Dwell On This: Decorate That Awkward Corner

I once lived in a studio apartment with a long stairway that ascended to a sliver of a landing that faced the bathroom, kitchen, and living room all at once. The 1920s-era layout was awkward, to say the least—the equivalent of meeting someone for the first time, skipping the dating phase, and getting married before even saying "hello." 

We all have a space in our homes that we just don’t know what to do with: a low, asymmetrical section underneath the stairs, an abbreviated hallway, a tight corner. Nooks like this are challenging to decorate, but they also reward creativity.

If you’ve got enough natural light, houseplants are an easy solution for many awkward spaces. Indoor plants infuse life, color, and dynamism and will elegantly fill nearly any corner. A floor lamp can offer similar results. I like to keep an arrangement of cut flowers where plants wouldn’t thrive and use small, uniquely shaped mirrors to combat narrow spaces.

The most important thing to remember is not to fight the shape or scale of a space. Work with it. Create focal points with plants, art, lighting, or decorative objects, each placed in relation to the niche it occupies. If it’s a big space, go big. If it’s slight, keep it small. Arranged correctly, these objects will appear as though they were always meant to be there, awkward no longer.

Illustration by Mar Hernández