12 top ideas for decorating your living room corner

There are four of them in almost every living room, although sometimes you barely notice. The corners always seem to be areas of dead space. A place where unloved things get left or where cobwebs accumulate. The idea of the corner has even entered the common imagination as a place with negative connotations: the naughty corner, being cornered, and more. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

A corner can be an opportunity. A place to use or to reclaim some much needed space for your living room. So, move the waste paper basket, the dusty guitar, the lamp that never gets used - and let’s focus on the corners.

Here are some top living room corner ideas for how you can use every inch of your space, including those overlooked and awkward angles.

1. Get comfy on a corner sofa

How much excess space does having a three piece suite take up? Each piece of furniture has its own orbit required for getting in and out or making your way around the room, so they tend to be very wasteful of space. But there is a solution to claim back these traffic areas. The corner sofa is both a superb space saving option and a great way of using the angle. And they can be very stylish too. Check out our range of corner sofas available in a choice of colours.

2. Turn the page with a corner bookshelf

Every living room needs storage, whether that’s for ornaments of your own personal library. Corner shelving, be that bespoke and built in or freestanding, can be a great use of space and turns what would otherwise be an awkward and ungainly space into much needed storage. Corner shelving can also help to soften the rigid and sharp 90 degree angle of a corner, rounding off a living room and making it more cosy.

3. Encourage your artistic streak with a corner gallery

We tend to hang our wall art in the centre of the available space, lining it up so it's central to the wall, other furniture and other art. But there’s no reason you can’t hang it on the corner. Taking this one step further, why not make your corner a gallery, using artwork and prints to draw the eye to this otherwise unloved space? Suddenly standing in the corner and facing the wall is not so much of a punishment as a real joy.

4. Be practical with a corner table

If you don’t want a corner sofa but still want to maximise your usable corner space, avoid the void with a correctly sized corner table. Get the size right, or go bespoke, and you can create the look and feel or a single cohesive seating unit with an integrated table – especially when neatly sandwiched between the arm of your sofa and armchair. Plus, the corner table is valuable surface space for drinks, remote controls, magazines, photos and a great alternative to a space hungry coffee table in the middle of the room.

5. Get your fingers green

Perhaps the easiest way to liven up an otherwise unloved and empty corner is with a plant. And don’t be afraid to go big and bold with your plant choice. Studies have shown that plants not only help to reduce stress and create a calming environment, they can also help to clean the air and remove toxins. So, your big yucca or cheese plant is not just going to look beautiful, it’s also going to help you feel better and healthier. Bright flowering plants are also a way of drawing the eye to these neglected spaces. But almost any plant can make great corner decorations.

6. Turn up the heat with a woodburner

Fireplaces can be wonderful things. The centrepiece and focal point of any room. Just sitting and watching the fire is very relaxing. But they’re not exactly mobile. Woodburners on the other hand, can be positioned wherever it is safe and convenient to place an extraction flue. So, if you have an empty corner and are thinking about a woodfired heating source, why not choose a corner woodburner? It’s a great way to save space and to create a focal point in the corner.

7. Play with instruments

We were a little mean about the dusty guitar earlier on. Yes, often instruments get shoved in corners and, despite best intentions, forgotten about or rarely played. But it doesn’t have to be like this. Musical instruments are beautiful things in their own right and they deserve to be displayed. So, rather than just leaning in a corner, buy a wall mount or stand and display them in all their glory. Try and keep them off the floor to prevent damage and keep them on display to try and encourage you to play more often.

8. Brighten up with accent lighting

Rather than just shoving a lamp in the corner, try and think about accent lighting for your corner. There are plenty of them out there, with different lighting tones and angles specifically designed to make corners look more appealing and attractive. Up lighting draws the eye upwards and creates the illusion of more space, and your choice of bulb - either stark white or warm glow - can really make a difference too. Experiment with different lumen levels to see what works best for your individual corner.

9. Rustle up a dining nook

You might not think you have room for a dining area in your living room, and this might be true depending on your layout. But very often it’s because people assume you need a big space for a large dining table and chairs. But it is possible to create a smaller dining or breakfast nook in your living room corner, maximizing the use of space. This is perfect if you don’t have another dining area in your home.

10. Work on a home office space

Working from home is becoming more and more common but if you don’t have the luxury of a dedicated home office, the prospect of working from your couch or busy kitchen might not seem all that appealing. But don’t worry. You might need a lot less room than you think to create a small home office space. An overlooked corner might be just the place for a small or foldaway away desk space. Even a small corner might be all you need to get in the office frame of mind.

11. Dazzle with a home bar

Enjoy a cocktail but can’t face the fuss of digging out all the bottles, finding a suitable glass, mixing and pouring all in different rooms? Then why not create your very own cocktail station in an unused corner. Have it on display or keep it locked away in a cupboard for the special occasions.

12. Sculpture your corner

If you really can’t make any of the above work, then why not invest in a sculpture to brighten up your forgotten corner. A statement piece (suitably lit) could really transform your corner from dingy to delightful.

As you can see, corners don’t have to be functional – they can also be fun, inspiring, practical and creative. The corner sofa is perhaps the option that ticks the most boxes, as you can see with a selection of corner sofas. Of course, it doesn't have to be a corner sofa, our Model 01 and Model 02 sofas can also be tucked neatly into corner spaces, making the most of your available living space. And if you really want to maximise your space, no matter how small your living area, check out our small living room ideas to look bigger blog.