Chic Corner Decoration Ideas for Every Awkward Nook (2023)

Read McKendree

Set Up a Bar or Coffee Station

If you have a spare corner that also happens to be a tiny linen closet, use it for something fun, like a home bar or coffee station. Incorporate color for a playful surprise when you open the door. Designer Jean Liu lined the backs of the shelves in a mirrored backsplash for an extra pop of glitz. And if you don't have a closet, a decked-out bar cart will do the trick.

A Wine Rack Will Do Too

This freestanding storage piece hits the small-space home bar jackpot. It's slim enough to slide into a corner without blocking any prime usable space, and the minimalist design ensures that it doesn't take up too much visual real estate either. That way, we can focus on the superb lines of this sofa in a living room by ETC.etera.

Decorate the Windowsills

To make sure every last corner is in its best shape, decorate the windowsills with plants. This is your chance to display those pretty vases and ceramics.

Make Your Own "Bar Cart"

Fitz Pullins used a small cabinet to prop up barware and hold glasses in this dining room. This is a great alternative for anyone who doesn't want to splurge on a new bar cart and can repurpose an exister dresser or nightstand.

Fill the Corner Cart With Plants

Or, take note of this cheerful sunroom designed by Heather Chadduck Hillegas and adorn your corner bar cart with plants instead of barware. If a door opens up into the room, slide the cart a bit away from the corner so it's in full view (and isn't constantly being whacked).

Give It a Sense of Purpose

Give your formerly unused corner a real sense of purpose by setting up a workstation you'll actually use in it. Always wanted a vanity but didn't have a walk-in closet to put it in? Transform a bedroom corner, like Kate Reid did, with a small desk, chair, lamp, and mirror.

Slide in a Pedetsal

A tall pedestal or column is the perfect thing to put in a narrow or awkward corner. It can give you a place for catch-alls or vases. Thione in an entryway by Corinne Mathern Studio blends right in.

Set up a Vignette

In small nooks, use a few pieces to contribute to the narrative of the rest of the home without making it feel cluttered. Designer Jae Joo used an antique dresser for extra storage and topped it with a few decorative objects and hung artwork behind it for balance.

Hang a Gallery Wall

You don't need a large wall for your dream gallery—a corner works nicely. Use a blank space to create an eye-catching, asymmetric display. For an even more swoon-worthy backdrop, paint your walls in a new color. We're digging this charcoal corner by Elizabeth Cooper Design.

Hang a Chair

Nothing ramps up the fun like a playful touch in the family room. This handsome leather chair in a living room designed by Romanek Design Studio is proves our point. It's the perfect blend of cozy and cool.

Build Corner Shelves

Free wall space makes a great backdrop for a built-in bookcase, or in a kitchen like this on by Reath Design, a place for spices and other pantry goods. This custom corner shelving connects the two walls visually and adds some angular contrast to the round lights.

Display a Screen

A sculptural folding screen can function like a piece of art, and thanks to the flexible, bendable nature, they're also perfect for customizing to a corner.

Choose a Sectional Wisely

In a living room or family room, a sectional is the perfect seating option to fit right into a corner. The shape also promotes easier conversation, making it perfect for entertaining and family nights.

Set Up a Place for Odds and Endss

If there's an awkward corner by the entryway, turn it into something useful, like a console or pedestal. Use it to prop up flowers and a catch-all for odds and ends.

Rearrange Furniture

Whoever said minimalism can't be cozy will definitely rethink things when they see this living room by Space Exploration Design. the side table is nestled into the corner and flanked by the sofa for extra surface area to hold accent lighting and artwork.

Install a Corner Shelf

In this small bathroom designed by Corinne Mathern Studios, the tiny shelf transforms an awkward corner (what else would you be able to do with that limited space?) into something stylish and practical. It's just large enough to fit a select few cosmetics or a vase with flowers. Either keep it at the same heigh as the sink, or put it right between the sink and mirror.

Slide In a Vanity

If you have extra space in a bedroom corner, slide up a slim vanity table and stool. It'll be a nice place to perch while you get ready each morning and night. Take note from this bedroom designed by 2LG Studio.

Build a Window Nook

Build out a custom window nook for extra seating but also to give a corner more dimension. In this living-room-family-room-hybrid designed by Tamsin Johnson, the window seat is a great addition since it blends into the background when not in use (those sculptural spherical pillows help), but also provides a cozy spot when the occupant just feels like hanging out.

A Look Out Point

If there's a corner in your home with windows that look out onto a scenic landscape, design your interiors around the view. A cozy wood burning stove doesn't hurt either.

Lean Found Objects

Whether its an instrument, antique object, or a random found item, simply leaning something against a corner wall can give it so much more personality. In this layered all-white white living room designed by Leanne Ford, texture is everything.

Add a Large Plant

If you're not interested in building shelves or doing something dramatic, here's a simple solution: Add a small tree, which brings dimension, texture, and a much-needed dose of greenery. We love how the plant reflects the sofa's print in this living room by Arent & Pyke.

Take A Seat

Turn an empty corner into a small sitting area. A spare attic room with sloped ceilings and a cozy corner is the perfect opportunity to customize guest bedroom. This one designed by Leanne Ford has a curtain separator so it can double as a home office.

Display Accent Lighting

Art meets décor meets lighting in this unique corner piece styled by Elizabeth Roberts Architecture & Design. For a similar look, lean two tube lights against the corner wall. An floor lamp of any kind will also do the trick.

...or a Small Plant

Large ferns aren't the only plants worth buying: Small plants have their own quirky charm. To make sure it's not just your floors getting some love, hang a plant high up on the corner wall. We also love the how the folding screen brings dimension into the space and shields the empty corner.

Customize a Breakfast Nook

A small breakfast nook like this one designed by Arent & Pyke the perfect way to spruce up an empty kitchen corner. Snuggle a bench or settee right up against the wall, or build a custom booth fit to the shape of your corner. And floating shelves and artwork will energize the walls.

Store Extra Clothing

Hanging your clothes in the open can be chic—although it's true that this trick works best in a large, airy, open space. We love the look of this iron clothes rack.

Set Up A Work Space

Here's proof that a run-of-the-mill corner can also be a productivity-boosting (and stylish) command station. Get inspired by this desk area designed by Elizabeth Roberts and use your extra space to get organized by building a central spot that fulfills all of your needs. Think phone chargers, a memo board, and useable work space.

Extra Storage

A corner is the perfect place for extra storage pieces, like an umbrella bin, coat rack, or corner unit. They're particularly well suited for entryways and mud rooms, where outdoor gear and extra layers tend to pile up.

Opt for Wall-to-Wall Furniture

Dining rooms have some of the trickiest corners to decorate in the entire house. To transform it from a blank white box to a lively space, large-scale armoires and storage units will be your new best friends. In this dining room, Regan Baker Design chose one that that fills the entire wall (it's a great storage solution, too).

Display Sculptures

A lackluster living room or entryway corner can be transformed by a sculpture or piece of artwork. Even a large-scale and colorful basket propped on the floor makes a big difference, especially when it reflects the tones and moods of the painting above it, as in this space designed by Arent & Pyke.