This Awkward Corner Is an Eyesore in My Home, But These Design Tricks Make It Work

This story is a part of our Old House New Issue, where we explore why people are no longer moving in 2024, and how to renovate your current home to make it work for you. To learn more about where to start on home renos, which projects to prioritize, and how to love the home you have, check out our full issue here.

Like many of our fellow millennials, my husband and I have spent our entire adult lives together renting. And as a result, we're no strangers to making the most of rooms, corners, and alcoves we wouldn't necessarily have designed ourselves.

Our first home in London was charming enough, except for the newly installed seafoam green carpeting lining the stairs. Now, our current home has lots of funny corners and oddly-sized nooks that felt like a puzzle when we first moved in—and the one at the tippy top of the house takes the cake.

Though this corner often rendered me speechless in terms of design, I've found a way to make this eyesore work for me.

Vertical City Living

At the moment, the maisonette we rent in London has a lot going for it. I’m obsessed with the floor-to-ceiling windows in our sitting room. We have charming views and natural light, and there are a long list of character features throughout, from crown molding to a beautiful (though non-functional) fireplace.

But like many homes in London, ours is fairly narrow and extremely vertical. With only three bedrooms, a sitting room, and an eat-in kitchen, we don’t have a ton of square footage—but we have about five flights of stairs to get to all the rooms. 

For the most part, I’ve found ways to make it work. But there's one landing off our top-floor staircase that I could not quite work out when we first moved in.

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A Lack of Storage Space

My biggest issue with our current home is the shortage of well-designed storage space. I can’t complain too much. We have floor-to-ceiling closets in one bedroom and a wall of them in the primary bedroom. The kitchen is also large with the appearance of a ton of cabinets and cupboards.

I stress the word appearance. When we came for our first viewing, I ignored a few red flags. One involved the kitchen, which we were rushed through and discouraged from opening any of the cabinets or drawers. 

It wasn’t until we moved in that we realized the cabinets are all an awkward depth, and that the closet that appeared to be a large pantry or storage space on the floorplan actually housed both the water-heater and boiler.

All of this to say, my dreams of a reasonable place to store our cleaning supplies and outdoor cushions were dashed on move-in day.

An Oddly Sized Landing

As we reorganized our furniture and determined where everyone was going to sleep, my eye kept catching on an awkward landing space leading up to the top floor. 

I knew from the moment we moved in that this space would need to be functional. It's too small to be a workspace or home office, and too big to be ignored. My kids, of course, wanted it to be a cozy reading nook with fairy lights and lots of cushions.

While I loved the idea of this, the storage space issue was already proving frustrating, and I had to veto them in favor of something more useful.

The other issue, though, is the fact that even though this landing seems tucked away, it’s not. It’s actually highly visible, because as you walk up the stairs, it’s where your eye travels naturally. 

I knew that meant we also needed to keep it fairly neutral to avoid any visible clutter. 

Enter: A Wardrobe and Seasonal Shoe Storage Zone

In the end, I had to let my children down by doing the most boring thing possible. I figured out the dimensions and ordered a fairly small dresser, which is now stocked with all their seasonal clothes, shoes, and—because we don’t have a linen closet—extra towels. 

I also realized we can stack our outdoor cushions around the space because thankfully, they’re neutral enough to not bother me.

An Imperfect Solution

I’ll be honest, as I’ve been writing this piece, my mind has been wandering. Is there a better use of this area? Though there might be, I'm content for now—and anyone who’s rented before knows that sometimes, that’s just how it goes.