What To Do With Open Space Above A Closet [11 Stylish Solutions!]

The open space above the closet is an opportunity to get creative and practical. Leaving it alone seems like an awkward choice. So, what exactly can you do about that open space? There are many things you can do to spruce it up, and we have gathered design inspirations for you!

You can spice up the space above your closet with different design methods, such as: 

  1. Add decorative boxes 
  2. Display stuffed animals
  3. Arrange potted indoor plants
  4. Hang an abstract painting
  5. Make it a faux bookshelf
  6. Hang up dried flowers
  7. Put up elegant vases with succulents or dried flowers
  8. Attach an accent wallpaper
  9. Turn it into a makeshift vanity 
  10. Display a sculpture or small statue
  11. Light up fairy lights or theme lamps

Spaces above fixtures can look out of place since we normally want our fixtures and decor to fit snugly like puzzle pieces together. These spaces look unfinished, and we want to do something about them. If you are interested to learn how you can tastefully occupy awkward vacancies, keep reading below!

Home interior background with natural wooden furniture, Scandinavian style. What To Do With Open Space Above A Closet [11 Stylish Solutions!]

We sometimes include affiliate links and curated AI content to highlight top design styles.

How to Decorate Open Space Above A Closet

Occupying any vacant space just requires some resourcefulness and creativity. You can use old materials you can find around your house, you can create them yourself, or you can purchase them! 

You can also upcycle or recycle materials and get crafty for a more environmentally conscious approach. Either way, it should fit your room’s aesthetic. 

Here are ingenious design ideas that can help you fill-up the awkward space above your closet.

Read: “What Color Should You Paint Closets?

Modern furniture, white shelves, cozzy home interior. decorative boxes

1. Add decorative boxes 

Decorative boxes are great for continuity and practicality. You can use these boxes to store additional items that can’t fit into your closet or other items that you don’t often use. 

Rattan boxes can blend well with rustic or farmhouse country styles. They also give off an eco-friendly aesthetic that you can incorporate even into minimalist spaces. 

You can purchase these rattan boxes or have them customized to different shapes: standard square boxes, round boxes, or hexagonal boxes.

See this Rattan Box on Amazon.

If you have a more opulent taste, you can get a box covered in velvet, faux leather, or velour. 

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2. Display stuffed animals

If you are designing a children’s room, or if you simply want to hold on to childhood nostalgia, you can put up your brightly-colored stuffed animals above your closet. Surprisingly, stuffed animals can go with any interior design since they are meant to look cozy.

To add some style, try placing your stuffed animals with album CDs, vinyl, jars of dried succulents, and other collectibles. This way, the space does not look too cramped and plain, and it will reflect more of your experiences.

Interior design of living room at nice scandinavian apartment with stylish furnitures and elegant accessories. Modern home decor. potted indoor plant

3. Arrange potted indoor plants

Indoor plants are a no-brainer decor idea. You can always put up Sansevieria, Bird’s Nest Fern, or Pothos to liven up your space and occupy any awkward space. 

You can combine your plant with other accents, such as decorative rattan boxes, to make your space look more homey and rustic.

You can also match your potted plants with climbing plants that span from top to bottom to make your space more whimsical.

Indoor plants do not only make your space more aesthetically pleasing; they also reduce stress, improve air quality, dampen the air if it is too dry, and absorb toxic gas. They increase oxygen indoors, which is ideal if your room does not have many windows. 

Stylish scandinavian living room interior of modern apartment with wooden commode, design armchair

4. Hang an abstract painting

You can take attention off the awkward space by putting up a vibrant and interesting painting above your closet. You can paint the picture yourself, you can use an old painting that’s gathering dust in the spare room, or you can purchase new artwork.

If the painting may not be enough for you, try mixing it with other elements such as a bold rococo-style frame. If the painting is rich enough, you can put it on a frameless clip or a simple wooden frame.

As an alternative, you can put up calligraphy with your favorite quote on the vacant space. That way, you can be inspired every time you look at it!

shelf with a book and flower and a white brick wall

5. Make it a faux bookshelf

Books do not only occupy our minds; they can also be decorative pieces that fill up vacant spaces! You can put up old books that you have collected over the years, whether they are thick encyclopedias or your favorite novels. 

Not only will they reflect your personality better, but they will also be preserved better since it is now above accidental water spills or pests. 

You can also use the opportunity to repair old books with broken spines or faded covers. You can even customize them to have a uniform color so they can be more aesthetically pleasing!

Interior of cozy café coffee shop small business with dried plant hanging

6. Hang up dried flowers

Put up a string clipped on both sides and hang dried flowers along the string. This will make your room more whimsical and cozy and turn attention away from the awkward empty space. 

If you want to add a touch of sentiment, you can clip the dried flowers with a polaroid or printed photos. Throw in a warm string light, and you have transformed the space from empty to magical! 

elegant vases with succulents or dried flowers

7. Put up elegant vases with succulents or dried flowers

If you cannot hang up the flowers, you can opt to put them on sleek glass vases. You can also use old perfume bottles for a sense of effortless elegance.

Some even utilize old light bulbs and light fixtures to place dried flowers in. You can use this as inspiration to look for other unique vessels.

If you still want to put up pictures, you can make a collage on a bigger frame and place them beside the vases.

Combine these dried flowers with other succulents, and your once empty space becomes a sentimental spot that adds nostalgia and visual interest to your bedroom.

Floral wallpaper in an empty room with wooden floor

8. Attach an accent wallpaper

If you want something low-effort but adds depth to vacant spaces, put up an accent wallpaper. The design is completely up to you; make sure it fits your personal style.

A fail-safe wallpaper print would be neutral geometric shapes. This is more adaptable to any aesthetic, although you may want this in a warmer color if you are leaning more toward a cozy vibe.

If you have a country house aesthetic, floral-printed wallpapers can blend with your interior easily. Just like an abstract painting, they also distract the viewer from looking at the empty space above your closet.

stylish dressing table in modern wardrobe. makeshift vanity area

9. Turn it into a makeshift vanity

If your closet is low and can be turned into a makeshift vanity, just attach a sleek mirror on top of the empty space. From there, you can decorate it to become an efficient vanity.

One design advice is to make the vanity match your room’s color scheme. This will make it more united with the room, and it will look as if the closet is meant to be a vanity.

You can also put up lights on your mirror. This will improve your vanity’s function and add visual interest to the space itself.

10. Display a sculpture or small statue

If you want your room to have more mystique, you can put up face sculptures. You can mix this decor with dried flowers and books for a sense of sophistication.

This will look especially lovely paired with warm lights and candles. Imagine a rustic-themed room with this design above your closet–simply magical!

See this face sculpture decor on Amazon.

11. Fairy lights and lamps

Fairy lights and unique lamps add whimsy to your room. You can put these up above your empty closet to add warm lighting to your room, which is ideal if you have a singular fluorescent light. 

Your lamps do not have to be the standard ones with a shade and an expanded bottom. You can get lamps shaped like a cloud or a rainbow or even have them customized to resemble your form. These light fixtures above your empty space will improve its look along with your room.

See this Moon Lamp on Amazon.

old shelf with a book and a flower and a kettle on a wall. What To Do With Open Space Above A Closet [11 Stylish Solutions!]

Final Thoughts

Seeing a vacant space above your closet can be an eyesore despite not having anything on it. It can sometimes give the viewer an itch since it does not look complete. Fortunately, this can be solved with a little creativity.

As with any interior design, make sure all the designs fit your personal style and can all be tied together: with no awkward placements and out-of-place fixtures.

If you enjoyed this article, check out “How To Make Use Of A Closet With A Sloped Ceiling.”

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