This is especially true in cities where old regulations concerning access to light and air created funky-shaped light shafts between buildings. While it can be difficult to imagine how to make a space like this work, fear not! There are tips and tricks that designers keep up their sleeves for these types of situations. Read on to learn more.

1) Divide and conquer

Use furniture to create “zones" in order to help isolate irregular walls or areas. Defining these zones can easily be done by organizing your furniture around a focal point, like a fireplace or television—thus, separating angled or oddly-shaped walls from the rest of the space.

One effective technique is to create a conversation area with a sofa, coffee table, and set of chairs, and then placing a favorite picture, bench, or desk along the isolated, angled wall. By dividing up the space and treating the areas as separate, you no longer need to worry about how to address the entire room at once.

2) Go built-in or custom

Invest in built-ins or custom furniture that perfectly fits your space. This space-saving solution might be more costly, but it ensures a personalized, flawless fit.

Custom pieces, like storage or seating, can turn unworkable or impractical areas into usable, valuable square footage, while also camouflaging unbalanced or angled walls. You’ll frequently see this in attic spaces or areas under stairs, where sloped walls make for low headspace but potential storage areas.

3) Think positive

See opportunities instead of impossibilities. An unusual nook could be the perfect spot for a set of shelves, a potted plant, or a piece of artwork. Suddenly, what had been a problematic area becomes a focal point—a space that frames and even highlights what's located there. These irregularities can easily become some of the most unique and character-defining elements of a space.

4) Trick the eye

If all else fails, fake it until you make it. When celebrating the irregularities just won’t work—as a last resort—you can simulate balance and symmetry through subtle design tricks, like installing curtains symmetrically along a wall with windows that are unevenly spaced or uncentered. Even just repeating the same element throughout a space creates a sense of unity, taking attention away from the irregularities of the room.

In the end, whether you choose furniture, built-ins, curtains, or other design strategies to make use of those irregular walls or oddly-shaped spaces, we hope that you can better use your home or office and love it for all of its quirks.

Also Appears In

This Is How You Can Live Large in a Small Space