Creative ways to use the alcove in your bedroom

Alcoves add a unique angle and perspective to your bedroom.

While it can be challenging to know how to use it, with a little imagination, an alcove can easily become a display nook or add extra storage to your space. It’s all about creating detail and interest to reflect your personality and solving architectural problems to maximise style and storage.

An alcove is a small space in a room formed by one part of a wall being further back than the others. This creates a small, recessed section of a room or corner area.

While alcoves add a quirky and unique feature to a bedroom, they may create design challenges when it comes to placing furniture.

Alcoves can be great for adding character and personality to your bedroom. Embrace alternative perspectives by placing smaller furniture and décor to draw attention to these architectural features. With thoughtful planning and styling, you can transform this space into an aesthetically pleasing feature that maximises your bedroom space.

So, let’s explore creative alcove ideas to help make the most of your bedroom alcove.

Credit: @emtaylor215

Decorating alcoves can be fun but challenging.

To make the most of your nooks and crannies, here are some tips:

• Consider size and scale: Before adding any furniture or décor, you should know the alcove’s proportion to the rest of the space.
• Focus on functionality: When designing the layout of your bedroom, you should determine the space’s function and design around it.
• Use built-in functions: If your bedroom alcove has built-in shelves or details, use them to your advantage for storage or arranging décor to display.
• Add texture and layers: Make the space visually appealing by displaying wall art, mirrors or tapestries. Alternatively, place an upholstered chair layered with soft cushions or throws to create depth and dimension in a cosy alcove.
• Play with colours: To make it stand out, try adding wallpaper or painting the wall a different colour to make a statement wall, or experiment with tapestries and wall art.
• Maximise vertical space: As much as horizontal space is essential, incorporate storage, shelves, or hanging décor to make the alcove feel more spacious.

Ultimately, you’ll incorporate your personal touch into the alcove, making it a part of your room and style and balancing symmetry in your space.

Alcoves can add a different angle to your bedroom and be great niches for furniture, storage or wall décor to draw attention to them or make them discreet.

Whether creating a functional space or a cosy retreat, you can maximise this space to add your personality to your room. Below, we’ll cover our favourite alcove ideas for your bedroom.

Create a warm and inviting corner for reading, gaming or relaxing to add a touch of peace.

Perfect for winding down and relaxing, you can create a little nook in your alcove. Add a comfortable chair or even a beanbag, and decorate with pillows and throws. You can decorate with a small side table, cosy lighting options and wall décor or ledges for storage, depending on the size of your nook. Incorporate bright colours to stand out or neutrals to add warmth and expand the space.

Make the alcove the forefront of the bedroom by placing your bed in it.

If your alcove is big enough, you may be able to add a bed to make it the statement feature of your bedroom. You can find a single bed or day bed to maximise your space and create a cosy yet functional space for smaller alcoves. You might even be able to fit a double bed; just be sure to measure beforehand.

If your alcove is a unique shape or is more of a hole in the wall, it’s trendy to place a bed in it and create a mini sanctuary for sleep. You can always add a headboard for a feature to add a touch of luxury.

Credit: @the_haddon_home

Maximise storage space by using furniture or units to make the most of your floor space.

Either take advantage of built-in storage space in your alcove or install shelves, cabinets, or floor storage options such as ottoman footstools. These can be used for storing clothes, shoes, or other items. One benefit of using an alcove for storage space is that it makes your room seem bigger. As the furniture units dip back further into the wall, it creates the effect of built-in furniture without losing any floor space.

Incorporate a chest of drawers for smaller alcoves for design and storage features. For larger alcoves, why not put your wardrobe in this space if you can squeeze it in? If you need more closet space, you can also use your alcove to install hanging rods to create functional storage for your clothes.

You can also layout your bedroom so that your bed is next to the alcove. This allows a cosy corner to place your bedside table with drawers to create that cosy, functional corner. And, of course, you can emphasise the space with hanging lights, storage shelves or wall decorations to bring the alcove to light.

Credit: @apartmentintheclouds

Create a stylish vanity area with dressing tables and makeup storage to make getting ready for the day much more luxurious.

Dressing tables and stools can enhance your room with great spacing-saving drawers and create a more aesthetic and glamorous space for your inner makeup artist. Decorate with a mirror, lights, a vase, or a scented candle to create an inviting atmosphere. You can also decorate with pictures and wall art to make the space your own. This also helps to organise your space and create a functional nook in your room.

Students, studio workers, or those who work from home – convert your alcove into a mini office space or study area.

Functional and chic, you can create the perfect workspace by installing a desk and chair and some shelves for books, office supplies, or inspirational and motivational wall art. You can even put up a corkboard or whiteboard to organise your thoughts while working.

Decorate your desk with to-do lists, memos, notebooks, décor, or candles. Alcoves are perfect if you need a dedicated study or workplace but don’t have an extra office room or the space to create an entire office in your home.

Just look at this example from @soozidanson on Instagram:

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A post shared by Soozi Danson (@soozidanson)

Add a pop of colour, wall art and storage to create a display area alcove that becomes your bedroom’s focal point.

Painting your alcove a different colour from the rest of the room can make it stand out and become the statement piece of the bedroom. If you rent, you can always add wallpaper, wall art, or even a tapestry to create a sense of style.

Showcase your favourite décor items and put up ledges to display and showcase photographs, collectables, prized possessions, or treasured books. You can also create a spotlight wall by incorporating wall lights or fairy lights to bring attention to the alcove.

Create a mini entertainment corner with a TV, projector, or gaming centre to have an in-home cinema while in bed.

Depending on where your alcove is, you can plan where to put your bed so that it’s symmetrical to the alcove. This way, you can place drawers and a TV on top of it and create a mini cinema or game room.

Install some shelves or a cabinet for DVDs and video games, and either lay on your bed and enjoy or get a comfortable chair to curl up in. For a budget-friendly experience, you can also use a projector to project your movie or video game on the alcove wall.

Showcase your inner artist and display music albums to add personality to your space.

Lovers of music and records, this is the perfect way to store and place your albums on display.

Whether you are a vintage fan and have a record player or want somewhere to put your Bluetooth speaker, storage units can help. Use a small table and vinyl storage to place your record player and records or your Bluetooth speaker on it. Decorate the wall with your favourite albums or posters and add lights to create a cosy music corner.

Add a touch of nature to your bedroom by decorating your alcove with plants and greenery.

Use shelves, tables or ceiling hooks to display a variety of indoor plants. This has the added benefit of creating a calming environment in your room, which promotes sleep. Choose from large statement bedroom plants or smaller plants you can place on a side table or possibly a flow of greenery with a hanging plant.

To add texture, you can also experiment with a mix of different plant types (real or faux!). Ferns and trailing ivy can create a lush, cascading effect, while succulents and cacti add exciting shapes and require minimal maintenance. Placing plants at varying heights will enhance the visual interest and create a layered, natural look that transforms your bedroom into a serene retreat.

Design the perfect area of your room for your pet while keeping the rest of your bedroom organised.

For those of us with furry friends, why not turn your alcove into your pet’s section of your bedroom? Their bed, toys, and bowls will have their own little cosy area in your bedroom. This leaves you to decorate the rest of your bedroom with the reassurance that they have somewhere safe and snug to curl up.

You can even create the perfect serene area for your pet by combining pet-safe plants with a cosy environment. @sweetjungleomine on TikTok has a great example:

@sweetjungleomine Cozy corner #cottagecoreaesthetic #catsoftiktok #plantsoftiktok#mainecoonkitten #plantparent ♬ Little Things – Adrian Berenguer

Utilising your bedroom alcove is an opportunity to get creative with shelving, wall art and décor, and furniture to create a unique space. Whether you want to create a cosier nook or wish to double up on functional storage space, the possibilities are endless. Add a touch of your personality and let the alcove become a part of your bedroom that you’ll love!