Telecommuting, home delivery, home offices, home entertainment... all of these new lifestyles are putting more pressure on your available space. Before you drop big bucks on a home remodel or expansion, consider installing room dividers.

“Room dividers offer a unique solution to conflicting demands on space,” says Richard Roll, president of American Homeowners Association (AHA). “With a divider, you can separate rooms and reduce conflicts, noise, and clutter. They're both practical and pleasing — and they can be installed easily and quickly with basic tools.”

Dividers are available now in many styles and materials. Panelized dividers are practical and easy to customize.

Decorative panels may consist of squares of wood framing covered with finished plywood, glass or other materials in vertical supports. Place glass or wood panels according to your whim — glass allows light while wood provides more privacy. Or leave the panel off and create a cubicle for storage or shelving space.

In order to provide a secure, stable fit, wall modules are anchored at top and bottom by adjustable pads that apply pressure to the ceiling and floor. You can easily provide power for appliances, computers, and electronics by stringing extension cords through the divider or installing conduits.

If you want to go traditional, choose a solid-looking divider made from wood cabinetry. You can add tons of storage and shelving space this way.

See-through glass cabinets provide more light and display space for your china, photographs or other heirlooms. Of course, this solution is less pre-fab and more labor intensive than a panelized divider.

Another solution is to get twin French doors that fit the dimensions of your “wannabe” wall, and to install vertical posts and framing around the doors.

The minimal approach is to purchase stand-alone, folding screens. These panels can be folded and taken away when the wall is not needed.

For more information on any aspect of buying or owning a home, go to www.ahahome.com.

— The American Homeowners Association