A new month on the Australian Heritage Homes blog and we’re excited to continue our goal of sharing the stories that entertain and engage future and prospective customers… right here, at the touch of your fingertips. We love keeping track of the major trends and news items that are popping up all over the Web and social media and determining if and how they apply to you. Some of the trends we share just because they’re odd or unique and some we share because we want you to be ahead of the curve when it comes to designing your dream home. Today’s fits in neither, however – it’s simply good, solid knowledge and ideas that many forget about. We’re talking about separating spaces in your home.
Um, walls? You might think. That’s wonderful if they exist exactly where you want them or you live in a large abode where it’s not an issue. But if you’re located in more metropolitan areas where the square footage may be smaller, you will want to get creative. This is the kind of knowledge that you want to have in your back pocket even when you’re initially house hunting. Don’t see the space for the space as it is now, see it for what it can be!
Partitions are most common in studio apartments and in spaces where you have determined a need or a hobby that needs a fully dedicated area to itself. A sidebar – if you foresee this, also think about where this space will be. Does it need natural lighting? Does it need to be fully enclosed? Perhaps even soundproof? These are all questions that you want to take into account before you sign any contracts.
A partition or room divider can be anything, but screens and curtains tend to be the most popular if you’re looking at a middle-of-the-room privacy solution. Granted, they won’t contribute to the soundproofing that we just mentioned, but they also are more temporary and flexible, so you can always open the curtains or shift the screen. Here are some great examples of room divider screens. All sorts of materials, colours and sizes, easy to assemble and as we said – easy to disassemble.
Large furniture items, particularly storage like armoires, bookcases and moveable wardrobes also create a unique barrier between rooms. This is a growing trend in ready-to-move-in apartments and studios in many cities, so you may not even have to worry about it. They’re a great way, in particular, to separate your bedroom space from your social space, so you don’t get caught in the “I’m so used to working from my bed” space.
Finally, and this is our most creative for the day, so go with us – plants. Plants already contribute so much to the design and layout of your home, as well as the emotional benefits that they give off. Plants are great to give structure to the perimeter of a room, versus lining it completely. Place larger pots at the end of counter space, halfway into a room, almost creating a hallway. Bonus, the plants will be a wonderful conversation topic.