Room screens: dividing your room space

Separate space for different activities with room screens, wall units or sliding doors.

Space should be adaptable and there should be more of a blurring between indoor and outdoor areas, says architect Andrew Maynard of Andrew Maynard Architects, North Fitzroy.

"People hide behind walls," he says. "If space is adaptable you use it better."

In a recent house Andrew designed swing-up glass garage doors as walls, so on a sunny day the owners can fling them up and the bedroom, bathroom and living room are exposed to the elements.

Versatility with room screens

In a double-storey design on the drawing board he has put the TV and VCR in two boxes which slide between floors, so they can be used downstairs in the living room and upstairs in the bedroom.

Another house has a study alcove at the back with a window overlooking the garden, so when the window glides up on gas struts, the owner feels as if she is outside even though she is working at her desk.

One of the most common ways of separating spaces is with sliding or bi-fold doors at the back of the house to blur the lines between living and outdoor entertaining space.

There are other ways to work this now-you-see-it, now-you-don't magic.

Frosted sliding doors and screens

A frosted glass sliding door in the living room can run between a built-in bar and a television/entertainment area. When friends drop round, the TV vanishes while you serve drinks. For a quiet night at home in front of the telly, the bar is out of sight.

A work station, complete with computer, is never a pretty sight. If there's nowhere for it but in the living room, make it part of a wall unit and disguise it with a cupboard or roller door so you can forget about work when you are relaxing.

A quiet corner with a bed settee is easily transformed into a guest room with a set of sliding doors that glide into the wall when they are not needed. If that is beyond your budget, buy a colourful screen to give your guests privacy.

Contact an interior designer to find out more about room screens for your home: