Question: My kitchen has a 10-by-12-foot dining area with a 10-foot-long table that seats 11. What is the cheapest way to visually separate the dining room from the kitchen? We'd like to feel as if we have a formal dining room.

Lillian Chan
El Cerrito

Answer: It's nice to read that people are still interested in formal dining rooms and that not everyone wants to eat reheated take-out food in front of the microwave or television.

Let's look at a few creative -- and inexpensive -- ways to create a sense of separation between the kitchen and the dining area.

Consider the shoji screen concept from Japan. These rice paper and wood screens slide on tracks so they can be opened and closed to change the dimension of spaces. Shoji screens can be made to fit any space, and a series of them will span longer areas to separate one "room" from another. If the Asian influence doesn't fit the style of your home, it's possible to use decorative hand-crafted paper or thin fabric stretched across the wooden frame instead of the rice paper.

For a different approach, use square storage cubes to define the space. Cubes are available in wood, laminate, plastic and other materials. Each cube is approximately 18 inches square and several can be put side by side and stacked to create a wall of cubbies. Put interesting art objects, small sculpture or things found in nature - driftwood, shells, magnolia leaves - into the cubes to make an interesting presentation for your dinner guests. For stability, secure the cubes to each other and, if possible, to the floor and walls.

If you make the wall of cubes two deep, one facing the dining area and the other facing the kitchen, you can create additional storage for the kitchen. On the kitchen side, display attractive wares such as bowls, pitchers and vases.

Fabric is another good way to separate two areas. You often see this done in restaurants where the room is large and a greater sense of intimacy needs to be created. Fabric is draped and swagged to add a dynamic element that separates areas.

You can vary fabrics with occasions and seasons. Darker, heavier material like velvet and brocade are good for winter months; lighter, airier fabrics are better in the summer.

There's no limit to how you can hang fabric walls. Hang fabric panels on either side of the space and pull them back with tie-backs in the style of theater drapes for more drama. For a sleeker effect, hang fabric from a rod near the ceiling and let it cascade straight to the floor. Two different colors of fabric hung back to back will help foster an impression of two separate rooms with their own color.

A beautiful tapestry can be hung to make a very formal room divider. An iron drapery rod can be suspended from the ceiling and the tapestry hung from it. Tassels on the ends of the rod will add flair. Make sure the tapestry is backed with a pleasing fabric so it's also attractive from the kitchen side.

Another inexpensive room divider is matchstick roll-up blinds that can be bought in pre- measured lengths and widths and hung from hooks in the ceiling. You have an instant wall that can be easily rolled up if you want it to be one big space again. Roll-up blinds also come in canvas-style fabric if the matchstick look isn't to your taste.

A fabric that's increasingly popular and can be easily used in this application is one with wood batons or long bamboo sticks woven horizontally into the material. You can hang this fabric from a pair of hooks in the ceiling as a single panel, or hang several panels side by side from the ceiling to make a longer wall effect.

If you're going to use any fabric approach to divide the room, make sure it's not hung near the stove, any open flame or halogen lamps. And, to make doubly sure it's safe, have fire retardant applied to the fabric before you hang it.

Here you have several ways to make a wall where none currently exists. Use your imagination and have fun making a room within a room. I'm sure it will be lovely when it's done.

 

TO GO BACK TO THE "ARTICLES" PAGE, CLICK HERE