34 Genius Ideas to Fill Up an Awkward, Empty Corner in Your Home

We’ve all got them—you know, those awkward empty spaces that are a little too small for an accent chair but way too big for just a side table. If blank spaces are making you uncomfortable, the good news is that you’ve got plenty of options for filling them without cluttering up your home.

What are a few of the best empty space solutions? Well, plant parents will be pleased to hear that they have another excuse to go out and buy a few more indoor trees and succulents. Greenery can be a gorgeous way to enliven a living or dining room corner that’s tough to decorate. 

Another great addition for odd spaces are lamps. They’re both useful and decorative. But in order to avoid making a lamp look like a wallflower at a party, it’s smart to style a few complementary pieces around it. This can be as simple as removing several books from where they’re currently stored and stacking them on a small end table. You could also add a piece of art or a tapestry to your setup.  

Below you’ll find several creative ideas for filling all of your awkward corners and bare spots up in the most stylish way possible. Happy decorating!

Looking for a clever design idea that appeals to all of the senses? Hillary Kaplan of Mimi & Hill has an easy way to occupy that awkward corner — and cater to your virtual happy hour. “One way to fill an empty corner is with a wine fridge. But a wine fridge on its own can be an eyesore.” To get around this, hide the wine fridge in a cabinet along with your liquor collection, she suggests. In the above home, Kaplan also added custom shelves to her clients’ setup, but a bar cabinet is a budget-friendly alternative.

Calling all bookworms: That awkward corner could be your opportunity to finally create the reading nook of your dreams. “With many of us still spending a lot of time at home, rethink an empty corner as additional living space, and create a small reading nook,” explains Liana Thomson, EQ3’s accessories product developer.

Want to double down on your reading nook? She says to add an ottoman or accent chair in a calming color such as blue or green; a stool or end table to hold your books and beverages; and a floor lamp that you can direct the light exactly where you need it.

A bookshelf is a surefire way to occupy any awkward corner, but a simple, store-bought option feels a little expected. If you want to make your bookshelf feel a bit more personal to your pad, take a cue from Hannah Broadway, who opted for a corner unit. The result? A well-stocked library that doesn’t take up too much precious square footage.

Why limit your awkward corner to books? Alessandra Wood, Modsy’s vice president of style, is a big proponent of using this unclaimed space as storage. (Stylishly, of course.) While you’re at it, you might want to reconsider your room’s layout.

“You can position furniture towards the corner rather than centering it on a wall. This allows you more wall space for other furniture and decor and eliminates an empty corner,” she explains. “This works particularly well in a living or dining room where you’d like to find space for a bar cabinet or bar cart.”

The world might be going back to some semblance of normalcy, but trust us: The home office trend isn’t leaving any time soon. And, as this Chicago-based home tour proves, it’s possible to squeeze a teeny-tiny desk into your corner. Owners Sam Rosen and Linsey Burritt made the most of the small space with floating shelves and a wall that doubles as a message board.

When in doubt, a great piece of art never fails to zhuzh up your space. “I normally use a sculpture or art for the empty corner,” says Mia Jung, interiors director at Ike Kligerman Barkley. “Art instantly enhances the space and makes it interesting.” Not only can a great sculpture double as a conversation starter, but good art is also available in a bunch of shapes and sizes, so you’re bound to find the perfect match for your home.

Or, if you want to flex your artistic muscle, consider placing an art easel in your awkward corner. (Psst… you can complete the look with a canvas of your latest work in progress, as seen in this grandmillennial house tour above.) Art, decor, and something to do rolled into one formerly awkward corner? Consider us sold.

Let your awkward corner work overtime to create a calm, soothing space.

“A quick guided meditation session is a favorite way to start my mornings, so I created a meditation nook in an empty corner of my apartment by the window sill,” shares Abigail Cook Stone, CEO and co-founder of Otherland. You can achieve a similar vibe by creating an altar-like setup with a stack of books topped with crystals and a candle. Be sure to surround the area with lush greenery for a truly relaxing vibe.

Why settle for one design idea when you can enjoy two? “My grandmother was a collector of interesting chairs and it taught me that chairs can be used as a functional sculpture in most spaces,” designer Kelly Martin says. “You can stick one in the corner and stack books, magazines, or a plant, and they instantly become a funky little addition to your room. The weirder the chair, the better!”

Another perk? Martin says it’s also a good excuse to get a stylish chair that’s not exactly comfortable. That’s right: Your cute, yet impractical stool finally found its home.

If you don’t want to schlep to and from the bathroom to grab all your nighttime skincare essentials, put ’em in your corner. In her Harlem-based bedroom, influencer Folasade Adeoso keeps her favorite lotions and potions in a shallow basket.

If you’re going to fill that awkward corner with something, you might as well make it work for your overall space’s vibe. “A mirrored screen that has antique mirrored panels adds a sculptural statement, while also giving the illusion of a larger space,” explains designer Christina Nielsen. Sure, you can accomplish the same look with any other mirror, but the paneled silhouette seen here can really hug the corner.

Let’s face it: One large plant might be the obvious choice for your awkward corner. But, adding several? Now that’s an innovative alternative. This Chicago-based home has 90 plants — including a handful of leafy greens bunched into a corner. This easy trick gives this living room a tropical feel.

As Kim White’s Brooklyn-based home proves, the only way to go is up. We love how the makeup artist and stylist filled a corner with a slim dresser and hanging planter, drawing the eye upward and emphasizing those high ceilings.

In case you didn’t get the memo, you don’t need to physically put something in an awkward corner to make it pop. For a clutter-free way to make a statement, add an oh-so-trendy painted arch. Let actress Janina Gavankar’s Los Angeles pad show you how it’s done.

If you’re blessed to have a working fireplace in your home, take a cue from this Parisian apartment, which fills an otherwise awkward corner with spare logs. Not only is this super practical — especially when you want to light an impromptu fire — but it’ll also give your space a rustic, casually cool edge.

You know those trinkets you find in a vintage store that are so cool, but you have no idea where to put them? Turns out, they’ll make an excellent addition to your awkward corner. Let this storage rack in designer Emily Rickard’s Bristol home show you the way.

If you want to bring a little more you into your space, fill your empty corner with items that are special to you. Kelli Collins added a surfboard to her tropical home, but a guitar or rolls of leftover fabric will work wonders, too.

More times than not, a television set finds its home in the center of the room. But, if you want to cut down on screen time, try inching it closer to the corner, as Michelle Jones did in her Toronto home. Trust us: This unconventional design move pays off.

Have a furry little friend at home? Place a scratching tree or dog bed in the corner of your room. (Spoiler alert: It’ll look ten times cuter when your little pooch is curled up there!) In her San Francisco rental, Geraldine Silva mastered the look for her dog, Marni.

We’re going to let you in on a little secret: You don’t need to buy a new piece of furniture to create the illusion of a sectional. We love how Neha Paroha placed two matching sofas together — and completed the look with a small accent table. Of course, this idea has more to offer than good looks; it’s practical, too.

Think you don’t have enough room for a gym? Pamela Kaupinen’s 385-square-foot home will prove otherwise. The former Small/Cool winner added a Peloton to the corner of her bedroom. Though she was nervous the bulky equipment would cramp her style, she swapped out the window treatment for lightweight curtains, brightening up the space in the process.

As this Argentinian home proves, you can never have enough storage space. It would’ve been so easy to place a bistro set or spare plant in the corner of the kitchen. Instead, owners Lígia Baleeiro and Ramiro Pena doubled down on storage — and even made a little meal prepping station. Living in a temporary space? You can always recreate the look with a portable kitchen island.

Think of a cute, woven basket as an effective (and super easy!) way to keep your home in tip-top condition. (The one in this San Francisco-based apartment is perfect for stowing spare blankets and children’s toys.) Best of all? It can fit perfectly in that awkward corner.

As for that awkward corner right next to your front door? Make that space work for you with a coat rack. The slim style in this renovated Victorian gets the job done without upstaging the rest of the foyer’s charming features.

Jono Fleming and Ryan McGregor’s Australian home single-handedly convinced us that the coolest way to fill an underutilized corner is by getting creative with wallpaper. This bedroom features two different repeats, but uses a similar color palette to keep the room cohesive. The result? A simple corner that’s eye-catching, not awkward.

Empty entryway corners and stretches of bare wall aren’t always easy to avoid, as they’re awkward spaces to fill. These spots might be highly trafficked, but they’re transitional zones—not rooms you’d really hang out in. For inspiration, look no further than this Amsterdam home’s gorgeous take on an entryway. The mirror and mannequin combo are incredibly bold, eye-catching statement pieces that can also be functional. Moreover, these items take up visual space without adding too much clutter to the room.

If you’re interested in truly transforming a blank spot, follow in the footsteps of these Cape Cod homeowners, who took an odd little wall niche and transformed it into a sleek dry bar. The soft gray cabinetry helps it blend seamlessly into the rest of the room, but the smart, functional use of space is what makes it stand out. This is the perfect place to serve drinks and apps from. Moreover, because there isn’t a sink, you don’t have to have

A rustic ladder makes for a beautiful shelving system in this small NYC studio apartment. The blank corner is instantly made more welcoming with these thoughtful touches, proving that you don’t need to go overboard to fill a corner. A few personalized items will do just fine.

Radiators commonly occupy valuable real estate, and they often do so in corners. The owners of this West Village apartment made the most of the situation by adding a shelf to create a makeshift bar. If you’re radiator-less, you could still follow their lead and set up a small bar, coffee station, or tea tray with the use of a small cart or occasional table.

A basket of throw blankets and extra pillows close at hand makes for an ultra comfy room and no awkward corners. A version like featured in this cozy Indianapolis home is slim, which means that it won’t take up much space and keeps warmth at the ready.

Corners tend to gather shadows, so it’s easy to quickly transform them with some kind of light fixture. In this California cool bungalow, a light makes perfect sense, since the corner is next to the sofa, a common spot for reading. But you can also use this trick in random corners. Add a salt lamp for a soft glow or hang a pendant for some extra drama.

Admittedly, this would take a fairly specific corner, but even when it’s not in use, a hammock can add a splash of color or a bit of softness, as seen in this light-filled Brazilian apartment. Not to mention, a hammock or hanging chair is an unexpected touch that most homes usually only feature outside.

You can remedy bare corners simply by cutting them off with a folding screen. This can help create a little extra separation and privacy, or, as seen in this Burbank apartment’s bedroom, a screen is great for added visual interest.

This triangular table in a Highland Park home provides a place to rest for a plant and a lamp. It also adds some warmth to what otherwise might be a pretty sterile corner.