When two or more different functions are part of the same open floor plan, the spaces have to be differentiated in some way, unless you purposely choose the alternative. In order to establish a visual barrier between spaces, one of the options is to use room dividers. With so many room divider ideas and designs to choose from, finding the right style can be difficult. This is why we’ve gathered here a bunch of examples and diverse options, each with its own charming features and characteristics.

The BuzziFalls series is composed on acoustical room dividers available in a variety of patterns, sizes and colors. They offer playful way of organizing a space and dividing it into sections. These are ideal if your goal is to increase privacy in a particular space without completely separating it from the rest of the floor plan. Their designs feature cut out shapes in various patterns such as falling leaves, skylinesor geometric designs. They can be ceiling-mounted or suspended with cables.

A more solid option is offered by the Zen Screen. Handmade in Canada using red cedar blocks and stainless steel joints, this is a screen that lets you compartmentalize a large space into sections, creating a private lounge area in the living room or a reading corner in the bedroom. The screen can also be used on large terraces, decks or outdoors.

An interesting possibility is to have the room dividers also serve as accent lighting for the spaces on either side of them. These stainless steel piece are definitely interesting and intriguing. They each have a unique theme and design and they’re excellent for adding a touch of color to a space. At the same time, they light up at night and stand out in a totally different way.

The Minima Moralia room dividers are interesting and special in their own way. They were designed by Christophe de la Fontaine as part of the Metropolitan Improvement-2015 collection and they’re made with a powder-coated steel frame and pleated fabric interiors. The fabric is available in black, boardeaux or yellow and each module measure 80 x 20 x 180 cm.

For spaces such as the bedroom or for casual settings, a design such as the one featured by the Anemones Dream dividers could be very suitable. These room dividers feature floral designs and bold colors and are completely opaque, providing the needed privacy. Other designs such as geometric patterns or graphical compositions are also available.

Room dividers can also be considered beautiful decorations for a space, just like the paintings that we usually display on our walls. Driven by this idea, artist John McAllister created this wonderful painted screen displayed by the James Fuentes Gallery. It has beautiful paysages painted on the front, although the back is equally interesting, featuring tones of rose, peach and violet.

A unique combination of walnut and brass gives the Monocles Folding Screen an elegant industrial flair. The dividers feature a gold-plated, UV resistant clear acrylic standard finish which allows them to keep their beauty even when exposed to sunlight or used in harsher environments. Their circular perforated patterns lets the light travel from one side to the other.

Another really interesting room divider is the Vito Constella, a feature that completes modern and contemporary spaces with its flexible and stylish appearance. The dividers are made of numerous small hexagonal pieces made of wood. They’re interconnected and form a honeycomb-like structure. The hexagons are hollow and the divider has missing patches, trying to replicate a natural and organic design.

The Facet divider was designed by Bas can Leeuwen and Mireille Mejis and the interesting thing about it is its flexible design. The designer is composed of numerous diamond-shaped elements which can rotate separately creating unique and customized patterns. These diamonds allow the user to play with light and shadow, adding an interesting touch to the space. The divider is modular and flexible as well as very versatile, being suitable for a variety of settings such as hotels, restaurants, offices,, commercial spaces and, of course, residential areas.

The design featured by the Leone divider is a modern Milanese reinterpretation of the modular elements of the 50s Brazilian architecture. The divider was designed by Monica Freitas Geronimi and Luca Bosetti as part of the Cobogo collection. It’s made of ceramic plaster and is available with a standard finish but also painted in the color of your choice.

This room divider manufactured by Efasma adds a casual elegance to any space it’s in. It was designed by Bureau de change architects. This is a piece that offers a playful take on the traditional room divider without overlooking its practical side. Each of the solid walnut panels is wrapped in cotton cords. Use these dividers in combination with other casual pieces of furniture.

Sticks Enlightened is a piece designed by Globalhaus, being envisioned as a garden partition. Its use however extends to interior spaces as well. The divider is manufactured by Extremis and has a solid but sleek base to which numerous thin stick-like elements are attached. The result is a screen that provides privacy while also adding an organic touch to the space. The LED lights embedded in the base create a beautiful play of light and shadow.

Modern and contemporary designs often play with proportions, shapes and colors, this allowing them to stand out. One such example is the Gradient collection by MUT Design. It’s a series of modules with hexagonal bases and different heights and shades of green. They can be combined and use in sets to create eye-catching space dividers or partitions with irregular structures.

Bruang offers a Room Divider that can double as an open shelving unit, featuring built-in storage compartments in its structure. The design is graphical and plays with geometric elements meant to make an open floor plan more flexible and practical. The perforated patterns allow the spaces on either side of the divider to remain connected and also let the light travel through.

Being described as wooden room dividers, the Zumitz screens have very simple and casual designs and compact dimensions that allow them to be used in a variety of environments. For example, use them in an office to divide various individual working areas or in a living room to create an intimate seating area. The dividers were designed by Iratzoki Lizaso and they’re manufactured by ALKI.

The Vintage divider is part of the same collection created by Monica Freitas Geronimi for mg12. It’s a gypsum room divider with a simple and modern design formed of square blocks with circular openings at their center. In a way, it looks like a Lego screen but with a much more sophisticated and refined look.

The interesting thing about the Wood and Resin room dividers offered by Antico Trentino di Lucio Seppi is the combination of materials. Wood and resin are combined to create unique and exquisite designs, unique to each screen. The dividers are made wood which can be of different types which is is embedded in high quality epoxy resin. This offers it an unusual and eye-catching look with a sculptural design.

Softwall is a multifunctional piece which serves both as a room divider and a storage unit. It was designed by Carsten Gerhards Architekten for B&B Italia and it’s made of felt attached to a steel frame. The design was adapted for both domestic and professional environments.

As you can see, room dividers come in a variety of shapes, materials, colors and with all sorts of interesting designs. They’re usually flexible and take advantage of their unique characteristics. Dividers that are made of wood have the advantage of offering the spaces a warm and elegant look regardless of the elements surrounding them. They work well in combination with other wood accents or furniture pieces made from the same material.