The Case for Keeping Weird Corners Weird

Every home has one. The corner that never quite makes sense. Too narrow for a chair, too dark for a plant, too awkward for shelving. And yet, for reasons known only to the DIY gods, we all feel a powerful urge to fix it.

It’s that small voice that says, “Surely this could be a reading nook,” while you stare at a 60 cm gap behind a door. The truth is, not every corner wants to be useful. Some just want to exist in peace.

The urge to fix everything

We’ve become so accustomed to optimising every inch that the idea of an “empty” corner feels wrong. Pinterest will convince you that no space is too small for a bench, basket, or built-in. Storage hacks whisper, “You could fit shelves in there.” Even design shows the gospel of full utilisation.

But the result is often visual noise. That chair you never sit in. The awkward shelf collecting dust. The fake plant that died anyway. Sometimes in our attempt to make a space useful, we accidentally make it look busier, smaller, or worse — forced.

Why some corners should stay odd

In design, restraint is underrated. Negative space gives the eye somewhere to rest, and asymmetry keeps a room feeling natural and lived in. Perfect balance everywhere can make a space feel staged. A weird corner, left slightly unresolved, adds character — the quiet pause between the louder notes of a room.

Older houses understood this instinctively. Architecture once allowed for odd angles and peculiar nooks, not everything lined up neatly on a grid. Those small irregularities are part of what makes older interiors feel warm and human.

When to embrace and when to enhance

Of course, not every awkward space should be ignored entirely. Some do benefit from a small gesture. A tall floor lamp, a single piece of art, or even a sculptural object can turn a forgotten corner into a visual accent — without pretending it’s something it’s not.

The key is knowing the difference between enhancing and over-solving. If you have to force something to fit, it probably doesn’t belong there.

The quiet confidence of leaving things alone

The best interiors aren’t the ones where every centimetre is filled. They’re the ones that feel comfortable, relaxed, and quietly intentional. Leaving a corner untouched can make the rest of the room breathe a little easier.

So next time you’re tempted to wedge a console into that odd space or invent a “nook” where none is needed, pause. Look at it. Accept it. Some corners were never meant to behave — and that’s exactly why you should keep them weird.