I created another room divider a few years ago to separate my office from my family room. The room was long and narrow with plenty of doors and other obstacles. The only way I could create a wall was to put one in the middle of the room myself, instead of building one, which would take a lot of time and money. This armoire room divider was designed to help me keep my blogging supplies organized. Follow along and see how my husband and I created this truly special divider.
Jump to:
- Here's the BEFORE picture of my armoire and where I placed it in my office space.
- Products needed and purchased from Home Depot.
- Tools needed for this armoire room divider project.
- Painted armoire back side edges
- Create a vertical line to find the center.
- Cut the panels.
- Glue the panels to the top and then the bottom.
- Add decorative moulding to cover seams.
- The Reveal
- Ideas for Styling and Decorating the Back of Your Armoire Room Divider
- Here's the before and after picture of the Armoire Room Divider.
- Other Furniture Pieces That Work as Room Dividers
- Frequently Asked Questions About Armoire Room Dividers
Project Overview and Estimated Cost
Before you dive in, here is a quick snapshot of what this project involves so you can decide if it is the right fit for your space and skill level.
Skill level: Beginner to intermediate - no special carpentry skills needed, but having a helper makes the process much easier.
Time to complete: One weekend. Day one for cutting and gluing the panels, day two for adding the moulding and finishing touches.
Approximate total cost: Under $100 for the materials (panels and moulding), plus any paint you may already have on hand. This is a significant savings compared to buying a new room divider or building a permanent wall.
Tools (affiliate) you likely already own: Painters tape (affiliate), rubber mallet, hand saw (affiliate). The ratchet straps and scrap wood are the only items that might require a quick trip to the hardware store if you don't have them.
Best for: Open-floor-plan homes, studio apartments, home offices shared with living spaces, craft rooms, or any room where you want to create visual separation without a permanent structure.
In prior years, I created a standing scrapbook (affiliate) armoire. I transformed my inherited armoire into a fabulous place for scrapbooking. Below are the posts that I created on these DIY projects.
HOW TO MAKE A STANDING SCRAPBOOKING STATION
CHALK PAINT ARMOIRE DIY PROJECT TUTORIAL
I started doing more craft projects, so my standing scrapbook (affiliate) armoire has now become a crafting armoire for all my crafting and scrapbooking supplies.
Recently, I updated my office space to include this armoire as a room divider. But to do so, I needed to make some modifications to the back of the armoire, since I couldn't simply place it in the center of the room as a makeshift wall between my family room and my office space. This helped me distinguish between my office and my family room and gave me some privacy.
Here's the BEFORE picture of my armoire and where I placed it in my office space.
The supplies I needed are listed below.
Products needed and purchased from Home Depot.
2- Liquid Nail Adhesive paneling glue bottles or something stronger
2- 8 ft. x 7-¼ in. x ¼ in. Vinyl Pre-finished Reversible Panel Planking Moulding (3-Piece) - we got it from Home Depot for two = $51.94
1- PVC moulding 8 feet 9/16 x2-¼x7 casing white
Tools needed for this armoire room divider project.
Caulk (affiliate) gun
Hand saw (affiliate)
Painters tape (affiliate)
Ratchet straps 2 sets long enough to fit around the armoire
Two - 2 x 1 3 feet pieces of scrap wood
Nailer - shortest finishing nails - This is just to tack the single panel on the top so it will hold well with the glue.
Rubber Mallet
Rubber block
Since the armoire had two pieces and was very heavy, I did not want to add any more weight to it. So, I found these vinyl pre-finished reversible panels. They have two different types of patterns on them, depending on the style you want.
Our armoire measured 39 inches wide and 6 feet long (4 feet tall for the top part and 2 feet for the bottom part). My husband and I decided to create two sections because the armoire does separate, and if we moved, it would make it easier to move the armoire when there are two pieces instead of one piece. The moulding is attached to the upper part of the armoire.
Painted armoire back side edges
First, I painted the edges with the same grey chalk paint from the armoire chalk paint project post. This is because the back was not finished. After all, it was originally up against a wall.
Create a vertical line to find the center.
We then created a center vertical line to know where the pieces would go. This also helps us determine how many pieces we need and how to lay them out.
Cut the panels.
We used the hand saw (affiliate) and cut the vinyl panels into two lengths - one was 4 feet, and the other was 2 feet. It cut pretty well and did not take a lot of effort. Then, we cut all the pieces so that there was a little space evenly on either side of the back.
Glue the panels to the top and then the bottom.
Then we started gluing the vinyl panels (they were a tongue and groove style) to the top part of the armoire back. We tacked the panels to the wall with the smaller finishing nails possible at the top and bottom of the panels since the moulding would be covered. We made it flush to the top of the armoire. To keep the pieces in place until they dried, we added the painter's tape (affiliate) in various areas to temporarily keep the panels together. Then, we added the strap with the wood piece to keep the panels up against the armoire back until it was dried.
Then, we started the bottom portion. We made sure the panels were pretty close to the floor to cover the extra gap at the bottom.
We added the straps with the wood so the vinyl panel would stay tight to the back and we left it that way until it was completely dry.
Since the ratchet strap worked so well on the top portion, we decided to add one to the bottom portion as well. To keep the bottom stable and up against the armoire, we added a piece of wood. This helped with the bottom, in particular, because at the very bottom, there was a gap making these panels float, and they needed extra support before they dried. You can do this with the top panel if you want, but we didn't feel it was necessary. We let it dry.
The next day, we cut the two end pieces for each side panel for the top and the bottom portion and taped them.
We added the straps again to hold the side pieces until it dried.
Add decorative moulding to cover seams.
After everything dried for 4-5 hours, we added the decorative PVC moulding with liquid nail glue.
Then, we ratcheted the moulding as well until it was dry. We then added the top piece of moulding and did the same thing.
The Reveal
And here's the after picture. What do you think? I love it. It makes a nice place to display things as well.
Ideas for Styling and Decorating the Back of Your Armoire Room Divider
One of the best things about this project is that the finished back panel becomes a decorative surface that faces your living area - so it deserves some thought! Here are some fun ways to style it throughout the year.
Hang a wreath. As you can see from my holiday photo, a wreath on the back of the armoire looks absolutely beautiful. This works for any season - a spring floral wreath, a summer greenery wreath, or a fall harvest wreath all look stunning against the paneling.
Add a small floating shelf. If you want to display a small plant, a candle, or a decorative object, consider adding a lightweight floating shelf (affiliate) to the back panel. This adds dimension and makes the divider feel like an intentional design feature rather than the back of a piece of furniture (affiliate).
Create a gallery wall effect. Use adhesive picture hanging strips (affiliate) to hang a few small framed prints or photos on the back panel. This works especially well if the armoire faces a seating area.
Add wall sconces or battery-operated lights. A pair of matching battery-operated wall sconces mounted on either side of the panel gives a warm, finished look and adds ambient light to the living side of the room.
Use the top surface. Don't forget the top of the armoire! A few plants, a small lamp, or a decorative tray can turn the top into a styled vignette that anchors the room divider visually.
Swap decorations seasonally. Because everything is removable, you can easily change the look with the seasons. This is one of the things I love most about this project - it evolves with your home.
Here's the before and after picture of the Armoire Room Divider.
Here's what I did during the holidays. I love the wreath on the back of the armoire! It's so pretty.
Other Furniture Pieces That Work as Room Dividers
An armoire is a great option because of its height and depth, but it is not the only piece of furniture (affiliate) that can serve double duty as a room divider. Here are some other ideas to consider if an armoire doesn't fit your space or style.
Bookshelf (affiliate) or bookcase (affiliate). A tall, open bookcase (affiliate) works beautifully as a room divider because it creates visual separation while still allowing light to pass through. The shelves (affiliate) can hold books, baskets, plants, and decor on both sides. IKEA's KALLAX and BILLY series are popular choices for this.
Wardrobe or freestanding closet. Similar to an armoire, a wardrobe provides full privacy on one side while offering storage on the other. The same panel technique used in this project can be applied to the backs of most wardrobe units.
A dresser placed lengthwise. A low dresser placed perpendicular to the wall does not fully divide a room, but it creates a strong visual boundary between zones - great for open-plan living and dining areas.
Filing cabinet (affiliate) pairs. In a home office setting, two matching filing cabinets placed side by side with a countertop (affiliate) or board across the top create a room divider that doubles as a workspace.
China cabinet or hutch. If you have a china cabinet with a solid back, this same panel project could work beautifully. The finished back becomes a feature wall in whatever room it faces.
The key (affiliate) with any furniture (affiliate) room divider is making sure it is tall enough and wide enough to create a true sense of separation - and that the back side looks as intentional and finished as the front.
Frequently Asked Questions About Armoire Room Dividers
You can, but the unfinished back of most armoires is not attractive - it's typically raw wood, stapled cardboard, or pressboard that was never meant to be seen. Taking the time to add panels and moulding (like in this project) makes the divider look intentional and polished from both sides, which is really what elevates it from just moving furniture around to creating a true design feature.
This is an important safety consideration, especially if you have children or pets in the home. Because the armoire is freestanding in the center of the room, it is worth anchoring it.
A solid wood armoire with a flat back panel works best because the vinyl panels bond more reliably to a hard, flat surface. Armoires with carved or contoured backs will be more difficult to work with. The armoire should also be heavy and stable enough that it won't shift once placed in the middle of the room.
The vinyl panels used in this project are prefinished and reversible, so they are ready to use as is. If you want a different color, you can paint over them with a paint designed for plastic or PVC surfaces. Always prime first for best adhesion. Alternatively, choosing the reverse side of the panel gives you a different texture option without any painting needed.
Add felt furniture pads or rubber floor protectors to the bottom four corners of the armoire before placing it. These protect your floors and also make it slightly easier to reposition the piece if needed. Avoid sliding the armoire across hardwood or tile without these in place.
This DIY project is great for small spaces and will help you manage your multipurpose rooms in your home. I loved it because from the family room, you do not see my office stuff and my desk. YAY.
Would you try this for your home? Please leave a comment below and share to spread the inspiration! Thank you!
