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Divide and Conquer

11:02 AM

I've recently downsized to a smaller albeit chic-er apartment. My new, cute, one-room living loft seemed novel and open when I first looked at it, but living in it and carving out a little private "me space" has proven quite tricky. One of the greatest things about loft living is proving to be the most frustrating to me. How can I keep it feeling open and also divide up my place a bit? Large open spaces with high ceilings are trendy and great for entertaining, ( I love me a good dinner party) but can pose a problem when you want to feel a bit nesty.



Atelier Oi Paraventplus Screen and Wardrobe

So, whats a cool urbanite with a new loft to do? How to differentiate between private and public areas? Putting up permanent walls defeats the purpose of open one room living, you can't change up your layout and your landlord may have some serious problems.

Some of the best options I've found for dividing up space and preserving privacy are screens or bookcases. My favorites can do triple duty as a room divider, storage and decorative accent. Perfect for multi functioning spaces!














I used to have a small studio when I lived in NYC, and found thestolmencloset system from Ikea most helpful. Not only did it look expensive and cool, it fit most of my winter clothes (you NYers out there know what I'm talking about) in the drawers, books and vases on the shelves and divided my "bedroom" from my sitting room. The fact that the rods were tension mounted allowed me to retrieve my security deposit upon moving out as well. But one of the greatest things was that the light from my windows could pass through and the apt was always sunny and surprisingly organized! 
 


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3 comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 27, 2008 at 12:32 PM

    Great advice. It's always difficult to divide up space without taking away from the whole effect. Looks like I can take some tips from the master!

    ReplyDelete
  2. DianaMarch 28, 2008 at 7:39 AM

    Love the Alvar Aalto Screen. I'm bookmarking your blog - great stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 30, 2008 at 11:58 AM

    Below I found other creative bookshelves, check them out:

    http://www.thecoolhunter.com.tr/house/Artyk—Daeynyk—ile-eviniz-daha-toplu

    http://www.thecoolhunter.com.tr/house/Shelving-It/

    http://www.thecoolhunter.com.tr/house/LAGO-FORWARD-THINKING-DESIGN/

    http://www.thecoolhunter.com.tr/house/ZIG—Bambudan-yapylmyt-moduler-raf

    ReplyDelete