Take Empty Corners from Awkward to Awesome

As you scan the rooms in your home, do you notice that your corner walls don’t coordinate with the rest of your space and wonder what went wrong? After all, you painted the walls in a beautiful color, bought stylish furniture (and even splurged on an Eames Lounge Chair), handpicked great decor items, and chose the perfect modern lighting fixtures. But when your eye reaches the corner wall, the flow stops, and it feels like something is missing. 

The problem is you’ve got empty corners. Empty corners can make an otherwise inviting room appear awkward and feel out of place. But with the right decoration tips, you can transform a dull corner into a place of purpose, style, and inspiration. Read on for 8 imaginative ways to decorate empty corners.

With the right ideas, empty corner spaces can become a focal point worth exploring! 

1. Plant an Herb Garden 

Basil, rosemary, parsley, and thyme–– we love how dreamy herbs smell in a kitchen and taste in our favorite dishes and sauces. Decorating a corner with fresh herbs is a great way to add a touch of nature to an empty space. To grow a corner herb garden, you only need seeds, water, planters, and a corner that gets four hours of sun a day. Choose a spot near a window or place herbs on a window sill or shelves across a window. A corner in a solarium or sunroom is also ideal for growing an herb garden.

2. Relax In a Yoga or Meditation Zone

Zones aren’t just for nurseries. You can feed your soul by practicing your downward dog in a yoga zone or reflecting in a meditation space. Pick up some comfy floor pillows, a small table, candles, greenery, and incense to design the space. To practice yoga, all you need is a yoga mat, a routine, and some essential oils in a reed diffuser to permeate the air. Complete your zen with touch green elevated on the perfect little floaties.

3. Make a Statement With a Bar Nook

Serve and enjoy hors d'oeuvres, meals, and libations in style with an elegant bar nook. Use floating shelf units to display your favorite libations and fancy glassware, sure to elevate your space and impress your guests.

4. Organize a Functional Foyer

If you don’t have a mudroom with shelving and cubbies, an entryway corner near the front door is an ideal place for unloading outerwear. Pick up a small bench or chair for a place to sit to remove shoes. To organize the space effectively, you can store footwear neatly in a shoe rack to avoid trips and falls and hang jackets, caps, and keys on colorful hooks. Add a layer of style with a floating shelf to display your favorite pictures or frequently used items. 

5. Carve Out a Cozy Cafe Corner

Do you have a corner in the kitchen that’s too small for a full-size breakfast nook or counter space sitting empty and looking sad? That’s the perfect space for an intimate cafe corner. All you need is a few floating shelves to elevate the space and give all your coffee and tea essentials a home. For an authentic cafe ambiance, hang coffee and tea cups with hooks and add a few books, greenery, and seasonal decor on those beautiful shelves.

6. Design a Gallery Wall

Create a focal gallery wall with our Verne Wall Mounted Shelves, built to be modular for any space. Featuring rich wood tones and cold-hard-steel framing, this diverse ladder-inspired shelving system is a perfect gallery wall for adding dimension and visual interest to an empty corner. Choose a theme such as nature prints, black and white art, or photography. You can coordinate picture frames in the same colors or finish, such as gold, chrome, black, or white. Vary the size of pieces from large to small and horizontal and vertical, and make sure to leave three to six inches of space between frames on the top, bottom, and sides. 

7. Set Up a Corner Office

Whether you're a college student living at home or have a hybrid job, you'll need a home office space where you can be productive. Luckily, your home has many corners to set up shop, buckle down, and get work done. For a corner office, you’ll need a desk or table with storage, a desk lamp, an electrical outlet to plug in your electronics, and a comfortable desk chair, unless you prefer a standing desk. To create an inspiring workspace, decorate the corner with leafy plants on shelves and add a mildly scented candle with a pleasant aroma.

8. Create a Kid’s Library Corner

If your kid’s bedroom has a blank corner, consider using the space for a kid’s library. With young kids at home, a corner library is a great space to store books for bedtime stories. Select books together–– and remember to let your child turn the page. Shelves like our Fat Lippie Picture Ledges with lipped edges keep books from falling and make for a great shelving idea for younger children. Whether their favorite collections are Winnie the Pooh, Dr. Seuss, or your kids are older and prefer graphic novels, a library will foster their love for language.

No matter the corner, vertical organization is a great way to remove clutter and make use of the awkward space. Whether you hang floating shelves, install a set of bookshelves, or choose a narrow piece of furniture, a corner with vertical organization can maximize wall space. Put a floating shelf unit with baskets in a family room to quickly pick up toys or in an office area to access important folders quickly. Bookshelves and floating shelves that feature open space do double duty by helping to organize a space while displaying home decor and books. Explore our shelf solutions today!