Decorating Awkward Corners: Clever Tips for Living Room Design

  • * Evaluate awkward corners and alcoves for untapped potential
  • * Build out functional sitting areas with lighting and surface space  
  • * Use floor lamps, tall plants, and shelving to divide large expanses
  • * Maximize oddly shaped nooks with custom built-ins  
  • * Cover problematic architectural features like columns with paint
Transforming Awkward Corners in Living Rooms with Stylish Decorating Solutions.

Decorating an awkward corner in your living room can be challenging, but with these creative ideas, you can transform that unused space into a stylish and functional accent area. This article will provide 10 solutions for making the most of tricky living room corners.

1. Corner Fireplace

Are you struggling to arrange furniture in an awkward living room layout with a corner fireplace? 

✅ Solution: Make the Fireplace a Focal Point

A living room with a brick fireplace and blue couches, perfect for decorating and utilizing awkward corners.
A festively decorated living room with a fireplace and Christmas ornaments.
A living room with a brick fireplace and blue couches, perfect for decorating.
A stylish living room with a brick fireplace and cozy blue chairs.

Position your sofa and chairs around the fireplace to create a central gathering area. Angle furniture toward the hearth and decorate the mantel with art, mirrors, greenery, and candles to draw attention. Leave open floor space to prevent a cramped feeling. 

  • Use the fireplace wall to zone spaces
  • Float furniture away from walls 
  • Incorporate ambient and task lighting

2. Long Blank Wall

Do you have a long, bare wall that makes your living room feel cavernous and unfinished?  

✅ Solution: Divide It with a Vignette

Decorating a living room with awkward corners can be a challenge, but with the right furniture choices, such as a white couch and strategically placed bookshelves, you can transform the space into a
A cozy living room with a couch and a lamp, perfect for decorating with stylish touches in awkward corners.
A living room with a white couch, orange pillows, and awkward corners.

Break up lengthy walls by creating defined sitting and display areas. Use a tall floor lamp or tree to mark one zone, then add accent chairs and tables. Style surfaces with art, plants, and decor objects at varying heights for visual interest.

  • Layer heights and textures  
  • Repeat colors from existing furniture
  • Add task and ambient lighting 

3. TV Corner 

Struggling with what to put in the corner next to your TV?

✅ Solution: Make It a Lounge Zone 

A decorating living room with a tv on the wall.
An impeccably decorated living room with a leather couch and coffee table, perfect for those with awkward corners.
Keywords: living rooms, decorating

Description: A well-decorated living room with tan furniture and a large TV.

Maximize dead space by turning it into a cozy entertainment-viewing nook. Position a comfy armchair facing the TV, then fill in around it with a side table, floor lamp, and pouf ottoman. Top surfaces with drinks, snacks, and remotes for movie nights.

  • Angle chair toward TV
  • Incorporate a side table with lighting
  • Add pillows and throws for comfort

4. Wide Open Corner

Do you have an expansively empty corner that makes your living room seem incomplete?

✅ Solution: Build Out a Reading Nook

A white chair gracefully placed in front of a window, adding elegance to living rooms.
A white chair in a living room.
A chair in front of a bookcase, perfect for decorating living rooms or filling awkward corners.
Decorating an awkward corner in your living room? Consider adding a striped chair in front of a bookcase for an eye-catching touch.

Carve out an inviting little escape perfect for reading by installing a corner shelf with lighting. Underneath, place a cushy chair and ottoman along with a floor lamp. Stack the shelves with books, plants, and decor for a finished look. 

  • Use corner shelf to save floor space 
  • Make it functional with lighting
  • Include seating, surface, and decor

5. Windowless Corner 

Are you struggling with a difficult living room corner that lacks natural light?

✅ Solution: Spotlight Artwork 

Two red chairs in a decorated living room with a painting on the wall.
A decorating challenge - an awkward corner in a living room transformed with two red chairs and a table.
A decorative painting in a living room, beautifying an awkward corner.
Two red chairs placed in front of a painting, perfect for decorating living rooms.

Compensate for the lack of windows by hanging an eye-catching piece of art illuminated with picture lights. The glow will attract attention while brightening up the once-dark space. Flank with stylish accent chairs for a refined vignette.

  • Draw the eye upward 
  • Incorporate targeted lighting
  • Add elegant seating as needed

6. Corner Entryway

Does your living room have an awkward corner right inside the entry door? 

✅ Solution: Build a Console Table Vignette

A console table with pink flowers and a mirror, perfect for decorating small living rooms with awkward corners.
A console table with a pink vase and a mirror, perfect for decorating small living rooms with awkward corners.
Modify Description: A console table with a vase of flowers and a lamp, perfect for decorating living rooms or filling awkward corners.

Take advantage of the high-traffic spot by filling it with storage and display space. Position a narrow console table against the wall topped with everyday essentials like keys, mail, and bags. Style the surface with art, a mirror, and decorative bowls.   

  • Use console table for storage
  • Make it functional but also decorative 
  • Display special items 

7. Angled Corner 

Struggling to configure furniture in a living room with angled corner space?

✅ Solution: Create a Built-In Display

A kitchen with a window and shelves filled with pots and bowls, perfect for decorating.
A white shelf in a room with a window, perfect for decorating living rooms with awkward corners.
A living room with wooden shelves and a chair, decorated to optimize awkward corners.

Maximize the uniquely shaped spot by installing wall-to-wall shelving or cabinetry. Built-ins are ideal for showing off china, books, and collectibles. Consider open shelves, framed glass cabinet doors, and adjustable options for versatility.   

  • Take advantage of the entire space
  • Customize with doors, lighting, and inserts
  • Showcase decor

8. Deep Alcove

Need help with a large, recessed corner in your living room?  

✅ Solution: Outfit It as a Media Center

A white living room with a TV on the wall, decorated to minimize awkward corners.
A white living room with a large painting on the wall, perfect for decorating.
A modern living room with white furniture perfectly decorating an awkward corner, featuring a large TV.

Transform the sizable niche into a sleek entertainment zone. Fill it with a media console and mount the TV on the wall above. Flank the setup with framed art, shelves, and accent lighting for a polished look. Float room-spanning cabinetry underneath for concealed storage.  

  • Custom build-ins maximize space  
  • Hide cables and components  
  • Incorporate ambient lighting  

9. Awkward Wall Cutout

Thrown off by a random small corner niche located on your living room’s wall?

✅ Solution: Accent It with Wallpaper 

A vibrant display of colorful plates adorning a living room wall, complemented by a charming plant atop for decorating awkward corners.
A vibrant display of colorful vases, perfect for decorating living rooms or filling up awkward corners on a wall.
Transform your living rooms with a decorative wall of plates adorned with beautiful plants, perfectly placed in awkward corners to create a unique and captivating decorating element.
A decorating shelf with many pots and plants on it, perfect for sprucing up living rooms or filling awkward corners.

Reimagine the irregular space as an opportunity for a dazzling display. Wallpaper the inset with a vibrant print, then decorate with art, greenery, and decor objects. The eye-catching focal point will give a new purpose to the architectural fluke.  

  • Choose a lively wallpaper design
  • Style with coordinating decor  
  • Play up the positives of the quirk

10. Unexpected Columns

Throwing off your living room furniture layout? 

✅ Solution: Work Them into Your Design

A blue couch and table complete the decorating of this living room, making the most of awkward corners.
A living room with two wicker chairs, decorating.

Rather than avoiding architectural elements like columns and corners, embrace them. Circle chairs and accessories around posts to zone spaces. Place narrow console tables against inside wall corners to gain surface area. Paint columns the wall color to diminish their presence.  

  • Treat them like furniture
  • Float furniture around posts 
  • Minimize with matching paint

Conclusion

With clever furnishings arrangements, targeted lighting and decorative displays, you can transform problematic living room corners into striking focal points that make your room feel curated, polished and uniquely yours. Don’t shy away from imperfections—embrace them as a chance to get creative. The end result will be a cohesive, considered space that celebrates your home’s uniqueness.

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