Decorating A Dining Room Corners

12 Ways to Make the Most of Your Dining Room Corners

More storage, artwork display space or a roaring fire to enliven your dining area can all be yours ... if the corners are right

Becky Harris

January 12, 2013

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.

When I was growing up, the TV game show The Price Is Right made me think that dining rooms were a real snore. The new dining room sets of the "showcase showdown" usually included a matchy-matchy dining table and chairs, a buffet and a cumbersome cabinet, all lined up parallel to one another atop some thick wall-to-wall carpet. One way to avoid TPIR dining room set ennui is to distract with "Barker's beauties" (the show's models). The other is to place your furniture off that grid and cleverly angle some furniture and accessories into the corners.

Angle in the extra chairs. We've all seen the extras pushed up against a wall; try filling an extra corner with one.

Make a reading spot. In a small home, every little area counts. An

armchair

paired with a lamp can result in a favorite reading place.

Add storage. Build in a corner cabinet ...

… or better yet, nestle in two corner cabinets. This is such a handy way to store those unwieldy platters and tureens that don't fit into the kitchen cabinets and to display beloved pieces of china and silver.

Find a local cabinet installer

A more contemporary take on the built-in china cabinet, this freestanding shelf unit makes the most out of the space.

Use other furniture.

Secretary desks

are neither built in nor typically used in a dining room, but angling one into a corner is a great idea. The top can be used for display, the hidden desktop can hold large serving pieces, and the drawers can store linens.

Arrange a meeting for your window treatments. Coordinating drapes that frame windows and cover a corner create floor-to-ceiling continuity.

Tuck in a plant. Whether perched on a plant stand or placed in a banquette corner, a plant will breathe life into your dining room.

Make room for a fireplace. While you may not have room along one side, a corner is a good spot for tucking in a fireplace; it will be out of the way yet still in view for cozy dinners.

Find art that rounds the bend. Whether it's unique pieces like these that can be assembled at an angle or a larger wall mural,

art can enliven a corner

. In this dining room, a well-placed floor lamp illuminates it.

Similarly, you can prop a painting on an easel in the corner.

Nestle in a bar. Why waste time shuttling to the kitchen for cocktail refills when you can keep everything you need in a built-in or freestanding bar? This one includes

undercabinet lighting

, glass doors for displaying glasses and a stunning copper backsplash.

You can also place a temporary bar in the corner without having to make a big commitment.