Using Curtains as a Room Divider
Whether you want to create a private escape away from roommates, or just want to designate a living area away from your sleeping area, how to divide your space is often one of the first things you need to tackle in a new apartment. And you want to do it in a way that does not make your apartment look unnatural or inconvenient.
When I was decorating my studio apartment, I separated my kitchen from my living room in a way that actually enhances the look of the room, instead of making it look divided. To accomplish this I hung a curtain instead of using another room divider. The key to this look is to use a curtain that is light and airy (I chose a lightweight transparent black curtain to go with my black&white color scheme) and to tie back the curtain so that it always stays open.
Leaving the curtain open does not at all diminish the effect of how the curtain provides a separation within the room. In fact, I found that keeping the curtain closed cuts the room too much and makes it look way too small. Having the curtain draped open clearly shows that you now have two separate areas in your apartment, without the claustrophobic effect of using a heavy piece of furniture as a room divider.
When I did this in my kitchen, I kept costs down by purchasing inexpensive curtains (you’ll need 2 curtains so that you can tie them back) and by making the tie-backs myself! For the tie-backs I purchased some ribbon from a local art supply store. It was super cheap- just a few dollars. After having my maintenance guy hang my curtain rod and curtains, I tied the ribbon into bows and then used some flat metal tacks to secure the bow tie-backs to the wall.
I really encourage you to try this! Whenever I make something myself, I love it even more.
What have you used as a room divider? Please share in comments.
[...] unique workarounds. Christina separated her living room from her kitchen (in her studio apartment) using a curtain – creative, but [...]
A hardware store will be able to help you with the curtain rod … just make sure to measure the distance you need before you go. The curtain can be purchased anywhere from high-end fabric stores to someplace as simple as Bed Bath and Beyond (watch out for their 20% off coupons in mail).
How can I do this and where can I get the materials for it?
Check out how a stylist used raw burlap to separate his bed area and cover the closet. From NY Magazine.
thank you for this cute blog! I just recently moved into a new condos with not that much extra space. I will definitely be using a curtain to create more “rooms”. Thank you!