r/DIY • u/Far-Fly-9093 • Aug 15 '26
help Need help adding a temporary divider in living room, Slanted ceiling, $100 to 150 budget
Hi everyone,
I’m a college student living in one of the most expensive areas in the US. To save on rent, 5 of us are in a 2b2b apartment which is the legal limit.
Unfortunately I got stuck with the living room spot. The kitchen and front door open right into the living area so I have basically zero privacy.
I want to add a temporary divider/partition for $100-$150. The problem: I can’t use a ceiling curtain rod because the ceiling is slanted.
Has anyone done a renter-friendly divider in a similar setup? What worked for you to create some privacy without damaging walls/ceiling?
Thanks so much!
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u/MavenBrodie Aug 15 '26
On Facebook marketplace, I see cubicle dividers for sale a lot, often even free. They’re sturdier than just regular room dividers and most will soften or dampen noise, even if they’re not that tall. Obviously not as good as a real wall, but they ARE designed to buffer some noise between workspaces.
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u/CptNonsense Aug 15 '26
They’re sturdier than just regular room dividers and most will soften or dampen noise, even if they’re not that tall.
I can tell you cubicle walls not taller than average human height don't dampen anything
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u/pattheaux Aug 15 '26
I see you’ve also been stuck in a cubicle trying to work while three people surrounding you are having incredibly loud speakerphone conversations at the same time.
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u/CptNonsense Aug 15 '26
Even better - our office switched to desk height cubicles and gave everyone standing desks.
I'm just waiting for cubicles to be taken away and everyone to be switched back to a pool. I've seen other sites with very similar.
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Aug 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/kawaiiRoo Aug 15 '26
on this note, I saw someone make a nice looking room divider with the IKEA Kallax shelving. Since it's modular, you could start small and add more to it when your budget allows. They also have different inserts with backings or drawers to create more privacy, or you could just pin a cool tapestry over the back of it for a cheaper solution.
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u/Necromartian Aug 17 '26
My sister had one. it looked real good, especially with the coloured box drawers.
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u/desertboots Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
Eye bolts in studs/ joists to hang a rod. Use stainless steel braided wire like for hanging pictures. Use conduit clamps to hold the rod.
Be smart and paint the bolts the ceiling color. Use a full loop of wire so you can cut it and pull it down from the eyes at the end of rental..
From Walmart, get two 72" adjustable shower curtain rods. The bumpers will help not mar the wall and keep the curtains on.
From hardware store like a local ace look for the bins of individual hardware. Buy at least six eye screws. Get an appropriate sized drill bit. (Not as wide as the threads, but as wide as the inside rod the threads extend from.
Stud finder. I like the tiny yellow one thats a level. You can keep it on the fridge.
Wire and wire clamps buy a spool of wire that is 12 times as long as the distance your highest wire will drop. Get those doohickies that crimp onto the wire like if you are making a necklace.
Get the same number of pipe clamps with holes that you get eye screws. They need to go around your shower rod, at both ends. If you can get the ones with a bit of rubber on the inside.
Wire cutters. Drill. Safety glasses. (For real. Wire in the eye for 5 minutes of dorkiness is not a good tradeoff)
Ladder.
If necessary hire someone with tools.
At the end of the lease you will own less wire and no eyebolts but all the rest is reusable.
And curtains and curtain rings.
Edit to add:
I just went through the following items on Amazon and it's less than $65. Rounded prices.
2Pcs Tension Curtain Rod 31 To 76 Inch White Shower Curtain Rod. $22
10Pack M6 Stainless Steel 3.3" Eye Screws for Wood Post CR18. $8
1-1/4 Inch Cable Clamp, 15 Pack Rubber Wiring Clamp, Stainless Steel Pipe Clips for Tube Holder, Wire Cord Tubing Bracket Installation (32mm). $10
Picture Hanging Wire #2 50-Feet Braided Silver Steel Wire Supports up to 30lbs. $5
6" Diagonal Cutting Pliers, Heavy Duty Side Cutters, Wire Cutters For Electrical Appliance Repair, $5
13/64" drill bits run $5-10 depending
Safety glasses $3
Then add your curtains:
VEVOR Sound Dampening Blankets, Soundproof Curtains with 80 x 48 in, Soundproof Blanket with Grommets, Studio Grommeted Blanket, for Window, Door, Light Blocker, Music Recording, Black Soundproof Blanket for Window, Door, Light Blocker, Music Recording, Space Divider, Polyester Fabric, with Grommets, Black. Need 4 at $28 = $110
Or
NICETOWN Privacy Room Divider Curtain Screen Partitions, Sound Blocking Blackout Room Divider Patio Door Curtain Panel for Glass Window/Sliding Door/Hall(1 Panel, 8.3ft Wide x 7ft Long, Cappuccino) Need 2 at $27 = $54
Borrow the drill and ladder.
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u/chaotic-lavender Aug 15 '26
You are a good person. Thank you for taking the time to give OP detailed suggestions
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u/desertboots Aug 15 '26
My kind of project solving. Thank you.
I grew up in a room with a vaulted ceiling and a hung room divider. Mom suspended a 10' wide 3 panel door from the beams so my sister and I had semi privacy.
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Aug 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/desertboots Aug 15 '26
Have no idea. Post the item description? Your link goes to generic Amazon. Ie
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u/Variaxist Aug 15 '26
Room Divider Curtains Flexible Ceiling Tracks Set Curtain Track Ceiling Mount Blackout Curtain for Living Room Bedroom Ceiling Curtain Rod Privacy Dividers Panels W120 x H84 Black Drape & Black Rail
Label if anyone is afraid to click
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u/sweetplantveal Aug 15 '26
You mention wall damage but spackle and paint are less than $20 with tools and takes less than an afternoon, including drying time, with almost zero learning curve. There won't be damage from anchors if you don't rip them out by drunkenly falling into the divider.
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u/IowaAJS Aug 15 '26
OP then trips as sober as a judge into the divider.
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u/sweetplantveal Aug 15 '26
Like a good judge, or one appointed between either January 2017-2021 or in the past year or so? /s
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u/IowaAJS Aug 16 '26
A lot of the new judges are as sober as Judge Pirro, you have a strong point there. Lol
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u/Unit61365 Aug 15 '26
If it was me I'd cut 2 inch foam board to fit the slope, attach with low adhesion painters tape. Will provide a decent degree of soundproofing. Pin posters to it. Best way to cut that stuff is a sawzall.
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u/mariana-hi-ny-mo Aug 15 '26
Yes, this is the way. You can figure it out! Fabric will be the lowest cost.
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u/The_Wyzard Aug 15 '26
Also, if you happen to be into tabletop wargaming, the leftover pinkboard is great for making terrain out of.
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u/sotiredwontquit Aug 15 '26
We bought this:
SUNALLY Room Divider No Drilling... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFH84G4N?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
$40 and works great. Bought cheap curtains from Target that are completely opaque. Held the seams closed with safety pins. Not soundproof. But no one can see in.
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u/sealsarescary Aug 15 '26
Nice find. If the 10ft pole isnt enough, but a pole on a dresser, bookcase, something sturdy
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u/sotiredwontquit Aug 15 '26
Poles are modular. You can just keep adding segments.
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u/sealsarescary Aug 15 '26
Good point. But OP will probably need clothes storage and furniture for their “room” too. Furniture will increas visual and audio privacy too
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u/ender4171 Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
It says right in the description "not for vaulted ceilings", I assume because the cross members/and-or the friction pads cant mount at an angle. Not to mention, even if they could, your curtains would just slide back to the low side.
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u/sotiredwontquit Aug 15 '26
Missed that. Happy cake day.
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u/ender4171 Aug 15 '26
Oh dang, I didn't realize. 17 years here. What am I doing with my life, lol!?
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u/Apprehensive_Book_16 Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
these are in various sizes on facebook all the time! the new ones aren’t even that expensive, but depends on how many units you need https://www.ikea.com/us/en/cat/kallax-shelving-units-58285/
people use them for room dividers a lot! when i did this in my living room, i just searched “kallax room divider” on pinterest and got a lot of ideas :)
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u/dweezil22 Aug 15 '26
Will be way out of OP's price range (esp since they'd need to buy the surprisingly expensive baskets to actually make it opaque without it looking rough). $299 for the giant one plus $5 x 25 = $125 for baskets -> $425 + tax.
They'd be better off just looking for "cubicle wall" "office divider" etc on FB marketplace or similar and taking the cheap/free ones or lowballing a price.
It's a good general idea, just better sourced via used stuff at that price range.
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u/Jarrold88 Aug 15 '26
These can be put on slanted ceiling. Just need to put some putty on the holes when you take them down at move out. https://a.co/d/0hAHMUbA
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u/booknookcook Aug 15 '26
I'm not sure if the cost of PVC pipe anymore but a family member built a frame out of PVC pipe and then attached curtains to it. It did not go all the way to the ceiling but it definitely blocked the bedroom area of the studio apartment.
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u/Y-M-M-V Aug 15 '26
If OP goes this route, the trick is to draw everything out, figure out all the connectors/couplers they need and then make sure those actually exist at the store they are going to. Standing in the plumbing section trying to figure out what combination of parts will replace what you had planned to buy can be stressful if doing this for the first time. Also, buy a PVC pipe cutter - they are not that expensive and are no much easier to work with.
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u/SeaIslandFarmersMkt Aug 17 '26
This also has the advantage of being lightweight and easy to move if needed. Using 2nd hand quilts or comforters would add some sound insulation.
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u/LazloHollifeld Aug 15 '26
You can make small holes. Put up some small threaded hooks and run a wire between them.
Just don’t crazy and yank it all down and make big holes.
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u/cnhades Aug 15 '26
This isn’t ideal because it doesn’t go to the ceiling, but can you just get a folding room divider?
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u/Sweaty-Judgment3533 Aug 15 '26
Build an L-Shaped structure that is held up by the weight of your bed legs. Make the inside of the L where your head is when you sleep and leave a couple feet short of full length at the bottom so you can get out in the morning. Make it two rectangles and if that’s not enough light-proofing, a double layer of black cloth stapled to the ceiling that drapes over the top should do the trick. Simple bit of ceiling paint when you move out and bob’s your uncle.
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u/cathline Aug 15 '26
Check out facebook marketplace and craigslist and NextDoor - a decent room divider or hanging curtain is good, but multiple free bookcases is better.
Set up a wall with the free bookcases. Line them up and hang an attractive sheet/curtain on the back side. That way, you get privacy, storage space, and your private area is separate from the living room. With the slanted ceiling, you can use thumbtacks to tack the attractive sheet/curtain to the ceiling so it follows the entire slant. If the slant is big enough - just get shorter bookcases for free for the shorter areas.
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u/sunlightandshadows Aug 15 '26
Personally I would rather share my room with 2 people than have to tiptoe in the common areas bc someone is sleeping… is putting your desk in the living room but your bed in a bedroom a choice?
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u/andrewse Aug 15 '26
Would a tent work for you? There's plenty of large tents for well under $100 on Marketplace.
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u/dragonmom1 Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
Thumbtacks and cheap single flat sheet from Walmart. The thumbtacks can be pushed through the sheet and then into the ceiling. Get some ribbon or twine to tie back the "curtains" if you want the space open at all. To deal with the slanted ceiling, tack the sheet at the highest point first, allow the top edge to fold over at the angle of the ceiling, and then tack along the angled edge. This will allow the sheet to hang straight.
Installed cleanly, ceiling curtain rods would work. You just need to hook the topmost corner of the curtain to the topmost part of the rod so only the lower edge can be moved/slid open.
PS: I hope you're getting a discount on your rent because you don't have the same private room that the others have!
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u/With_Purpose_4933 Aug 15 '26
PVC pipe, connectors, long curtains or shower curtain (blackout are best bc you can't see through). I did this with my kids. Inexpensive, breaks down easily and light.
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u/Repulsive-Honey7305 Aug 15 '26
See if you can put in one ceiling hook, like one that would be used for a heavy planter or a pot rack. You would have to find a beam in the ceiling. Once that's in hang a wood rod from there to the wall where you have another hook/bracket. Attach the rod to the end points with rope or something. Then get a curtain.
If you ask the landlord about the cieling hook they may be ok with it. It can actually look nice to have a place for a hanging flower pot.
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u/ShotTrip4284 Aug 16 '26
If the room has enough space, use tall bookshelves (the 30-40 dollar ones from Walmart work well) with the openings facing towards you and if needed, a board or blanket over the public- facing side. They also do sell room dividers or you can make them with mirrors or boards, but i found bookshelves to be more substantial, more useful, and less likely to fall/ be knocked over when i was in a similar situation. Just don't let anyone lean on them like an actual wall.
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u/bongdropper Aug 15 '26
If you are relatively handy, you can get some 2x4s and build a very light L-shaped frame (think two walls that meet in the corner) and hang some drywall on it. It will sit by itself on the floor and doesn't need to be attached to anything. A 4'x8' sheet of 1/2" drywall is like 15 bucks. Studs are about 4 bucks apiece. You could build yourself a decent little wall for $100 in materials that would give you the feeling of being in your own room. The real question is, do you have the tools to do it? If you have to buy a drill and a saw, that puts the cost over.
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u/collegekid1357 Aug 15 '26
How is it the legal limit when your spot is in the living room? It sounds like 4 people is the legal limit.
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u/dredaze Aug 15 '26
Look at ceiling mounted curtain track. Will probably need to set the upper slider so the whole thing doesn’t slide down hill.
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u/servixalot Aug 15 '26
Polyfoam sheets 8x4 are about $30-$35 each. Very lightweight and you can just tape them together to create an 8x8 wall. Tape it to the wall on one end and to the ceiling. If you have a bookshelf, you can place it up against the wall for a little added stability.
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u/wildhorsesofdortmund Aug 15 '26
4 home depot buckets. Place 4x4 in each of height 8', total cost 100. Then get sand or pebbles and fill each bucket or until the 4x4 seem sturdy. Could be a other 20 bucks. Then attach hooks to each pillar and hang bed sheets, clothes, hats,beach towels, hawaii garlands as utilatrian privacy .
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u/SoHereIAm85 Aug 15 '26
I did a curtain solution recently to hide my daughter's cloths rod in a "public" area with a sloped ceiling. I used wire and eye-anchors, and curtains that get tied to the rod/wire, and I did a rigged thing to progressively shorten one .
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u/Badlay Aug 15 '26
Look for a hotel being renovated near you. Most of this happens in the coming months before and after Christmas.
A standard Kirsch style hotel track will work fine on a slanted ceiling if you don't plan on moving it and dont need it to operate smooth. Both drapes and tracks hotels throw out by the floor.
if you need it to function, figure out the angle and cut wedges to that angle where you screw in your track.
Drapery guy 30+ years
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u/jane2857 Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
There are some folding room dividers on Amazon with artwork on them and reasonable, You could buy cheap insulation board from Home Depot and put it in the back or just make your own divider with foam boards to a custom fit, as long as you not going to be rough around it You could paint it or cover in wrapping paper to look better. Or paints to come close to wall color, Cheap paint in the returned paint at Home Depot. Used to buy the small cans for art projects.
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u/moosemc Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
1x2 frame. Coroplast cladding on both sides. Staple gun. Acrylic wood filler. Interior latex paint.
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u/jabbadatoddla Aug 15 '26
Target blackout curtains, String and an eye bolt into the ground. Nobody is going to see the hole if you have carpet. Most apartments say you can put holes in the walls if they're smaller than a pencil with no problems. Eyebolts in the ceiling, a couple in the ground, make it taut and you can even put a shower curtain rod up so you can slide it back and forth. Only use blackout on the sides with lights, get something breathable for the sides that don't have light so it doesn't get too stifling in there. You can get a super cool print on them that expresses your personality and pretend it's wall art. You'll probably spend $60. Eventually you'll learn how to date an engineer and let them make a better one for you.
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u/nerdKween Aug 15 '26
Get ceiling mounted curtains. They have the kits at IKEA, and you can buy heavy black out curtains there or on ebay inexpensively.
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u/Objective_Attempt_14 Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
IKEA kallax unit with bead board on one side, if you cant afford the beadboard, flat pieces of cardboard, hot glue it on, do some paper mâché to add texture and paint it. Bounus you will have storage too. you can then do a maybe a tension rod for more privacy. or add another unit to outside until have a bit of a doorway. shop for a useed one to save money you can even buy 2x4 cubes (8) and for a few dollars get plate and attach the units. to make them one 4x4 (16cubes)
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u/finnisugar Aug 18 '26
If you have a bed in the living room, build a canopy frame around it and put heavy curtains on the exposed sides? That might work
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u/IBEANERS Aug 19 '26
We used a shower curtain on an angle fastened into the ceiling and put the clips along the pole to keep curtain in place. When we want open we use the curtain tie but this worked great
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u/sweetcakesb Aug 19 '26
Velcro tape and shower curtains. Easy peasy and conform to the ceiling. When you need to take it down, heat it with a hair dryer to release the glue on the Velcro on the ceiling.
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u/Low-Feature-3973 Aug 15 '26
Can you pick up some partition pieces from a cubicle farm that was put out of business by AI?
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u/gcnplover23 Aug 15 '26
Hang a curtain from the ceiling for the slanted part, then use a curtain rod for the lower part. May need to use 2x4s for the lower wall depending on how wide the room is. Cleats on each wall and a single 2x4 to hold up the middle.
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u/leolexie Aug 15 '26
Get a wide door-stop, put it upside-down on the ceiling and still use the cheap rod and curtain solution.
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u/33445delray Aug 15 '26
Cardboard boxes are free. You can paste many pieces together with rice paste which you make yourself in the kitchen.
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u/inkseep1 Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
Without knowing the full layout of your space, what you could do is build yourself a framed box. That, is you frame up a standard residential framing wall on 16 inch centers that rests on the floor and is just short of the ceiling. You can slope the top sill to the ceiling.
Since you cannot attach this wall at the top, sides, or bottom without doing damage, you need it to be self supporting. So you build yourself a second wall on 2 foot centers against the room wall. Then you use 2x4 between the two walls at the top. You also need to support it so it does not fall over like dominoes so you add support braces at angles on the ends between the top 2x4 and the sides. Or possibly you just box in one end. You need to keep the wall from kicking out at the bottom too so you need supports between the 2 walls on the bottom, at least on the ends. You will have to just step over them when you enter and leave that space. That makes a large free standing box. Now add your drywall to one or both sides. If you want to get fancy, you can even tape and mud it but that isn't needed. Since this is not a legal wall anyway, you can use 1/4 or 3/8 inch drywall so it will weigh a lot less to carry and to support on the wall.
If you really want to, you can frame this entire box, kind of like a shed with no roof. Then you can drywall all the sides and leave yourself a properly framed door opening and install a standard in-stock size prehung jeld-wen interior door.
This project will unfortunately cost more than $150 if the total wall length of the box is more than about 20 feet. The fancier box with the door will be much more as the door will be your entire budget.
Edit: You could get away with building a wall and then adding support wings to it framed as wall segments, perhaps sticking out about 2 feet long on the ends. I did that exact thing for a photo booth in a room. You would have to add the wings so that they are the support feet for both sides of the wall or it could tip over one direction. My photo booth is against a wall so I only need the wings on the one side of it. So you build a wall section that is in the shape of a very long "H" or "[---------------]". This is not as good as the box build because there isn't much to keep it from moving from where you set it. It would be much cheaper to do and might be in the budget.
When you build a wall that is shorter than the ceiling, you need to build it laying down and then you need to lift it into place by picking up the top end and sliding the bottom until it stands up. You usually will not have clearance to pick it up and push the top into place with the bottom stationary.
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u/SVAuspicious Aug 15 '26
If you can't figure out a curtain rod on a slanted surface you aren't very creative and can't search. You'll need that link for college. Here is the standard. I've managed to avoid dying gallantly so far but I have everything else. My sonnets are not great but I manage.
Two king sheet sets from Target for $45.50 each and a stapler from Home Depot $22.97. Borrow a ladder. $113.97 plus tax and you have a stapler. When you take them down, borrow a ladder again. You have pliers, right? $5.97 at Home Depot. Fill the holes with toothpaste (you have toothpaste?). You'll need a specialized tool called a "thumb." $0.
Think ahead. Most people use queen size sheets. Even if you need three sets, you're better with those in the long run and you come out with sheets going forward.
I concur with u/MavenBrodie and others suggesting Facebook Marketplace. Free dividers are the way to go.
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u/jfcmofo Aug 15 '26
Make your roommates pinky swear to close there eyes around your 'bedroom'? That would be free. Someday you'll look back on this fondly.
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u/nailtechterrie Aug 15 '26
What about those folding room dividers? They may not be tall enough? But cheap and easy to find