybe 2011. I was living in a tiny apartment in Chicago with my then-boyfriend, now-ex-husband, Mark. We had this big open space, and we thought, “Hey, let’s divide it!” So we went to some big box store, bought a cheap-ass room divider, and plopped it right in the middle.
Which… yeah. Fair enough. It looked like crap. Worse than crap. It was a disaster. But here’s the thing: we didn’t know any better. Neither do most people.
My Friend Marcus and the Curtain Fiasco
Fast forward to last year. I was over at Marcus’ place—let’s call him Marcus because, well, that’s his name—for a barbecue. He’d just moved into this great big loft in Burlington, Vermont. “Check this out,” he said, all proud-like. He’d hung these curtains to divide his space. “It’s like magic,” he told me. “I can make my bedroom appear and disappear!”
I looked at him. I looked at the curtains. I said, “Marcus, that’s not magic. That’s a cheap trick.” And honestly? It looked worse than our divider from Chicago. The curtains didn’t match, the rods were crooked, and it just felt… cheap. I mean, I get it. He was trying. But trying isn’t enough.
So I did what any good friend would do. I dragged him to Vermont jobs vacancies openings website and told him to find a professional. “You’re not gonna DIY this,” I said. “You’re gonna hire someone who knows what they’re doing.” And you know what? He did. And it was beautiful.
The Great Room Divider Heist
Now, I’m not saying you need to go out and hire a professional for every little thing. But you gotta think about your space. You gotta think about what you’re doing. And you gotta think about whether or not you’re just making things worse.
Take my sister, Lisa. She’s always been the creative one. “I’m gonna make a room divider out of pallets!” she said, all excited-like. “It’s gonna be great!” So she went out and bought these pallets, sanded them down, painted them, and put them together. And it was… well, it was a mess. It looked like a fort. A really ugly fort.
I told her, “Lisa, that’s not a room divider. That’s a fire hazard.” And she laughed. “It’s art,” she said. “It’s expression.” And yeah, maybe it was. But it wasn’t practical. And that’s the thing about room dividing. It’s gotta be practical.
When Good Dividers Go Bad
I’ll never forget the time I tried to use bookshelves as a room divider. It seemed like a good idea at the time. “I’ll just put them in the middle of the room,” I thought. “Problem solved.” But no. It didn’t work. It just made the room feel smaller. And cluttered. And honestly, it was a nightmare.
So I did what any sensible person would do. I took them down. And I learned a valuable lesson. Not everything looks good as a room divider. Sometimes, you just need a plain old wall.
But here’s the thing. Walls are boring. And they’re not always practical. So what’s a person to do? Well, you gotta think outside the box. You gotta get creative. But you gotta do it right.
The Magic of Glass
I was at a conference in Austin a few years back, and I met this guy—let’s call him Dave. Dave was an architect. And he told me about this project he’d done where he used glass to divide a room. “It’s like the room is still open,” he said. “But it’s not. It’s like magic.”
And I thought, “Wow. That’s genius.” And it was. It really was. Because it’s not just about dividing a room. It’s about making it better. It’s about making it work for you.
So if you’re gonna divide a room, think about it. Think about what you want. Think about what you need. And think about what’s gonna make your space the best it can be. And if you’re not sure, well, that’s what professionals are for.
And look, I’m not saying you need to go out and spend a fortune on some fancy schmancy room divider. But you gotta think about it. You gotta plan. And you gotta make sure it’s gonna work. Because nobody wants to live in a space that’s just a mess.
So there you have it. My thoughts on room dividing. It’s not rocket science. It’s not art. It’s just… yeah. It’s just making your space work for you. And if you can do that, well, you’re golden.
About the Author
Sarah Johnson is a senior magazine editor with over 20 years of experience writing feature articles for major publications. She’s lived in 12 different places, made every room dividing mistake known to humankind, and is not afraid to share her opinions. When she’s not writing, she’s probably complaining about something trivial or eating too much ice cream.
