Wall Ideas for Decorative Partitions

Shelving Units

• Deep, freestanding shelving units, placed perpendicular to a wall, create distinct areas on either side without completely blocking one off from the other. Filled with ornaments, books, flowers or CD collections, they give an aura of privacy without making the room seem smaller, since you can see through the unit from one area to the other. Modular, box-like shelving units that can be stacked on top of each other also allow you to arrange the units in different shapes. Use this versatility to create stepped partitions rather than partitions that are the conventional rectangular shape.

Screen Dividers

• Ready-made screen room dividers provide a quick-and-easy partition solution and have the added advantage of being portable. Use them in the bedroom to screen off a dressing area or home office, or in the children's bedroom as a dividing line if two unwilling children share a room. Personalize ready-made screen partitions by creating a photo-collage on the folding leaves, or by covering them with fabric. You can make your own screen dividers by fastening louvre doors together with hinges.

Furniture

• Use large items of furniture as instant partition walls. Turn a free-standing wardrobe sideways on to the wall in a large bedroom. Use the area in front of the wardrobe as the sleeping area and save the space behind the wardrobe as the home office or hobby area. Decorate the back of the wardrobe to make it more attractive. Hang a pretty curtain down the back, fasten perforated boards with hooks for hobby tools, or cover it with cork tiles and pin up calendars, notes or reminders for a home office.

Plants

• There's no law that says you can't bring the garden into the living room, especially if you have a sunny spot in the room that you want to make into a quiet area. Ornamental garden panels and trellises make beautiful partition walls. Paint them white, or any color that matches and complements your decor. Stand them behind an occasional table or coffee table, then stand potted climbing plants on the table and train the plants up the indoor trellis. Hang small potted, flowering houseplants from the trellis for a burst of mid-air color.