No Nails Needed: Renter’s Tricks for Decorating that Awkward Space Above the Sofa

If you have the luxury of being able to drive a nail into the wall above your sofa, you’d never call such an open, blank canvas “awkward.” But for many renters, the over-the-sofa space can be a source of frustration. What exactly can I do there?

The answer? One of these three creative ideas:

Technically, the installation above from Hello Lidy‘s family room is a beside-the-sofa solution, but I don’t know why it wouldn’t work anywhere else. A large wire grad is fastened to the wall here with mug hooks, but you could use small, clear command hooks to the same effect. Then hang your art or anything else from the wire, taking care to make sure the whole piece doesn’t get too heavy for the hooks.

Here’s an idea from Brian Patrick Flynn on HGTV: Place a slim console table between the back of the sofa and the wall, and lean your art there. Look for a table that’s the same height or just an inch or two shorter than the back of the sofa.

If you want to display art on the wall above the sofa, you just have to get creative about how you hang it. Poster tack might work on some walls, but here’s a more colorful solution that Michelle Edgemont shared with HGTV: Washi tape.