Innovative Temporary Wall Solutions for Any Space

Looking to redefine your living space without making permanent changes? Temporary walls offer a stylish and flexible solution for renters or anyone wanting to reconfigure their rooms.

From creative bookcase dividers to sleek modular panels, these innovative ideas can add privacy, functionality, and a fresh look to any room.

1. Elevate Your Apartment Space With These Temporary Wall Ideas

Many renters can make do with a fabric curtain instead of a full temporary wall. However, adding a partition is a great option for those living in rent-dominated markets or looking to upgrade their small apartment without permanently altering the original floor plan.

Temporary walls come in all styles. You can find plenty of DIY solutions that are easy to install and take down as needed. Or hire a contractor to build a temporary wall that looks like the real deal.

Seamless walls look like permanent fixtures but have no impact on the room’s base construction. You can paint them or install a sliding door and plexiglass transom windows. Panels are a nice alternative if you don’t need to create an entire room.

2. Bedroom Transformation Inspirations

The star of every bedroom layout is, without a doubt, the bed. So it makes sense that most room divider ideas for the bedroom would focus on this piece of furniture.

Install a half partition around your bed to add privacy without losing the openness of the space. Wall-to-wall fabric curtains work great in a studio apartment or to separate a guest space in a multi-purpose room.

You don’t need opaqueness for a partition to be effective. The room divider needs to trick the eye into seeing the room as two distinct spaces. Frosted glass panels or screens will give you the perfect amount of privacy without making the bedroom too claustrophobic.

3. Creative Bookcase Integrations

A freestanding bookcase wall is an uber-functional way to split a large room into two independent spaces. Use a set of matching bookshelves for a custom-sized partition wall or just one for something simple and compact.

Choose a bookcase with openings on both sides so decor can be seen from all areas of the divided room. If your chosen bookcase has a traditional one-sided design, cover the back with fabric, framed wall art, or a hanging tapestry.

Don’t worry if your bookcase doesn’t reach up to the ceiling—very few bookshelf walls do. As long as you don’t need to completely separate one space from the other, any height will work for this makeshift room divider.

4. Stylish and Functional Dividers

Room dividers are great when you need a compromise between privacy and accessibility—and this solution is a bit more polished than just hanging a curtain. Room dividers are incredibly useful for breaking up an open-concept floor plan or hiding clutter from view.

Folding screen dividers come in all sizes and styles. They are incredibly portable and can be set up or taken down with a moment’s notice.

Sliding dividers are excellent if you have a multi-functional space that sometimes needs division and other times doesn’t. You can permanently install this type of divider with built-in tracks or invest in a set of freestanding panels with wheels.

5. Do-It-Yourself Temporary Wall Concepts

There are tons of DIY temporary wall ideas out there that don’t just involve hanging a curtain. The best style for your home will depend on the specific space and how it’s used.

Bamboo dividers work well both indoors and outside. They’re ideal for situations where you need to visually differentiate two parts of a room but aren’t too concerned with privacy. Vertical and horizontal wood beams are another great idea.

Bookcases are extremely popular as multi-purpose room dividers. You can transform any old bookcase into a temporary wall. Consider upgrading your project with some paint and a set of caster wheels. You’ll be able to easily roll your DIY room divider wherever you need it most.

6. Living Room Flexibility and Design

A room divider can be purely functional or a stylistic choice. When it comes to the living room, most temporary walls and dividers perform double duty.

You can also use room dividers anywhere in your living room—not just right in the middle. If your home has an open floor plan, add a divider along the perimeter of your living room to differentiate the space from adjoining rooms.

If your living room’s divider wall doesn’t feature any innate design elements, don’t leave it blank. This is the perfect spot to mount a TV and floating entertainment center. Or you can build a bookshelf into the wall to display decor and make the space as a whole feel roomier.

7. Temporary Walls for Outdoor Charm

Temporary walls are an ideal way to create separate living spaces and supplement the existing privacy outdoors. After all, nearly everyone has nosy neighbors. Wood and bamboo are great materials if you prefer a natural look. Otherwise, plastic and metal dividers offer a more contemporary aesthetic.

You can also use outdoor dividers to bring some much-needed shade to your patio or balcony. Consider installing shutter-style panels so you can control the exact amount of sunlight that shines through your temporary wall.

Just because your temporary wall is outside doesn’t mean you can skip the wall decor. Hang string lights, climbing vines, or planters on your divider panels to finish off the project.

8. Uniquely Innovative Partition Ideas

Go ahead and get creative with your dividing wall. Treat your room divider as accent decor by giving it a standout paint color, finish, or pattern that will contrast against the rest of the space.

You can find modular divider walls that look like Legos and other unique building block shapes. Shiplap and recycled pallet wood will work nicely alongside any rustic or farmhouse-inspired decor idea.

Stand up dried reeds, grasses, or tree branches in containers for an organic room divider. As long as total privacy isn’t a must, experiment with using negative space in your temporary wall design.

9. Exploring Temporary Wallpaper Innovations

If all you’re after is fresh interior design, the secret might be in the walls you already have. You can use temporary wallpaper to revitalize an existing wall with a decorative mural rather than adding a brand new one.

Peel-and-stick wall decals are perfect for adding intrigue to a single accent wall but can technically be used anywhere. This product is particularly popular with renters and those looking for short-term design solutions.

Of course, you can always combine removable wallpaper with any room divider or temporary partition idea. You can even apply wallpaper to wood panels for a feature wall that is truly temporary and can be repurposed in another space entirely.

FAQs

How much does a temporary wall partition cost?

Exact pricing depends on many factors. Generally, adding temporary, pressurized walls to an existing room in an apartment will cost up to $2,500. Partial walls will typically cost less. Adding features like a door or window will lead to a more expensive temporary wall.

How do you keep a screen divider from falling over?

Leaning your freestanding room divider against another piece of furniture is the easiest way to keep it upright. You can also invest in wall, ceiling, or floor brackets to secure the screen divider, but this solution will eliminate the divider’s portability. Many homeowners attach door hinges to one end of their divider so that it can be mounted to a wall and folded up when not in use.

What is the ideal height for a room divider?

There really is no ideal height for a temporary wall or room divider. Partitions can range from a couple of feet tall to reaching all the way to the ceiling. Floor-to-ceiling dividers offer the highest degree of privacy. If you’re using a divider as decor or to break up an open floor plan, choose whichever height best suits the space.