Whether it's due to a staircase or just an architectural quirk, it can be difficult to know how to decorate a corner space. Alcoves, under stair areas, the intersection of a roof slope and a room, protruding walls and columns, or odd room designs leave many houses with a non-standard corner space that can be awkward to decorate.
To help you with this dilemma, we've assembled a number of innovative ideas to put that strangely shaped corner space to excellent use.
Mirrors
No matter how small or oddly shaped your room corner is, you can always find a mirror that'll look great. Instead of just relying on a single, standard square mirror, consider more playful designs like two or more circular mirrors as these will help soften the visual edge of the weird corner and create the illusion of more space and volume.
Command Station
By making good use of a quarter-circle shelf and message boards on the walls, an odd corner is a great place to set up a "command station." Fun ideas include charging cables for your mobile devices, office supplies, push pins for your message board, letter sorter for bills and important documents, or a whiteboard for jotting down ideas and inspirational quotes. Also consider adding shelving, baskets, wall hooks, and organizers to truly make it a home office/command station.
Plants
You can go with a big planter and tall plant to add lots of vivacity and colour to the space or stick with a small table and flowering plant to add a touch of whimsy and living energy to your awkward corner. For truly odd-size corners, consider grouping several houseplants together, keeping in mind their tolerance and need for direct sunlight.
Another innovative idea is suspending a hanging plant from the ceiling, which looks especially great if it's the type that tends to produce long, hanging tendrils like grape ivy.
Curved Chair/Sofa
Depending on how big the awkward corner space is, you may be able to find a great piece of furniture that will serve as an excellent visual anchor to the room. Choose chairs with a rounded back for a small corner space or vintage-style rounded sofas for larger odd-shaped room corners. If you can't find a good curved chair, try a high-backed chair as they will do a great job of softening the awkward lines of the corner.
Once you've got the right furniture, the odd corner will make for a great place for a little reading nook.
Pyramid Shelves
Freestanding shelves are an excellent choice for odd corners and intersections, especially the pyramid or tripod styles. You can use them to display dishes, art objects, books, or even plants.
Hanging Chair
If the ceiling can support it, a hanging chair, particularly the wicker style, makes for an excellent addition to any oddball corner or room angle. Even if you don't use it much for sitting, it adds a lovely touch to the room's atmosphere, especially if you're going for a rustic look.
Mini Closet
Although it won't have a door, you can easily add a steel bar or wooden dowel across to bridge the gap of a room corner and use it to hang clothes. This is a great idea if you want to display chic retro items or rarely worn party dresses. You can also use the corner closet to keep accessories like ties, scarves, and off-season jackets.
Art Gallery
Whether it's framed photos, cool vintage prints, or just funky artwork that doesn't fit in elsewhere, any small, oddly-shaped room corner can be used as an art gallery.
Ladder
If you've got a step ladder that is difficult to find a home for, why not set it up in your odd corner? To soften the lines, you can consider using it to store blankets, throw rugs, or extra pillows. And if you truly use the ladder only very rarely, you can create a DIY ladder shelf unit.
You can also use the odd corner to store other tall, rarely used items like a surfboard, paddleboard, statuary, or ironing board. Displaying personal, lifestyle items you already own is a simple and affordable décor idea to update your living room.
Corner Table
Whether you convert a standard table or go with a pre-made corner table, these items are perfectly designed to make great use of small corner spaces. Alternatively, one inexpensive DIY project to upcycle furniture is to cut a table in half and mount the legless side to the wall. This gives you a useable surface that doesn't take up much space – perfect for corners!
Television
With the right mounting brackets, it's fairly simple to set up a television screen to bridge the angles of your awkward corner. Depending on your needs and desires, you could also connect it to a console or computer to create a fun place to enjoy all your favourite video games.
Kid's Table
Depending on the room's size and design, one creative way to make smart use of a corner is by adding a round kid's table along with a couple of chairs. Round tables are more efficient in terms of seating in tight spaces, and a kid's table can work as a place to display plants, photos, or art, even if you don't have children.
Fish Tank
An aquarium is one of those things every pet owner needs in their home, and luckily, they don't just come in the standard rectangular design! Most pet supply stores will have curved fish tanks that are purposefully designed to add a lovely touch to tight corner spaces.
No matter how awkwardly shaped your corner, under stair area, intersection, or wall protrusion is, there's always a way to make smart use of it. Think outside the box when it comes to decorating ideas, and you'll soon find that making good use of an awkward corner will add a lot of positive, fresh energy to the room.
