How to make a standing privacy screen out of posters (or similar)?
November 28, 2013 12:20 PM Subscribe
Looking to make freestanding privacy screening on a small budget. I have the notion that posters on some sort of framework would do the trick at a minimal price. I'm crafty but have never tried this before; I have some ideas but I'd like to hear success stories and surefire techniques.
My small team is moving to a nicer office, but we will all be sharing the same largish room. As most of us are easily distractable, we want to arrange some sort of privacy screening for our workspaces (individual desks scattered around the room, no cubicles). The price of screens was much higher than I anticipated, and all the DIY stuff I could find required ceiling mounting, which is not an option. But I like making things, and as long as what I can cobble together looks reasonably respectable, I'm hoping I can craft us some cheapo privacy.
Caveats:
- cheap (if we have money to burn it's going on good chairs and hardware)
- either freestanding or desk-mounted. Freestanding preferred.
- opaque. Not trying for soundproofing, just eliminating visual distractions.
- ideally mobile so we can open the office back up as required.
My small team is moving to a nicer office, but we will all be sharing the same largish room. As most of us are easily distractable, we want to arrange some sort of privacy screening for our workspaces (individual desks scattered around the room, no cubicles). The price of screens was much higher than I anticipated, and all the DIY stuff I could find required ceiling mounting, which is not an option. But I like making things, and as long as what I can cobble together looks reasonably respectable, I'm hoping I can craft us some cheapo privacy.
Caveats:
- cheap (if we have money to burn it's going on good chairs and hardware)
- either freestanding or desk-mounted. Freestanding preferred.
- opaque. Not trying for soundproofing, just eliminating visual distractions.
- ideally mobile so we can open the office back up as required.
Several years ago, I made a folding screen that sounds like what you're looking for. The panels were sheets of light plywood which were eventually covered with a bit of padding and some pretty upholstery fabric. Posters would work just as well. The panels were attached top and bottom to 2" round wood dowels (if you can call them that), and were hinged by pegs inserted into holes drilled near the end of each dowel. It was easily reconfigured and quite stable as long as the panels met each other at less than a 180 degree angle.
posted by DrGail at 2:13 PM on November 28, 2013
posted by DrGail at 2:13 PM on November 28, 2013
Not really easily movable but I lived in a rental that found a really simple and attractive solution for a sort of room divider using 2x4s, paint and fabric panels.
Picture an open-stud framed wall, but with much wider gaps and not reaching all the way to the ceiling. It's anchored in two places:
-to the floor with nails as a standard wall would be, and
-on one side only to a nearby permanent wall.
Where it's attached to the permanent wall, it's about 8' high and comes out about 5' into the room, then steps down to about 3' high for another couple of feet. The framing is painted green and one side is covered in fabric panels…they might be solid-color sarongs tacked in place. It lets light pass through, and provides additional space for furniture. The 2x4s also become shelves on one side, and provide art-hanging studs on the other.
It would be possible to make this look casual or formal depending on your office culture. And individuals could highly customize their spaces.
But I'm pretty sure you would need the option of securing such a framing to the floor and anchoring it against a permanent wall.
If that doesn't appeal, this might inspire. And I also suggest you troll Ikea for room divider ideas.
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 11:46 AM on November 29, 2013
Picture an open-stud framed wall, but with much wider gaps and not reaching all the way to the ceiling. It's anchored in two places:
-to the floor with nails as a standard wall would be, and
-on one side only to a nearby permanent wall.
Where it's attached to the permanent wall, it's about 8' high and comes out about 5' into the room, then steps down to about 3' high for another couple of feet. The framing is painted green and one side is covered in fabric panels…they might be solid-color sarongs tacked in place. It lets light pass through, and provides additional space for furniture. The 2x4s also become shelves on one side, and provide art-hanging studs on the other.
It would be possible to make this look casual or formal depending on your office culture. And individuals could highly customize their spaces.
But I'm pretty sure you would need the option of securing such a framing to the floor and anchoring it against a permanent wall.
If that doesn't appeal, this might inspire. And I also suggest you troll Ikea for room divider ideas.
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 11:46 AM on November 29, 2013
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He had them laminated on a sheet of particle board and then had it trimmed to the edge and had two-way hinges put on. It looked nice, but after 30 years the base started to get a little worn.
If you have a lumber supply company and you felt comfortable with the lamination, that may work.
posted by Tchad at 12:27 PM on November 28, 2013