7 fashionable room dividers that'll turn one room into two

In New York City, we don't take room numbers at face value. Sometimes a single bedroom has to make separate space for two, or, oftentimes, a living room has to serve as living room and a dining room. Enter room dividers. 

Luckily there are plenty of chic ways to divide a room for two different functions (and unlike temporary walls, these are all Department of Buildings-approved). Here are some of our favorites on the market right now:

 

At $1,490, this Mod-style 76-inch wide, 78-inch-high partition from LOFTwall is about the cost of a temporary wall; but it's much easier to put up and take down—and is far more interesting architecturally. The frame is aluminum and the waves are made of plastic. 

It's not exactly going to keep out light and sound, but we just love the look of this Cappelini Yuki Screen ($1,439), which is inspired in part by snowflakes. One set contains 36 individual modules, which form a screen that's 71 x 39 x 12 inches. It comes in black and white and the partition can be set up diagonally or vertically, and all different sizes.

If you're looking for something simpler, more opaque, and more affordable we suggest this $219 six-panel room divider from Oriental Furniture. It's 70.88 by 94.5 inches, and is made with wood and canvas (and since it's white, you can always paint it). It also folds easily if you ever need to store it.

There's nothing subtle about the Mio Nomad System in blue (or the pink and brown one shown in the main image above). But if you're looking for a more neutral hue, the interlocking cardboard modules are also available in grey, white and black, too. They can be put together in open or closed configurations, allowing for as much privacy as you'd like. The system costs $56 per pack, and you'll need anywhere from three to six packs for a seven-by-eight-foot wall (depending if you want modules open or closed).

This intricately carved wood divider from Joss & Main isn't just pretty, it's also architecturally interesting enough to serve as a focal point for any room, and is dense enough to provide a little bit of privacy. (It's 74 feet, 8 inches high, and 80 inches wide.) Plus, it's reasonable priced at just under $240.

Trying to create privacy in a loft (or loft-like) space? This adjustable room divider stand from Amazon ($144.95, plus cost of curtains)—which is impermanent and doesn't need to be fastened to walls or the ceiling, rendering it rental-friendly—may just do the trick.

Leave it to Ikea to sell a simple, modern, easy-on-the-eyes and, obviously, affordable room divider. The $139 Risor divider is 85 inches by 27 7/8 inches, and happens to be easy to wipe down. Bonus!  

***This post was originally published on February 29, 2016, and was updated on August 1, 2016.