How to Separate an Area of Your Home
Are you thinking of sectioning off some part of your home?
Maybe you want an independent guest space…or maybe MOM is moving in! Or maybe, you officially need a home office where you can really “go to work!!”
Whatever the need, more homeowners are thinking about how to make a certain part of the home feel like its “own” thing. Maybe it’s because so many of us are working in home offices now?!
Our home is no longer just a place to come and relax. It’s where some of us spend ALL our time now that work has gone remote. It’s also our gym. It’s also our most exclusive bistro.
There are plenty of reasons you might want to section off part of your home!
Here, I’ve shared a few more dramatic ideas and a few more subtle ones to partition a space. Depending on whether you want total separation or prefer not to break up the unity of design, there’s an option here for you.
More dramatic separation…
The first resort most people turn to when separating spaces is to build a wall. There are, however, different approaches that create a similar effect.
Consider yourself enlightened to these additional design options…
Glass Barriers
A glass door or a glass paned wall can separate spaces without totally discontinuing the flow of your home. It still feels private and separate on either side of the divide, however.
And when done right, glass can add a degree of finesse to just about any space…
There is no material that does exactly what glass does, so if you’re a fan, this might be the perfect option…
Wood Clad
A wood clad wall is an equally decorative way to partition areas off. If you have a home office you want to separate off, this is particularly beneficial with its soundproof qualities!
Note: If you AREN’T a big fan of mid-century, be careful about your selection of wood and finish. Talk to an experienced carpenter to see what kinds of materials you can source and what a professional design could do…
Interior Gardens
This one is a dream come true for some homeowners! If you have a high ceiling and excellent natural light, imagine an indoor garden that you walk through to cross from one section of your home to the other…
This kind of design is especially popular in more temperate climates, where the gardens often even open right up to the heavens…
This is a great option to keep things natural and simple, if you have a green thumb.
Some subtle options…
There are subtler options, too, that can give you some independence without making a huge investment (or significantly closing spaces of your home off).
For example…
The “television wall”
Your cabinetry or inset for your TV can be used as a natural separator for distinct areas of your home.
As an added bonus, this means your TV won’t be secluded in a corner!
A GREAT cabinet…
Custom cabinetry can do LOADS for partitioning a space. You can either pick a wide cabinet and set it where it needs to go, or you can have a custom cabinet made.
I might be biased, but with the wood, design and finish options of a custom piece, you’ll NEVER leave anyone wondering about your design style…
Get some inspiration from DeWils Custom Cabinetry 3D showroom tour, too!!
Color!!
Why put up walls or cabinets when you can resort to paint?!
This is the subtlest option in terms of partitioning an area…paint one area with a certain color scheme, then plan a dramatic change for the other area.
This also gives you some BEAUTFUL contrasts to play with. Which of these paint colors that NEVER go out of style would you choose? Or maybe the 2021 color of the year might play a part…
Create a Separate Work Area
Listen…
This is so important.
If you work from home, for the foreseeable future of even permanently, your work and mental health will benefit from a work area COMPLETELY separated from the rest of your home.
If you can avoid being disturbed, just imagine what that could mean for the work you can get done…
Efficiency aside, you also want to relax properly during your time off. Work shouldn’t interrupt that, either, so this goes both ways.
When you partition your work area using any of the above ideas, you:
- Reduce risk of accidental damage to (or messing with) your work stuff
- Help shut home out when you’re at work
- Help shut work out when you’re at home
- Also could have some tax and insurance benefits
To me, this one decision is part of where home and health meet. Even if a TOTAL partition isn’t possible, you can use any of the subtler ideas above to send a message, mental and otherwise.
Here are some design tips for your home office while I’m at it…
Partitioning a part of your home might be a “work necessity,” or it might be a long-standing dream you’ve had for your guests for AGES.
Don’t forget our ultimate guest room guide, by the way…
Whatever the inspiration, take any one of these ideas and talk to a design-build remodeler or interior designer…dreaming in real terms will get you closer to knowing whether you’re ready to make this useful update.
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