Space, often available at a hefty premium, is a scarce resource and we want it to accommodate everything we own. 

When we put everything in, the decor and ambience is often a cluttered living space.

Solving this is as easy as pie in modern times, thanks to walls that move. Yes, they actually glide, slide, fold, collapse, and move—on the basis of the selected design.

Structurally, there are two kinds of walls

Load-bearing walls:

The first are the exterior or at times column walls that are called the load-bearing walls. These walls bear the responsibility of transferring all dead and live loads along with the self-weight of material load to the foundations of the home. They even bear the components of the lateral forces like wind and earthquake. It is better to leave these walls alone with no alterations.

Partition walls or non-load bearing walls:

There are many interior walls also known as temporary partition walls or non-load bearing walls. These are often partitions that seem permanent but are actually not.

These walls only serve to create distinct areas like bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and the like. Here is where you can bring your creativity to the fore and absolutely vow guests and friends with moveable walls.

There are several companies in India manufacturing such walls with materials as diverse as glass, aluminium, wood, etc. All of these are also available in a wide selection of colours as well for a design palette that matches or contrasts the outer wall and decor.

When knocking out an interior wall, it makes sense to take the advice of a structural consult ant to ensure that it in no way impacts the structural safety of the building.

Sliding folding partition systems, movable glass partition walls, and movable acoustic wall partitions are some of the e options available in the market.

If there is a party at home, you could "collapse the dining area wall" and create a larger living room at whim. If the moveable wall is painted or wall papered with a large impressive landscape mimicking a green forest or mountain theme, the large living room is certain to be a talking point amongst guests.

Essentially, moveable or sliding walls are built up of panels that are linked together and slide on a channel system. At times, some designs allow them to be hung from ceiling-mounted channels and finish just a few centimetres above the floor. Some panels collapse in parallel while some can be stacked on a side.

Think out of the box!

In a bathroom, a shower curtain often serves to delineate the space between the wet and dry area making the room seem smaller than it is. Instead, a sliding glass wall or collapsible system of glass panels may be better suited to keep the space look big and used only when the delineation is necessary.

Similarly, a bedroom may be wall less and fuse with the living area to make for a clutter free large open space that is also conducive to the open flow of chi and good energies. However, when privacy is necessary, the moveable wood panels can be swung into action for creating separate spaces.

An easy non-structural way of optimizing space and create moving spaces would be through the use of screens.

Many fancy screens with eclectic designs, in multiple hues, sell on online shopping portals today. These can be used to create that hint of drama in a room and also partially delineate spaces.

Screens can be used to create a natural path around the home to guide guests through certain areas of the home during a party. Alternately, they can also be used to create that hedge of privacy to stop them from meandering into areas you'd rather protect from intrusion! In a world of space constraints, the key is to optimize space and use every inch of it. It is also important that home space is designed to be flexible, as you are in a world that is constantly changing and re-defining itself every day.

After all, if you wish to vow your guests, it will surely take more than just four ordinary walls to do it!