Suggestions for an add niche in my living room.

pnwdawn · 2024-09-01T23:51:51+00:00

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My builder-grade house has an odd niche in the living room. I am looking for ideas on what to do along the width of the wall to make it more functional and look nice. Built-ins may be the right idea, but I can't figure out how to make built-ins look right in a modern house.

When I first moved in, I was overwhelmed by all the white walls, so I found pieces that I liked with color, but this room never came together and feels unresolved. The room is mainly a homework spot for online tutoring or a conversation area. Our dog sits in the front window most of the day. We don't have much storage in the house so we could use this area for more storage. This is the current room with yellow chairs. The other photos are how the room was staged when the house was on the market.

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Comments

DanielaAraya

Ooooh I love this dilemma! You have a beautiful space to work with. If you're lacking storage, I think built-ins are the right move, but there are a couple of things you could try to make it feel more modern:

I love these arched bookshelves I saw on an AT home tour. You could add an arch to the existing shape and add more shelves so it takes up the entire alcove (image #1)
You could do without an arch, but still add some extra shelves so you get the floor-to-ceiling look. I personally love the idea of painting everything in there (shelves too!) a color you love for a fun and modern look (image #2)
Or you could do a combo of this: Add a built-in cabinet where you have the navy cabinet right now and paint everything one color to make it feel cohesive (image #3)

I love all of these inspo images, but the built-in cabinets are extra nice because you can have some hidden storage too. Keep us posted!

CullenOrmond

@pnwdawn what a gorgeous living room! I think the shelving you have looks wonderful. if you wanted to add some more personality/color, what about installing wallpaper to just the niche area? maybe some sconces to add some warmth, too? I love @DanielaAraya's inspiration photos, too!

NikiCreatives

https://community.apartmenttherapy.com/discussion/comment/1983#Comment_1983

Love these ideas, particularly the second one!

pnwdawn

I really like these, but they all have a fireplace and mantel. I am worried that without that grounding in the center it will look odd. Typically, with a mantel, the shelves would be recessed on either side, but in this case, the shelves would have to come out another 18 inches, making the center even more recessed.