You know those empty corners in your living room that feel like they are missing something? Rather than letting them go to waste, those nooks provide opportunities to inject personality, function, and flair into your home. With intentional styling, you can transform even the smallest, most uncelebrated corner into a celebrated space that enriches your living experience. Here are 12 living room corner decor ideas to inspire you.
Living room corner decor
1. Reading nook
What could be cozier than having your own peaceful book nook to escape to? To craft this, tuck a plush armchair or loveseat into a living room corner. For maximum sinking-in comfort, look for pieces with overstuffed cushions, an extra deep seat, and a laid-back shape.
You can anchor the cozy setup by layering a soft, textured area rug on the floor to define the space and make it feel extra inviting underfoot. Pile on the hygge vibes by draping a chunky cable-knit blanket over the chair along with a mix of patterned and solid throw pillows in lush fabrics like bouclé or faux fur.
Complete the cozy reading nook with functional yet stylish accents like a gooseneck floor lamp positioned behind the chair to provide ample reading light without taking up valuable surface space. A small side table pulled up next to the chair gives you a place to rest a mug of tea or coffee within reach.
2. Plant stand
If you tend to have a green thumb, an empty living room corner provides a perfect place to show off your skills with a towering plant pedestal. Choose a sculptural plant with a bold presence like a fiddle-leaf fig with its dramatic, structural leaves, or tall bird of paradise with its exotic flowers.
Rather than letting the plant fade into the background, make more of a moment of it by choosing a stylish planter that fits your aesthetic. For a modern, organic vibe, opt for one in a soft, curved ceramic shape or a rattan weave with visual texture. Decorative metal stands with gold or black finishes could elevate a high-end transitional space.
3. Bookshelf
For bookworms or those seeking a clever storage solution and living room corner decor, bookcases offer a great use of vertical space. Look for low, perpendicular shelving units that can tuck neatly into the corner with just a couple inches of clearance on either side for easy access.
While the open cubbies are perfect for stashing your novel collection, the units also provide ample shelving to style as purposeful shelfies. Intersperse books with sculptural accents like vases, bookends, and objects of varying shapes and materials. Layer in textural elements like a potted succulent garden, woven baskets, or decorative boxes.
If going the open shelving route feels too chaotic for your aesthetic, opt for a corner cabinet with closed doors on the bottom for stashing anything unsightly. Then leave the top shelves open to style more intentionally as a curated display with your most artistic books and accents.
4. Bar cart
Why not turn an unused corner into an entertainer’s dream with a fully-loaded bar cart parked there? Having your cocktail essentials and glassware at-the-ready makes it easy to whip up tasty libations for guests at a moment’s notice.
Whether you prefer a vintage vibe with cut crystal accents or a more modern aesthetic with sleek, architectural lines, there’s a bar cart to suit your style. Look for one with ample surface space on top for crafting cocktails plus a couple of tiers below to house all your tools, mixers, garnishes, and spirits.
Take things to the next level by mounting chic brass rail shelving or peg boards on the wall above the bar cart. Use them to display ornate glasses, cocktail napkins, vintage-inspired artwork, or a quirky collection of vintage shakers and barware. Positioning a decorative stool or two nearby provides comfortable seating for your at-home cocktail lounge.
5. Coffee cart
For the caffeine connoisseur, give your morning brew the spotlight by nestling a coffee cart into a living room corner. This beverage station puts all your java essentials and cafe-inspired accents within easy reach.
Look for a cart on casters so you can mobile brew station where you need it. Leave ample surface space on top to house a coffeemaker, grinder, sugar bowls, and other everyday tools. Then take advantage of the lower shelves to organize attractive canisters filled with your favorite whole bean varieties. Use decorative trays to keep everything corralled and styled.
While the cart itself provides handy utility, have fun accessorizing it with sophisticated touches like gilded mugs hung from a mug rack, stacks of linen napkins, and sleek metallic accents to give it a true coffee shop vibe. You could even hang a vintage coffee-themed advertisement on the wall above as a quirky focal point.
6. Accent table
Sometimes the smallest details can make the biggest impact, like a petite sculptural accent table artfully positioned in a living room corner. From sleek, hairpin-legged tripods to unique free-form shapes, these accent tables make a big style statement in a tiny footprint.
The compact surface area provides a prime spot for creative expression. Style it in an eye-catching vignette by topping it with a sculptural accent piece like an orb-shaped ceramic object or a visually-interesting object you picked up on your travels. A tall vase with whispy stems extending upward adds height and airiness.
For a more grounded, organic moment, you could display a large bowl filled with artfully arranged seasonal produce like lush green artichokes, vibrant citrus fruits, or an overflowing array of eucalyptus stems. Potted plants in artistic concrete vessels also breathe life into a corner display.
7. Ambient lighting
In living rooms with lots of shaded corners, stylish light sources become both a practical and decorative element. When you tuck an arched floor lamp into a gloomy nook, you illuminate it with a warm, inviting pool of light that also enhances the atmosphere.
Seek out lamps with a gracefully curved neck and adjustable head so you can precisely cast the glow inward and upward to wash the corner walls with flattering brightness. A dimmer switch provides added ambiance, letting you control the mood lighting.
In addition to its functional merits, a floor lamp anchored in the corner creates sculptural visual interest by drawing the eye up. Look for slender profile styles that have a petite footprint or versions with tripod bases for an open, airier presence.
8. Hanging chair
If your living room is blessed with soaring ceilings, a hanging rattan or woven hanging chair is the ultimate bohemian accent piece to mount in a bare corner. Choose an ample-sized chair with a deep bucket seat and plush cushion so it’s ultra-inviting and cozy for curling up.
Since a hanging chair becomes such an eye-catching sculptural focal point in the room, have fun accessorizing it with layered textiles and plants to highlight its free-spirited vibe. Hang trailing ivy or string lights from the ceiling around the chair to cozy things up even more.
Down below, anchor the space with a large overdyed vintage rug layered with textured wool rugs. Complete the scene by flanking the chair with rattan side tables or a plant stand to hold books, beverages, and any other lounging essentials within arm’s reach.
9. Decor ladder
When it comes to living room corner decor, one of the most effortless ways to infuse a bare corner with visual interest and accessible storage is by leaning a decorative ladder against the adjacent walls. For an organic, artisanal aesthetic, look for one crafted from natural materials like worn wood, woven rattan, or bamboo.
While you can certainly prop up the ladder freestanding, it’s often better to wall-mount it so the rungs become functional display ledges without any tipping hazards. Get creative with your styling by hanging various accents from the rungs like trailing pothos plants, macrame plant holders, woven baskets, throw blankets, and more.
The great thing about a decorative ladder is you can easily change up the look to suit the seasons. In fall, drape the ladder with cozy knits, garlands, and display sculptural gourds or pumpkins on the rungs. Come spring, refresh it with brightly colored throws and storage bins filled with faux flower stems.
10. Record table
For those who love vinyl, there’s no chicer way to put your record collection on display than with a dedicated music nook stationed in the living room corner. The vintage-inspired vibe infuses warmth and personality.
Anchor the space with a low-slung media console in a rich wood finish or mid-century modern style with hairpin legs. This provides the perfect perch for housing your record player and displaying a few favorite albums propped up in front. Use the shelves below to stash the rest of your vinyl library along with autographed band memorabilia.
Flank the console with a pair of iconic retro speakers in a fun, saturated hue like vibrant blue or sunny yellow. You could even install a groovy 1960s-style shag rug underfoot to reinforce the nostalgic mood.
Then complete the lounge-worthy scene with music-themed wall art, fun vintage posters, or even repurposed records hung in a gallery display above. A sculptural lamp with an iconic sunburst or starburst silhouette adds mod flair.
11. Vertical garden
Bring the serenity of nature’s greenery inside by installing a living vertical garden right within your living room corner. Not only do vertical gardens look ultra-lush and sculptural, but they offer mood-boosting benefits and air purification too.
There are many vertical planting systems available like grid panels, wall-hung planters, or even DIY-mounted planter boxes that let you get creative with your plant assortment. Aim to incorporate a variety of textures, colors, and trailing elements by mixing in lush ferns, vibrant succulents, flowering annuals, and leafy vines.
To ensure your green wall’s success, make sure the corner location receives ample, indirect natural light. You’ll also want to select plant varieties with similar light exposure needs so they can all thrive together. Built-in irrigation systems make vertical gardens surprisingly low maintenance.
For a truly immersive feel, continue the greenery across the ground in front by positioning a large planter with sculptural branches or even a small tree. A cozy hammock chair or woven lounger adds the perfect perch for admiring your indoor garden oasis.
12. Curved bench
For an ultra-chic, lounge-worthy moment, situate a curved bench into an empty living room corner to make it feel purposefully designed and considered. Slender and tailored, these architectural benches provide a place to linger that feels inviting yet sculptural.
Seek out furniture with angled backs and sides so it appears built into the corner for a streamlined look. Caned and caned-back designs have an airy, mid-century inspired vibe, while upholstered versions covered in plush bouclé or performance velvet fabrics lend a more sumptuous, modern feel.
Ground the bench with a graphic area rug that extends a few feet beyond on all sides. This helps zone the area and makes it feel more intimate and intentional. Positioning an arc lamp or dramatic oversized pendant directly over the bench helps anchor the vignette.
For extra coziness, you could flank the bench with a pair of tall potted trees like fiddle-leaf figs or parlor palms. Their height helps envelop the space. Or for a sleeker living room corner decor look, hang an oversized round mirror above the bench to visually expand the nook.
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