If this is the main entry door, leave the divider as is.

Yes it is main door entrance. :) really, leave it? I don't like it. I thought if I paint it I might like it a little better. Also thought of making it about 4ft. With a shelf.

I feel like it dates the house

I like that idea, that's similar to what I was thinking! :) thanks!

They have some great storage boxes in ikea ( or you can get them most stores). I would mix and match the colours with maybe your sofas, then you could put small frames and if you have nice ornaments that you want to show I would go for that too. Great for storage and I'm sure it would look perfect in that space ;)

HI -- The divider is not the problem ! It 's actually nice and modern looking and is still very "in" .The best feature there I think . The front door is the culprit . The door is too white and looks like a back door and with the trim being wood and then the walls a different color too , it's cluttered looking. If you replace the divider with a storage unit or shelves it's just going to get more cluttered looking . So either have the door and door trim the same color or have a new front door with matching trim and then one wall color for the whole room , then the divider will be a better feature , just don't hang things on it . I like the divider , it's very attractive and modern looking . If it's the wood that bothers you then it could be painted a satin off black which I think would be stunning !

Could you take a photo from the side? The wood itself appears to be more valuable and of higher quality than you might get from an ikea cube - so you may be able to salvage and reuse. I think reworking it so you do have a divider but it appears to be more contemporary for you is a fine solution.

The trim will all eventually be changed to white, I also plan to repaint everything, as soon as the divider is gone :)

Yes that was one idea I had, reusing it! I will however be painting it if that's the route we go. Any more detailed ideas on reusing it? I would like it to be probably around 4 foot tall if i keep it.

Dee - search photos on houzz for room dividers - the problem with one 4' high is that it starts to feel very traditional and I thought you wanted to maintain a more contemporary feel. Look around here and you will find some excellent inspiration. To reuse the wood, just prime it all and put one coat of paint on before you build with it, then you will only have to do touch up and caulking once it is built.

What happens when you open the door? Does cold air blow in? If it does, maybe library shelves packed solid with books would protect people on the other side of the divider (shelves) from cold air - or the whoosh of air that you sometimes get if it's windy. But the shelves would have to go from floor to ceiling and be almost like a solid wall.