ᐅ How can I use IKEA PLATSA furniture as room dividers?

Hello everyone, I am currently considering how to use my IKEA PLATSA furniture not only for storage but also as room dividers in my apartment. My apartment has an open floor plan, and I want to visually separate areas like the living room and dining area without installing permanent walls. The PLATSA series seems well suited for this because it is modular and flexible. However, I am wondering how to best combine storage space, stability, and an attractive appearance—especially when placing the furniture freely in the room without attaching it to walls. Maybe someone has experience or ideas on how to use PLATSA effectively as a room divider? What should be considered, which modules are ideal, and how can you ensure the structure is stable and doesn’t wobble? Any ideas or suggestions are welcome!

Hello Ledimo, using IKEA PLATSA as a room divider is indeed a great idea and becomes much more practical when you take full advantage of the system’s flexibility. Generally, I would recommend using mostly the tall cabinets since they visually separate the spaces more effectively. It is important, however, to securely connect the modules – ideally with the connecting clips or screws that IKEA provides for this purpose. This prevents the individual parts from wobbling or shifting.

A common mistake is simply placing the modules loosely side by side. While convenient, this is less safe, especially if you have children or pets. Alternatively, you can combine individual open shelving units with closed cabinet doors to create an interesting interplay between open and closed sections, allowing some visibility. This keeps the space airy but still clearly defined.

Another tip: make sure the back panels of the cabinets are aligned with each other, as this increases stability.

If you like, I can provide more detailed advice later on the specific models that are best suited.

Grace schrieb:
One more tip: Make sure to align the back panels of the cabinets with each other, as this increases stability.

I’ve had the same experience; there’s definitely a reassuring feeling when everything is properly connected and stable. For me, it also helped to reinforce the cabinets by attaching a few thin wooden boards or small brackets, which are then fixed to the floor. At first, I was a bit worried that freestanding furniture might tip over easily, but with this reinforcement, it works perfectly.

I know this might sound a bit like overengineering, but especially when you place furniture in the middle of a room, I think it’s important that they don’t suddenly shift.

How about moving them around? Are the PLATSA units flexible enough if you want to reposition them later?

boelnu schrieb:
I know it sounds a bit like overengineering, but especially when you place the furniture in the middle of the room, I think it’s important that they don’t suddenly move.

Exactly, that’s essential for me too. I don’t have children, but sometimes I have visitors with kids playing around, and I don’t want to constantly worry about something tipping over.

Grace schrieb:
A common mistake is to just place the modules loosely next to each other. It’s convenient, but less secure, especially if you have children or pets.

Could you explain the methods for connecting them in more detail? Are the connecting clips included, or do you have to buy them separately? And how complex is the installation if you want to rearrange the furniture multiple times? I definitely want a flexible solution where I can add or remove one or two modules if needed without having to take everything apart completely.

Hello, I used my PLATSA wardrobe combinations as room dividers myself. It is important to pay attention to the depth when choosing the modules – the 40 cm (16 inches) depth is ideal for a room divider because it looks sturdier and also offers more storage space.

If you place the furniture freely in the room, you should at least use connecting materials along the long sides of the modules to prevent slipping. IKEA offers special connectors for PLATSA that can be attached on the sides. These provide a secure hold, are relatively easy to install and remove.

For greater stability, you can also reinforce the connections by adding heavy-duty dowels or small brackets inside the modules.

A tip: open shelves combined with closed compartments create additional depth and structure, giving you space to include decorative elements and visually lighten the room. Thanks to its modular system, PLATSA is very flexible, so you can really tailor how you assemble the modules to fit your room.

In addition to the points already mentioned, I would like to address the stability of the modules. The PLATSA units are sturdy, but for freestanding tall cabinets, it is still advisable to secure them to the wall if possible. If that is not an option, I recommend floor fixings, such as thin screw connections to baseboards or placing non-slip mats under the legs.

Regarding room division, it also makes sense to mix modules of different heights. A continuous element provides more privacy, while smaller, open sections improve air circulation.

Concerning the arrangement of the compartments: it is better to have several small cabinets that can be flexibly combined rather than one large block. This way, you can more easily rearrange or expand the furniture later.

You should also consider the weight limits of the individual compartments if you use them as room dividers and plan to place plants, electronics, or heavy books on them.