Using Room Dividers as Shelves

In spite of their name, room dividers aren't only for creating smaller spaces within a bigger one. Thanks to innovative design - and your own creativity - today's room dividers live up to their name and do much more.

Chances are, you've got more than a few piles of stuff cluttering your rooms, and packing everything into small spaces unfortunately tends to make the space look only smaller. But the good news is, today's innovative room dividers allow you to both design a space and store things in it; here are a few options to consider.

Our Tylan Shoji Room Divider offers homeowners the streamlined simplicity of classic Asian screen design with a huge added benefit: solid wood shelves. The four-part screen features a window pane design; each square "window" is lined with semi-sheer rice paper, making this ideal for studio spaces that need a divider between living and sleeping areas. Four sturdy shelves nestle between the panels, allowing you to store books, photos and decorative items, or, if placed facing a bedroom, clothes and linens. Contemporary backless bookshelves serve as quirky, unexpected room dividers with loads of storage possibilities. Line books on alternate shelves, and, in the open spaces, display photos, keepsakes, art and hobby items. Keep utilitarian objects such as toiletries or files in decorative paper boxes or wicker baskets. Finally, for the ultimate in shabby chic and creativity, drape a decorative pocketed curtain around a sleeping area for privacy (and storage) with a relaxed, feminine twist. Store light items such as jewelry, toiletries, medicine, knitting, and more in the curtain's pockets.