Design Lesson - Decorating Odd-Shaped Rooms

Any room that is not a square or a rectangle is considered irregular and odd-shaped. The shape does not give you the symmetry to furnish the room in a balanced manner, and it can become a serious challenge even for professional interior decorators. The good news is that it is possible to create a beautiful interior even in unusually-shaped rooms. 

You can apply these general guidelines to decorate your own oddly shaped room.

Irregular room layout

Divide

Break down the room into different living areas. Identify your living needs. If the room is big enough for separate leisure and workspaces, arrange furniture accordingly. You can place your computer table and bookshelves in one part of the room and your TV in another. Corners and angled spaces can be camouflaged by placing round furniture to take the focus off odd angles. You can also place easels, flower vases, or a chair in corners as a decorative accent.

Focal point

It’s a great idea to arrange your furniture and accessories around the main concept of the room. For example, in your bedroom, let the bed dominate the decor; if it is your living room, it could be the TV or sofa; for the kitchen, the cooking range! Then decorate the rest of the space around it. By doing so, you concentrate on the main living aspects, which gives you a much-needed reference point for situating the remaining furniture and accessories.

Let the function dictate decor

Utilize Floor Space Creatively

Use free-standing bookshelves and other tall furniture to act as effective room dividers. Partitioning an odd-shaped room itself is a great way to organize the flow of movement in the room. For e.g., a four-sided book stand can be accessed from all sides. This entails a lesser scope for wall-backed sofas and chairs. Apart from creating balance in an asymmetrical room, you can move free-standing furniture at will and not be restrained by a wall. It's also be a good idea to put a rug in the center of the floor to draw attention to the middle of the room rather than the angles.

Piano Rug in Irregular Room

Maintain Consistency In Decor

Repeating design elements throughout the interior helps make the room seem more balanced. It is important to have matched window coverings. Furniture should be matched, and the wall trims should also be consistent. This means that you cannot have a theme wall with a decor style in conflict with the general design elements of the room unless you want that wall to be the focal point of the room.

Harmonious design elements

Use Color Intelligently

Choosing the right colors is a crucial component in offsetting an odd-shaped room. Bold colors are a no-no because they will highlight the room’s shape. The right color can make your walls blend together and keep them in the background. In case your walls are sloped, paint them a vibrant white, which opens up the room. And use complementary colors for the rest of the design elements; remember the consistency we talked about?

White sloped walls

It is interesting to note that an oddly shaped room can be the highlight in a home if it is decorated wisely. You can translate the oddness of the room to your advantage by interpreting it as a new decorating template, making the shape of the room look like your choice rather than an unattractive and unavoidable element to work around!