Have spaces inside and outside your house that look a bit barren? If you need ways to brighten up these places, read on and learn how to decorate unused spaces in your home. From just adding a few interesting accents to engaging in a bigger remodeling, you can turn boring and underutilized areas of your home into spots that really show off your home’s personality.
Window Wells
Window wells, boxed-off areas in front of your basement windows, serve three functions: keeping rain, soil, and vermin out; letting sunshine in; and supplying a way to escape in case of emergency. In general, window wells aren’t pretty, but that doesn’t mean you can’t glam them up. The easiest way to provide beauty and charm is to paint and decorate the window frame and the walls of the well. Whether the wall is made of concrete, plastic, metal, or fiberglass. Plants can add literal life to the well, but don’t fill it with soil and seeds. Just add a few potted plants, but make sure that in a dangerous situation you can still easily exit the basement.
Phone Nooks
If you have an older house, you may have an odd little space in a hallway wall with an equally tiny shelf. That’s the old phone nook, going back to the days of land lines and heavy telephones. You might feel the remodeling instinct to remove the shelf and cover it up with drywall, but that would be a shame. Phone nooks are odd yet charming little places to display a rotating art gallery, keep flower vases, hang organizers for keys and message boards, host a little bookshelf, and more. Add a pop of color to your space to make the objects it holds truly stand out.
Under the Stairs
Do you have a stairway leading to the second floor with nothing going on underneath? Depending on how much work and money you want to invest and the space you have to work with, you can turn that dull, under-the-stairs place into a multi-functional area. Kids will appreciate having a Harry Potteresque place to read and play, especially if the area is large enough for a “secret” door. Some spaces can be turned into study carrels with a small desk and chair. Of course, a few shelves custom-made to the triangular shape of the space can make for an eye-catching bookshelf.
Ironing Board Cabinet
When considering how to decorate unused spaces in your home, old devices can achieve new worth. Older houses might have an old ironing board cabinet in the kitchen. If you don’t feel the need to iron there, remove the board and door and convert the space into a spice rack, wine hutch, or household communications hub with a wipe board and key rack. Ditch the board and save the door so you can have a flat pantry. If you’re especially handy, add shelves and cut out the front of the door and add glass fronting to make a lovely display cabinet.
