How To Decorate An Empty Corner Of A Room

Filling the corners of a room can help to make a room feel cozier and more complete. But just how should you decorate these awkward spaces? This post explores a few different ways to decorate the corner of a room.

A chair

Corners of rooms can make snug places to position chairs. In a living room, this could be the perfect location to place an armchair. Alternatively, you could use this space to add a quirkier statement chair like a bean bag chair, a rocking chair or hanging egg chair. Hotel rooms often place chairs in the corner of the room, and you could do the same with an empty corner in your bedroom - this could be used for propping clothes on or sitting down while putting on socks and shoes.

A floor lamp

Gloomy corners can be instantly brightened up by adding a floor lamp. These can provide a softer light to a living room or bedroom in the morning/evening when you may want to rely on an intense overhead light. Alternatively, they can be used in conjunction with an overhead light to provide layered lighting. Floor lamps can also be placed behind TVs in corners of rooms to reduce glare on the screen and prevent eye strain. There are many styles of traditional and modern floor lamps that you can choose from.

A mirror

The corner of a room could be a great place to prop a full length mirror. The bedroom and hallway are likely to be the most practical rooms for this. On top of allowing you to see your reflection, mirrors can help brighten a room and create the illusion of added space in a tiny room. You could choose a classic framed mirror or a modern frameless mirror.

A large houseplant

You could also spruce up the corner of a room by adding a large houseplant. A bird of paradise plant, a kentia palm or a fiddle-leaf fig could all be good choices. Houseplants can add an explosion of color, help improve air quality and make a room feel more peaceful. Just make sure there is a nearby widow that is providing the plant with enough sunlight (regularly rotate the plant for even leaf growth in all directions).

A reading nook

Love reading books? The corner of a room could make an excellent reading nook. If you’ve got a window in the corner of the room, you could convert the windowsill into a seat, allowing you to read on the windowsill. Alternatively, if there is no window you could simply add an armchair or install a corner seat (shelves of books could be installed on the walls above or below the corner seat).

A ladder shelf

There are a few different storage units that can nestle in the corner of a room. One stylish option is a ladder shelf. This is a shelf with a distinct ladder shape with larger shelves towards the bottom and smaller shelves near the top. Ladder shelves can be designed to lean against a wall or corner, but are more commonly fastened to a wall or have four legs to provide sturdiness. These shelving units are great for displaying photos, ornaments and cards.

A corner cabinet

It’s possible to buy specialist cabinets that have a right angle triangle shape, allowing them to slot into the corner of a room. This maximizes the entire corner space. Such cabinets can be great for storing ornaments and books in a living room, or can be used to store special dinnerware or glasses in a dining room. Specialist corner cabinets can meanwhile be bought for kitchens for fitting under or over a countertop. You can explore different styles of corner cabinets online.

A desk

The corner of a room is also a popular place to position a desk. As with cabinets, you can buy triangular shaped desks designed for placing in a corner. Such a desk could be used for working from home, studying or gaming depending on the location. Facing a corner while at a desk isn’t particularly inspiring, so make sure to decorate the walls with things that will inspire you - this could be a great place for hanging a pinboard, a calendar, collages of photos or a small gallery of tiny paintings.

A mini bar

You could also add a mini-bar to the corner of a living room or dining room. This could allow you to conveniently grab a drink or some snacks without having to go into the kitchen. A mini bar could be something as simple as a cabinet, or you could buy a mini-fridge for storing some cold drinks and snacks. A drinks trolley could be a more classic option. Alternatively, you could actually install a bar countertop in the corner of the room.

A coffee station

An alternative use for a corner of a room could be a coffee station. This could consist of a corner table containing a kettle or even a coffee machine. Such a coffee station could be placed in a dining room or living room - or even a bedroom, allowing you to make a coffee to enjoy in bed in the morning. Make sure to also supply mugs, spoons, coffee, sugar (if you take it) and some milk (you could use UHT milk or add a fridge containing some chilled milk)

A record player

If you’re a music fan, the corner of a room could be a great place to add a record player. This could be on top of a table or even atop a cabinet containing a small library or records. Alternatively, you could place a CD player here, or even simply a bluetooth speaker for streaming music from.

A grandfather clock

A more unusual item for placing in a corner could be a grandfather clock. These dramatic timepieces are a great statement feature in a living room or a dining room. You could choose a modern grandfather clock or go shopping for an antique clock to add some history to the room.