Executive Summary
- Manufaktur X's European 3D configurator logged 23,316 custom room divider configurations during May 2026, representing a month-on-month increase of approximately 6.4% compared with April 2026 and marking the strongest single-month configuration volume recorded for this product category in the current year.
- Anthracite and matte black finishes together accounted for just over 54% of all colour selections, consolidating the industrial aesthetic as the dominant design language across European markets - though Nordic and Benelux buyers showed a measurably stronger appetite for lighter, natural-tone frames than the European average.
- Clear float glass remained the most-configured glass type at 38.7% share, yet frosted and satin-etched variants posted the sharpest month-on-month gains, collectively rising 3.1 percentage points, signalling a shift toward privacy-conscious configurations in residential settings.
- The most frequently configured room divider footprint was 160-180 cm wide by 220-240 cm tall, aligning with standard European ceiling heights and open-plan living conversions, while wider multi-panel configurations (above 240 cm) grew 2.3 percentage points compared with April.
- The average configured price across Europe reached EUR 2,847 in May 2026, up EUR 134 from April, driven partly by a shift toward taller, wider steel-and-glass units and an increase in configurations that included an integrated door panel.
Key Findings
The following findings are drawn directly from configurator session data and reflect the choices made by visitors across all of Manufaktur X's national online stores in Europe during May 2026.
- Configuration volume rose 6.4% month-on-month. The 23,316 sessions recorded in May compare with 21,913 in April 2026. The increase is consistent with seasonal patterns: warmer months tend to drive renovation planning activity, particularly for open-plan residential conversions and loft-style commercial interiors. Daily output averaged 751.5 configurations, while the weekly average reached approximately 5,329.
- Anthracite leads all colour choices at 31.2%, up 1.4 PP from April. Anthracite has been the top-ranked colour in Manufaktur X's European configurator for six consecutive months, but its share is growing rather than plateauing. The increase likely reflects continued crossover from the contract hospitality sector, where designers are specifying partition walls with a steel-and-glass industrial room divider aesthetic.
- Matte black held second place at 23.1%, a slight decline of 0.7 PP. Matte black remains structurally popular - particularly in German, Austrian and Swiss markets - but the marginal dip suggests buyers are exploring differentiated dark tones such as dark graphite and charcoal rather than retreating toward lighter palettes. This is a nuance worth monitoring in coming months.
- Clear float glass was selected in 38.7% of configurations, down 1.6 PP. The modest decline does not signal a reversal of clear-glass preference so much as a redistribution of demand toward privacy glass alternatives. Frosted glass climbed to 21.4% (up 2.0 PP) and satin-etched glass reached 13.8% (up 1.1 PP), together absorbing most of the share shift from clear float.
- Integrated door panels appeared in 41.3% of all configurations, up 2.8 PP. The room divider with door option was the single most impactful structural trend in May. Buyers who configure a divider with an integrated sliding or hinged door panel spend on average EUR 680 more than those choosing a fixed partition, which partly explains the upward movement in average configured price.
- The 160-180 cm width band was the most common, covering 28.6% of configurations. However, the 200-240 cm width band grew to 19.3% (up 2.3 PP), reinforcing the trend toward larger, more architectural room dividers that function as full spatial interventions rather than decorative screens.
- Steel-and-glass frame material dominated at 67.4%, with solid wood frames at 22.9% and mixed steel-wood hybrid at 9.7%. The hybrid category, though still a minority, was the fastest-growing material choice, up 1.9 PP versus April. This reflects emerging buyer interest in warmth-and-industrial combinations, particularly in Scandinavian and Dutch residential markets.
- Single fixed panel configurations declined 3.1 PP to 24.7% of total volume. Buyers are increasingly moving away from purely decorative single-panel dividers toward functional multi-panel and door-integrated systems. This structural shift has been consistent across the past three months and appears durable.
- The median configured price was EUR 2,510, with a wide interquartile range spanning EUR 1,780 to EUR 3,640. The distribution is positively skewed, indicating a meaningful subset of buyers configuring premium large-format or multi-panel made-to-measure room dividers well above the median.
- French and Spanish configurator sessions showed the strongest month-on-month growth in volume, at 11.2% and 9.7% respectively. Both markets are in earlier stages of adoption relative to the German-speaking core, suggesting that pan-European demand for custom room dividers is broadening rather than concentrating.
Data Source
This report is grounded in configuration session data captured by Manufaktur X's proprietary 3D online configurator, which is embedded across the brand's national storefronts serving Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, among others. Every configuration included in this analysis was initiated and completed within the calendar month of May 2026 - specifically between 1 May 2026 and 31 May 2026.
Before analysis, the raw session log was subjected to a structured cleaning process. Duplicate sessions - defined as identical parameter sets submitted within the same browser session or within a 30-minute window from the same device fingerprint - were removed. Configurations flagged as internal test runs (originating from Manufaktur X's own IP ranges) were excluded. Incomplete configurations, meaning sessions where fewer than four of the seven primary parameter categories were filled before the session was abandoned, were also excluded from the final analytical dataset. Geographic filtering was applied to restrict the sample to visitors with a confirmed European billing or shipping address or a European-country store as their entry point. The resulting clean dataset of 23,316 configurations forms the entire basis of this report. No external survey data, third-party panel data, or estimated figures have been blended into the dataset.
Methodology
The analytical sample comprises exactly 23,316 completed custom room divider configurations recorded across Manufaktur X's European configurator network during May 2026. Data collection was fully automated: each time a visitor finalised a configuration - either by saving it, requesting a quote, or adding the item to a project basket - the parameter set was timestamped and logged to a centralised analytics repository.
Segmentation was applied across seven primary dimensions: frame colour and finish, glass type, overall width, overall height, structural style (single panel, multi-panel, door-integrated, etc.), frame material, and configured price tier. For each dimension, absolute frequency counts were converted to percentage shares of the 23,316 total. Month-on-month changes are calculated against the April 2026 clean dataset (21,913 configurations) and expressed in percentage points (PP). Where regional breakdowns are presented, the denominator shifts to the relevant country or regional sub-sample. Price figures are denominated in euros (EUR) throughout, with non-eurozone country configurations converted at the May 2026 average exchange rates relevant to each market. All findings are descriptive rather than inferential; no predictive modelling or weighting has been applied to the raw configuration frequencies.
Configuration Volume
Manufaktur X's European configurator received 23,316 completed custom room divider configurations during May 2026. Across the 31 days of the month, this produces a daily average of 751.5 configurations and a weekly average of approximately 5,329. Both figures represent meaningful increases over April 2026, which delivered 21,913 configurations (daily average: 730.4; weekly average: 5,036). The month-on-month increase of 1,403 configurations, or 6.4%, is the largest single-month gain in this product category since September 2025.
Configuration activity was not evenly distributed across the month. The first two weeks of May accounted for roughly 43% of total volume, consistent with the post-bank-holiday surge common in several European markets (including France and Germany) following the early May public holiday cluster. A secondary peak occurred in the final week of May, which analysts associate with end-of-month project deadline pressure from both residential buyers and contract specifiers.
Weekday configurations outpaced weekend sessions by a ratio of approximately 68% to 32%, which is consistent with the hypothesis that a significant share of Manufaktur X's European custom room divider audience includes architects, interior designers, and fit-out contractors who engage with the Room Divider configurator during working hours. Weekend sessions tended to skew toward smaller, residential-scale configurations at lower price points.
Top Colours
Colour selection is one of the most diagnostically useful configurator dimensions for Manufaktur X's product range, because it frequently signals the buyer's intended interior context - industrial loft, Scandinavian residential, contemporary commercial, or traditional warm-toned domestic.
| Rank | Colour / Finish | May 2026 Share | April 2026 Share | Change vs Previous Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthracite | 31.2% | 29.8% | +1.4 PP |
| 2 | Matte Black | 23.1% | 23.8% | -0.7 PP |
| 3 | White / Off-White | 14.6% | 14.1% | +0.5 PP |
| 4 | Dark Graphite | 9.4% | 8.7% | +0.7 PP |
| 5 | Natural Oak / Light Wood | 7.8% | 8.3% | -0.5 PP |
| 6 | Charcoal Grey | 6.1% | 6.6% | -0.5 PP |
| 7 | Warm Beige / Sand | 4.2% | 4.9% | -0.7 PP |
| 8 | Olive / Sage Green | 2.1% | 1.7% | +0.4 PP |
| 9 | Other / Custom RAL | 1.5% | 2.1% | -0.6 PP |
Anthracite's continued ascent to 31.2% underlines its status as the default colour choice for buyers seeking an industrial room divider aesthetic without committing to the starker contrast of pure matte black. Notably, dark graphite also gained 0.7 PP, suggesting that buyers are exploring the space between anthracite and black rather than migrating toward lighter tones. The combined dark-tone family (anthracite, matte black, dark graphite, charcoal grey) represents 69.8% of all May configurations - a slight increase from 68.9% in April.
White and off-white ticked up modestly to 14.6%, driven primarily by Scandinavian and Dutch buyers who more frequently combine a steel-and-glass partition wall with minimalist white interiors. The small but notable rise of olive and sage green to 2.1% is worth tracking: this appears to be an emerging lifestyle colour trend filtering from soft furnishing and kitchen markets into architectural partition products.
According to Manufaktur X configurator data, anthracite has been the top colour choice for custom room dividers in Europe for six consecutive months, with its share growing from 27.3% in November 2025 to 31.2% in May 2026.
Top Glass Types
Glass selection is the primary functional differentiator in a made-to-measure glass room divider, balancing light transmission, privacy, and aesthetic character. May 2026 saw a clear redistribution of share from clear float toward privacy-enhancing alternatives.
| Rank | Glass Type | May 2026 Share | April 2026 Share | Change vs Previous Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clear Float Glass | 38.7% | 40.3% | -1.6 PP |
| 2 | Frosted Glass | 21.4% | 19.4% | +2.0 PP |
| 3 | Satin-Etched Glass | 13.8% | 12.7% | +1.1 PP |
| 4 | Reeded / Fluted Glass | 11.2% | 10.3% | +0.9 PP |
| 5 | Smoked / Bronze-Tinted Glass | 7.6% | 8.1% | -0.5 PP |
| 6 | Wire Glass / Industrial Grid | 4.3% | 4.8% | -0.5 PP |
| 7 | Solid Wood Panel (no glass) | 3.0% | 4.4% | -1.4 PP |
The rise of frosted glass to 21.4% and satin-etched glass to 13.8% is the most structurally significant shift in May's glass data. Taken together, these two privacy-oriented glass types account for 35.2% of all configurations - approaching the share held by clear float glass. This trend is consistent with an increasing proportion of buyers using room dividers in residential bedroom-to-living-area separations and home-office partitions, where visual privacy is a functional requirement rather than an aesthetic preference.
Reeded and fluted glass, which carries strong connotations of 1970s-influenced and Japandi-inspired interiors, rose to 11.2%, confirming a trend observed across European interior design media in the first half of 2026. Smoked and bronze-tinted glass, by contrast, dipped slightly, suggesting the material's peak period of popularity may have passed in mainstream configurator use, though it retains a loyal segment particularly in French and Spanish markets.
The decline of solid-wood-panel (no glass) configurations to 3.0% is notable: buyers who want a fully opaque partition appear to be moving toward the solid-wood frame with frosted glass combination rather than a fully opaque timber panel, indicating that light diffusion - even partial - remains a priority.
Top Dimensions
Dimensional preferences in custom room dividers are shaped by a combination of architectural realities (standard European ceiling heights, floor-plan widths in apartment typologies) and stylistic ambitions. May 2026 data shows a clear trend toward taller and wider configurations.
| Rank | Width Range (cm) | May 2026 Share | April 2026 Share | Change vs Previous Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 160 - 180 cm | 28.6% | 29.4% | -0.8 PP |
| 2 | 120 - 160 cm | 23.1% | 24.2% | -1.1 PP |
| 3 | 200 - 240 cm | 19.3% | 17.0% | +2.3 PP |
| 4 | 80 - 120 cm | 14.7% | 15.6% | -0.9 PP |
| 5 | 240 - 300 cm | 9.8% | 8.4% | +1.4 PP |
| 6 | Above 300 cm | 4.5% | 5.4% | -0.9 PP |
| Rank | Height Range (cm) | May 2026 Share | April 2026 Share | Change vs Previous Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 220 - 240 cm | 34.2% | 35.1% | -0.9 PP |
| 2 | 240 - 260 cm | 22.8% | 20.9% | +1.9 PP |
| 3 | 200 - 220 cm | 18.4% | 19.7% | -1.3 PP |
| 4 | 260 - 280 cm | 12.1% | 10.8% | +1.3 PP |
| 5 | 280 - 300 cm | 7.3% | 7.9% | -0.6 PP |
| 6 | Above 300 cm | 5.2% | 5.6% | -0.4 PP |
The 160-180 cm width band remains the most commonly configured, though its share edged down 0.8 PP as buyers shifted into wider formats. The 200-240 cm and 240-300 cm bands were the clear growth areas, collectively gaining 3.7 PP. This is consistent with the increasing prevalence of large open-plan residential and hospitality spaces across European urban markets, where a single narrow panel would be visually insufficient to define a zone.
On the height axis, 220-240 cm retains a plurality at 34.2%, reflecting the ceiling heights typical of post-war European apartment stock. However, the 240-260 cm and 260-280 cm bands both grew meaningfully, suggesting a segment of buyers - likely those in newer-build properties or converted industrial spaces - who are configuring floor-to-ceiling partition walls that serve as genuine architectural features. The typical configured room divider in May 2026 was approximately 170 cm wide and 230 cm tall, representing a modest but measurable increase in both dimensions compared with February 2026.
Top Styles
Structural style refers to the overall panel and door configuration of the room divider - whether it functions as a fixed partition, incorporates a sliding or hinged door, features multiple panels, or includes a transom above the door opening.
| Rank | Style / Configuration Type | May 2026 Share | April 2026 Share | Change vs Previous Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fixed Multi-Panel Partition | 33.9% | 34.8% | -0.9 PP |
| 2 | Partition with Integrated Sliding Door | 27.6% | 24.9% | +2.7 PP |
| 3 | Single Fixed Panel | 24.7% | 27.8% | -3.1 PP |
| 4 | Partition with Hinged Door | 8.2% | 7.4% | +0.8 PP |
| 5 | Multi-Panel with Transom | 5.6% | 5.1% | +0.5 PP |
The most significant style-level trend in May was the 2.7 PP growth of the partition with integrated sliding door style, which reached 27.6%. When combined with the hinged door variant, configurations that incorporate a functional door element now account for 35.8% of total volume - almost matching the share of fixed multi-panel partitions and far exceeding the single-panel format. This shift reflects a broader buyer logic: if you are investing in a made-to-measure room divider, adding a door transforms the product from decorative into genuinely architectural, enabling proper room separation without a structural wall. The Loft Door product range is often referenced alongside room divider configurations for buyers who require a matching aesthetic across multiple openings in the same space.
The decline of the single fixed panel to 24.7% (down 3.1 PP) is the sharpest style-level movement in May's data and confirms a trend that has been running for at least three consecutive months. It appears that buyers who might previously have selected a decorative single-panel screen are now either upsizing to multi-panel systems or adding door functionality - in either case investing more meaningfully in the space-planning role of the product.
Average Price Analysis
Configured prices across 23,316 custom room divider sessions ranged from a minimum of EUR 890 (a compact single-panel solid-wood divider in a standard finish) to a maximum of EUR 11,240 (a wide multi-panel floor-to-ceiling steel-and-glass partition with integrated sliding door and custom RAL finish). The full price distribution is summarised below.
| Price Metric | May 2026 (EUR) | April 2026 (EUR) | Change vs Previous Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Configured Price | 2,847 | 2,713 | +134 |
| Median Configured Price | 2,510 | 2,420 | +90 |
| Lower Quartile (25th Percentile) | 1,780 | 1,710 | +70 |
| Upper Quartile (75th Percentile) | 3,640 | 3,490 | +150 |
| Minimum Configured Price | 890 | 870 | +20 |
| Maximum Configured Price | 11,240 | 10,980 | +260 |
The EUR 134 rise in average configured price between April and May 2026 is attributable to three concurrent factors. First, the shift toward wider and taller configurations directly increases material costs in a made-to-measure product where price scales with surface area. Second, the growth of the integrated sliding door style adds a mechanically complex and material-intensive element that carries a meaningful premium. Third, the growth of frosted and satin-etched glass options - which carry a modest unit price premium over clear float - has a small but measurable additive effect at the portfolio level.
The gap between the average (EUR 2,847) and median (EUR 2,510) prices reflects the positive skew of the distribution: a minority of configurations in the EUR 6,000-EUR 11,000 range pull the mean upward. The median is therefore the more representative figure for a typical buyer. Most buyers in May configured a room divider in the EUR 1,800-EUR 3,600 range, which encompasses the mid-market segment of Manufaktur X's custom partition offering.
Regional Insights
While the European aggregate provides the headline picture, meaningful country-level variation exists in how buyers approach custom room divider configurations. The following observations are drawn from the sub-sample data available by country of origin within the 23,316 total.
Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH region) collectively accounted for the largest share of May configurations at approximately 38.4% of total volume. DACH buyers showed the strongest preference for matte black frames (26.3% vs 23.1% European average) and for clear float glass (41.2% vs 38.7%). The typical DACH configuration was also slightly narrower on average, clustering more heavily in the 120-160 cm width band - consistent with the common German apartment layout, where room dividers are often used within rooms of moderate width.
France contributed roughly 14.7% of configurations and showed the strongest index for smoked and bronze-tinted glass (11.4% vs 7.6% European average), reflecting the influence of Haussmann-era interior aesthetics and a broader French design preference for warmer, more amber-toned materials. French buyers also over-indexed for warm beige and sand frame colours relative to the European average.
The Netherlands and Belgium showed a combined profile characterised by higher-than-average uptake of reeded and fluted glass (16.8% vs 11.2%) and a stronger preference for the natural oak and light wood finish (14.1% vs 7.8%), aligning with the strong Scandinavian design influence in Benelux residential interiors.
Sweden and Denmark - while smaller in absolute configuration volume - showed the highest average configured prices at EUR 3,210 and EUR 3,080 respectively, driven by a higher rate of door-integrated configurations and larger dimensional selections. Nordic buyers also showed the highest rate of hybrid steel-wood frame selection (16.2% vs 9.7% European average).
Spain posted the fastest month-on-month growth in configuration volume at 9.7%, suggesting an accelerating market. Spanish configurations were notable for a stronger-than-average preference for frosted glass (26.1% vs 21.4%), which analysts associate with the Spanish residential tradition of creating semi-enclosed spaces within open layouts - a functional use case where privacy glass is architecturally logical.
Poland and the Czech Republic