They can be short, tall, curved, see-through, or made of sustainable materials like bamboo. And there are a lot of ways a wall divider can be used in almost any room. Let’s take a look and see how we can pull rooms together.

Deal with a tricky situation

“There are number of things at work with this divider,” says Nathan Kipnis of Kipnis Architecture + Planning. “Both of the columns are wrapped around structural pipes, hiding them from view. I set up the columns so they were symmetrical with the center of the kitchen. And if you look carefully, you can see that the family room is a step down and the steps terminate into the built-in.”

The home that was torn down on the site was “well past its useful life,” Kipnis says, although it “had a few elements that we reused. The four leaded glass doors, for example, are from an old stairwell. The divider is open to both sides in the middle for artwork or plants, and the glass-fronted cabinets hold books.”

He adds, “This sort of solution is the best way to deal with tricky problems — turn them into design elements. We used to call that ‘celebrate the problem’ in architecture school.”

Increase light flow

“We created this room divider in place of a wall that used to separate the rooms as a way of allowing the spaces and light to flow better but still retain some degree of division,” says Jonathan Feldman of Feldman Architecture. The screen is made of cherry cabinetry and panels, steel supports, and a combination of clear and back-painted glass.

Multitask

“This wall divides the master bedroom from the closet, but the intent was to hold it down from the higher ceiling so it allows the overall space to flow above it and enhance the size of the room,” says Cass Calder Smith of CCS Architecture. “This type of wall, which is just Sheetrock that’s been painted, also essentially becomes the headboard for the bed.”

Add interest and practicality

“This entry hall screen is made of walnut, acrylic and steel rods,” says Matthew Hufft of Hufft Projects. “To break it up a bit, we wanted to give the appearance of floating boxes, which are also practical since they can be used to store things like visitors’ hats and gloves. The walnut stools provide a place for guests to sit down when they take their shoes off.”

Organize a series of rooms

“When we refurbished this midcentury modern brick house, we used cabinets instead of traditional walls to organize the back entry, mudroom, kitchen, family dining booth, kitchen office/work areas — two of them — and the transition to the living and dining area,” says Tom Hurt of Hurt Partners Architects.

“The bookcase is made of a clear finished maple,” he points out, “and parts of this cabinet system have solid panels, other parts obscured glass, and towards the rear [in this photo] is a large pin board for the kids’ projects, family photos and such.” The ceiling material is custom-milled clear fir, and the floor is honed Italian limestone.

Give the illusion of privacy

“This room divider hangs off of steel pipe columns to create an open separation between the living room and the family room of a loftlike living space,” says Margaret Griffin of Griffin Enright Architects. “The floating shelf provides more privacy when seated and appears more floating when standing.”

As for materials, “The shelf is made of birch, as is the ceiling,” she says, “and the steel pipe column is painted with a hammered-gray Hammerite paint, and it matches the flooring, which also emphasizes the floating quality of the shelf.”

Incorporate renewable materials

“This project included the renovation of a spa owner’s private bathroom at Mamalahoa Hot Tubs and Massage in Kona, Hawaii,” says Rosanne Percivalle of 2D3D Design. “The client wanted to have an open feeling that featured natural materials, but didn’t want to break the bank with expensive construction and finishes.”

This room divider “was the first item I found,” she says, “and the rest of the bathroom design evolved around it. At 36 inches wide, the screen provides a separation from the toilet, yet allows light to circulate around and through it.”

She adds, “I thought using this screen as a divider, as well as a larger similar screen for the dropped ceiling, would be a perfect way to incorporate a renewable material like bamboo. We also saved on the cost of building a wall and ceiling out of Sheetrock by simply using these prefabricated panels.”

Add a furniture element

“The screen is a tool to dapple light, regardless of whether it’s placed vertically or horizontally,” says Phil Rossington of Rossington Architecture. “In this application it allows light and a glimpse of a view through it, but it also clearly defines the entry. Making the divider part of the built-in bench grounds it and strengthens it, physically and experientially.”

He adds, “African mahogany is a rich, lustrous wood, and we used it here to help lead the eye to the interior of the house, where it is used throughout.”

Soften the hard lines of a loft space

“My impetus for designing a curved wall was to create a stylish and functional division for the home office space in this downtown Boston loft,” says M. Charles Beach of (m) + charles beach Interiors. “When viewed from the front, the curved wall appears to be freestanding, but in reality it is anchored to the end of a 4-foot-high perpendicular bookcase we constructed that runs back to the existing wall. This bookcase provides the soft division between the two office spaces and accommodates book storage on both sides.”