Ideally, each room in the home should serve a special purpose. However, in many cases, the size of the home or number of occupants makes it necessary to zone the rooms into several functional parts. To achieve zoning many homeowners install special plasterboard structures or false walls in the room.

Recently, however, the use of curtains for dividing space has gained immense popularity. With curtains, like the other zoning options, a variety of spaces, from the living room to the study, kitchen and dining room can be harmoniously combined.

The Benefits of Zoning with Curtains

Zoning of rooms can be done in a variety of ways. Ultimately, attaining the perfect zoning comes down to the homeowner’s or designer’s creativity. However, out of all the zoning options, the use of curtains awesomely stands out. From an abstract view, the use of curtains to zone doesn’t seem original, but with the right approach, you can get a stylish and unique interior with this method. In addition, the use of curtains when zoning the space of a room has undeniable advantages, including:

 

  1. Low cost:Even if you pick luxurious curtains for zoning, you will most likely spend less compared to what you would have spent on other methods of zoning. Indeed, in any case, curtain fabric is much cheaper than plasterboard designs, glass or any other kind of partitions.
  2. Ease of installation: You do not require any special tools to install zoning curtains.In addition, unlike installing a false wall or drywall for zoning, putting up curtains takes little time.
  3. Easy to replace:The ease of replacement is perhaps the biggest advantage of zoning curtains. If the color or pattern or other element of the curtain bores you, you can easily change it by picking out new curtains or even switching to another zoning material. Therefore, with curtains, refreshing the interior is easier.
  4. Easy to clean: Cleaning curtains is quite easy as you just remove them and put them in the washing machine or send to the dry cleaner.If the curtains are not made of fabric, you can still easily clean them by wiping them with a damp piece of clothing.
  5. Save space: Unlike additional walls and drywall constructions, curtains do not take up much space, which is an important feature for small rooms.


Zoning a small room with curtains

 

  1. Easy to achieve on your own: Unlike with other zoning materials, you can easily install curtains by yourself. While you may need help putting up the curtains, you will not have to spend money on an expert.
  2. The ability to hide room defects caused by repair.

 

The only drawback of zoning a room with curtains is that the fabric may wear out fast. Particular care should be taken when choosing textiles for families with small children and pets as they may destroy the curtains or bring them down if the installation is done weakly.

Ultimately, however, the choice is yours. If you fancy curtains for zoning, then by all means install them.

Types of Curtains for Zoning Space

Currently, designers offer a wide range of options to carry out high-quality and stylish repair in a house or apartment. One of the most important aspects to consider during repair is the competent separation of space, especially when it comes to small rooms and studio apartments, where two (and sometimes even more) functional areas are often combined in one room.

Using curtains is one of the most optimal and easiest options that modern designers offer. In addition to its obvious advantages, curtains have a large selection of various shades, patterns and mounting systems. We will talk about the first three criteria a little later and in more detail. To begin with, we will guide you on how best to install curtains. There are two popular options:

  1. Wireframe method:With this method, you need to put up a special frame before zoning the room. It is on the frame that the curtain itself will be installed later. Most often, such a frame is made of metal. It can be single or multi-sectional, depending on the size of the area to be zoned.


Frame zoning of a berth in the living room

 

  1. Hanging method:This is the classic and easier option, which is similar to installing curtains on windows. The whole process consists of installing a special ceiling cornice, on which a curtain is subsequently hung.

Depending on what material you choose to divide the room with, the end result will be different. That is why it is important to choose a curtain that best fits the style you want for your house or apartment. Modern designers offer an abundance of diverse material variations. The most popular are:

  • Fabric curtains.
  • Translucent tulle.
  • Japanese curtains.
  • Fabric blinds.
  • Curtains made of threads and beads

Let’s figure out which options are appropriate for particular interiors in order to avoid errors during the installation process.

Fabric Curtains

Fabric curtains are the most traditional option. They are usually installed on a thick high-strength string or ceiling eaves. This textile option is a dense canvas that can reliably divide a room into several zones. There are several basic rules, which, if adhered to, can result in perfect curtain zoning. When selecting a curtain for zoning consider the following options:

  1. Choose a quality and durable fabric:In this case, it is better to give preference to natural materials. The most common is curtains made from flax. In addition to their attractive appearance, curtains created out of natural materials carry ease of care and durability.
  2. If the room already has fabric curtains on the windows, then you should select zoning curtains with consideration to the window curtains.The best option is to select zoning curtains made of the same material and ideally color as the window blinds.
  3. If you want to possess basic sewing skills and wish to save money, try sewing the curtains yourself.Achieving this is simple, especially if you have a sewing machine. However, you need to be cautious so you get the right measurements. Do not forget to tuck the edges of the fabric during sewing, as doing so will increase the wear resistance and durability of the curtain.

Fabric curtain – a simple and stylish option for dividing a room

Do not forget to consider the illumination of the room. After all, some particularly dense fabrics are able to greatly darken the space. Therefore, it is important to choose an option that will not only divide the rooms into several zones, but also make the interior attractive and comfortable.

Translucent Tulle

The use of translucent tulle has become quite a popular phenomenon over the last few years. Previously, designers deemed translucent tulle as inefficient – because the transparency of the fabric does not allow for the creation of the effect of an additional wall. However, today tulle is popularly used to separate not only the bedroom, but also the living room or even the kitchen. The main idea to remember is that you need to choose a quality product that will remain appealing for as long as possible.

Translucent tulle in the interior of the living room

Translucent tulle as a space divider has a fairly wide range of advantages, which include:

 

  1. Light weight: This allows you to handle the installation of tulle yourself without the help of specialists.Unlike heavy fabric curtains, which require shared effort to install, you can hang tulle alone without too much effort.
  2. The atmosphere of lightness:It goes without saying that light and almost weightless tulle creates a unique lightness in the room. In addition, due to tulle’s transparency, this method of zoning the room maximizes the space of the room.


An original way to use translucent tulle

 

  1. Beautiful play of light:This is especially true for rooms with large windows. Tulle has the ability to uniformly let in the sun’s rays, abundantly filling the room with natural lighting, which is why translucent tulle is often used for the bedroom.
  2. A wide range to choose from:It can seem that tulle exists only in white and beige colors, which is untrue. In fact, today you can find the most diverse shades of translucent fabric. So you will definitely find an option that fits perfectly into your interior.
  3. Ability to choose the degree of transparency that fits your preference. If you want to distinguish the zones of one room as much as possible, then choose dense tulle with a minimum degree of transparency. However, if you want the tulle to perform the function of decoration, and not serve as an additional wall, install a light and transparent tulle variation.

Japanese Curtains

Using Japanese curtains is an original solution that will help make your interior truly unique. These curtains occupy minimal space, but they perform their function of dividing the room into several functional zones qualitatively.

Of course, it should be noted that this option is not suitable for every design style. For example, interiors in Provence or high-tech style will not appeal if complemented with Japanese curtains.

Zoning the room with Japanese curtains

The main ideas to remember when using Japanese curtains for zoning space are the following aspects:

  1. Such products can be used in the same color scheme or in different shades.You can also alternately install plain and patterned curtains, as long as you get the right palette. You can also experiment with the texture of products.
  2. One of the prominent advantages of Japanese curtains is that they are easily adjustable.That is, you can divide the room or open the space by simply adjusting the position of the structure. This helps add some light to the room if necessary.
  3. The principle of operation of such curtains is that they move according to a special mechanism made possible by rails.The cornice is located on the ceiling and consists of a required number of guides. It can be either one, or three or more rails. Curtains are then attached to them using special Velcro or the so-called ‘carriages’.

Japanese Curtain Design

  1. Carefully choose fabric for the Japanese curtains.The fabric should be high-quality and natural. Today, manufacturers mainly use linen, cotton or silk. However, sometimes you can find more original materials for Japanese curtains. For example, some manufacturers make canvases from rice paper, bamboo or reeds.
  2. Despite the fact that the Japanese curtains take up little space, they require space for free movement.Therefore, for extremely small rooms, these curtains will not do the trick.

Fabric Blinds

Window blinds have been used for several decades. In recent years, however, they have been steadily losing popularity in residential buildings and are now mainly installed in office premises. However, fabric blinds can still make for outstanding home partitions, presenting an extraordinary and stylish way to divide the space.

A room separated using blinds

To begin with, let’s understand what blinds are. Their design is a bit similar to Japanese curtains. Blinds consist of several panels, which are also called lamellas. With the help of a special controller you can control the position of these panels so they open or close.

Blinds come in two types:

  • Horizontal
  • Vertical.

For zoning the room, the second option is more suitable. Vertical blinds more perfectly serve as a division. The installation of blinds in rooms that periodically need to become bigger is especially important. For this reason, blinds are used to allocate more space in the living room, for example, for an office. As soon as you need to work, you shift the blind, creating a temporary office. If you are hosting and need more space, you just draw back the blinds and increase the space.

The original design of blinds is the highlight of your interior

At the top, such structures are often securely attached to a special cornice, but the bottom of the blinds is fixed at your discretion. You can install guides at the bottom, or you can just leave the slats on the weight. Depending on the design of the room and your personal preferences, you can additionally vary the lamella and the degree of its transparency.

Curtains Made of Threads and Beads

Of all the above options, curtains made of threads and beads are the most extraordinary and luxurious. These curtains look elegant and will certainly become the highlight of your room, giving it a magical atmosphere. Thanks to a wide range of products, you can choose a curtain unique for any interior style.

Bead curtains in the zoning of the living and dining areas

As a material for beads, you can use:

  • Glass;
  • Crystal;
  • Shells;
  • Wood;
  • Plastic;
  • Clay;
  • Rocks;
  • Acrylic etc.

Bead curtains in the living room interior

The density of such curtains is regulated by the frequency of placement of beads. If there is enough space between the beads and the base thread is noticeable, then a lighter atmosphere will reign in the room. If the beads are densely strung on the base, then such a curtain will serve just like a fully-fledged, optimally dividing the space.

Curtains made of beads have an original appearance and are quite simple to install. In addition, when light hits the beads, they form beautiful highlights that will transform the room beyond recognition. The only drawback of beaded curtains is that they are quite difficult to care for. To prevent dust deposits from accumulating on the beads, you must constantly wipe them with a special brush.

As for curtains made of threads, the material of choice for many is often silk or cotton. Mousseline, musselin, nesseltuch, or muslin, as such products are often referred to, come in a wide variety of textures, colors and thicknesses. They fall into the following categories:

  1. Common thread curtains (mousseline, Musselin, Nesseltuch, muslin).
  2. Curtain spirals.
  3. Curtains made of tape.
  4. Curtains with threads from Lurex.
  5. Curtains with decorative (solid or textile) inserts.

Such curtains serve exclusively as a decorative element and provide an even distribution of light throughout the room. However, they are not able to protect the room from sunlight. If you want to achieve maximum density when zoning the space, try hanging several rows of muslin. Installing these curtains is quite simple. Modern manufacturers offer four different options:

  1. On the cornice (stringed or consisting of a pipe) using wings.
  2. Like traditional curtains (using a hook).
  3. Using Velcro
  4. On the grommets.


Muslin on the grommets

Zoning the Living Room with Curtains

Most often zoning is done in the living room . This option is most relevant for studios or one-room apartments; since the relatively small areas are often divided into multiple functional areas. The most common technique involves dividing the living room into a relaxation area and a study or dining area. Also in one-room apartments, the living room serves as both a reception room and a bedroom. Therefore, in this case, it is also necessary to separate the bathroom and sleeping area.

Zoning of the living room with curtains made of threads

There are three main ways in which you can divide a place in the living room:

  1. Installation of a large translucent curtain, which would pass through the entire room. It is desirable that this curtain is parallel to the window.
  2. Allocation of a working zone and a recreation zone. A denser fabric can be used for these purposes.
  3. Differentiation between the sleeping area and zone for reception of guests. Here you can get by with an ordinary canopy, which is installed above the bed, or you can hang translucent tulle.

Separation of the bed and reception area

Remember that if the room is extremely small, then overly dense and massive curtains should be avoided since they will clutter up the space, thereby visually reducing the area of ​​the room. If there is one window in the living room, try to choose curtains that allow maximum entry of sunlight. If you want to use a dense fabric for zoning, be sure to install additional artificial lighting.

Additional lighting in a zone protected from sunlight

Fabric curtains look best in a classic interior. Light tulles, on the other hand, are most suitable for room in the style of Provence. If the living room is made in modern or hi-tech styles, then the best option is the blinds or curtains made of glass beads.

Curtains as a Way of Zoning the Bedroom

To divide the bedroom into several diverse zones, it is necessary to find out exactly what functional features each individual space should have. Most often in the bedroom are:

  1. Sleeping area: To disguise the bed, canopies or translucent tulle are used predominantly. If the interior of the room is made in oriental style, then Japanese curtains will look great. It is not necessary to exclusively focus on transparent materials or translucent zoning structures. You can as well install curtains, but ensure you have enough artificial lighting.
  2. Desk: In some cases, there is need to create a workspace in the bedroom. It is desirable that the workspace is located directly near the window. You can separate it with any kind of curtains, as long as they are in sync with the overall design of the room.


Zoning the bedroom into the sleeping and working area

  1. Zone for playing:This applies to families with young children. Sometimes the bedroom has to be equipped with a zone for children. If you follow the advice of experts about the Feng Shui style, then the play area should be located as far as possible from the adult bed (it is desirable to equip it in the eastern part of the room). To create harmony for children, it is advisable to use neutral pastel colors with small and un-intrusive patterns.
  2. Boudoir:There is necessity for a boudoir, a small area that is necessary for grooming. If the boudoir fits perfectly into the interior of the bedroom, then separating it with a dense fabric is not necessary. Just hang curtains with threads or beads and you are good to go.
  3. Wardrobe:If you do not want to install a wardrobe but want a wardrobe area for your clothing, you can simply separate the space under the wardrobe with thick fabric curtains.

Curtains for Dividing the Kitchen into Zones

A few years ago, zoning the kitchen using curtains was deemed impractical. This is due to the fact that the fabric absorbs smoke and moisture very easily and quickly becomes dirty. However, today, with such a variety of materials for curtains, you can choose an excellent option for dividing the kitchen into a cooking zone and dining room.

If you focus on ease of care, it is best to choose curtains made from natural materials such as cotton, as they are easily cleaned. If you want an even simpler option, go for curtains with threads and beads. Of course, the presence of the hood and careful use of the kitchen can preserve the curtain in a proper state for longer. However, in any case, it is better to give preference to materials that don’t stain easily and are easy to clean.

Japanese linen curtains in the interior of the kitchen

Due to safety reasons, the curtains that separate the cooking area and the meal area should not be too airy, that is, they should be able to remain intact even with blowing winds. Otherwise, you should be cautious of fire or smoldering products.

Many experts recommend installing blinds made of bamboo. Such a partition not only perfectly serves as a separator, but is also quite easy to maintain. If grease or other types of dirt get on the bamboo, simply wipe it off with a damp cloth. In addition, this material does not absorb odors or accumulate a large amount of dust. Ultimately, remember that your choice should fit into the style of the room.

Zoning of the kitchen and laundry

Zoning Curtains – Tips from Professionals

We have discussed the use of curtains for zoning in depth. Let us now summarize and discuss some more important concepts.

Modern designers are increasingly using curtains to divide rooms into separate functional areas. With the experience of operating such structures, experts made several conclusions that should be taken into account at the very initial stage. They relate to both the use of products and the choice of curtains for a specific design style. The tips include:

  1. Choose a fabric that can maintain an attractive appearance for as long as possible.If the interior of the room is made in a seasoned style, then rumpled curtains can ruin it. Therefore, it is better to choose options that are very easy to iron and are able to maintain their original appearance for as long as possible.
  2. If the room is decorated in bright colors with the presence of large patterns, it is better to make sure that the separation of zones is performed in more neutral colors. Choose plain pastel-colored fabrics.
  3. However, if the room itself looks quite modest and is made in plain pastel colors, the zoning curtains can act as an accent wall and serve as the highlight of the room.


Contrast black curtains in a bright living room

  1. When zoning, the standard color matching rule works.Light shades can visually increase the space of a room, while dark colors reduce it.
  2. The same rule can be used for relatively cold or warm shades of curtains – gray and blue tones will help to make the room larger while warm browns or oranges visually reduce space.
  3. If desired, you can combine tight and loose elements.For example, the use of massive fabric curtains on the same cornice with tulle has become very popular recently. If you wish, you can use only a transparent element, creating space with an ‘easy’ vibe. However, if necessary, you can close blackout curtains, thereby completely sealing off a certain area of ​​the room.
  4. For a more harmonious combination of colors, the walls and curtains should differ by one or two shades.
  5. The most versatile with respect to the selection of a style solution to the room are curtains made in terracotta, gray and beige as they fit seamlessly into almost all interior styles.


Gray is a universal solution for any interior.

    1. There is an abundance of textiles to choose from for curtains. Therefore, settling for a particular option, try to decide what roles you want the curtain will play.If the curtain is installed as an accent wall, choose contrasting colors, and if the curtain is just a harmonious addition to the interior, choose the color of a fabric that complements the style of the room.
    2. Choose the pattern and color of the curtains based on the size of the room.Massive patterns are suitable for large rooms, and plain curtains fit best in small ones. Vertical patterns visually increase the space between the floor and the ceiling, whereas horizontal ones reduce the space.

Studio apartment zoning

Zoning the room with curtains is not only stylish, but also a budget option guaranteed to save you many expenses. Curtains create a unique atmosphere and allow flexibility. Do not be afraid to experiment and use the original colors and textures of the fabrics, thereby creating an interior that will meet all your requirements and wishes.