Home & Decor

Addressing Your Builder’s Niche

Have a niche that was created by the builder and haven’t got a clue what to do with it? Does it act as a landing spot for all of your junk? Turn it into the work of art that it should be… or just get rid of it!

Suggestions:

1) Use it as a display area – the most obvious solution. We recently completed a project for clients who have a niche at the top of their stairs, and they wanted it to be a focal point since you can see it right when you walk in the front door. To feature this area, we covered the back of the niche in a bamboo material, and filled the space with a custom made Giacometti-inspired sculpture. It looks breathtaking as you enter the home, especially when the single pot light that hovers above it is lit.

The same clients have another niche in the hallway leading to their kitchen – we used this too as a display area and hung a very sculptural and dimensional piece of art here. To connect the two areas, we used the same bamboo material at the back of the niche.

TIPS:
-Make sure that the sculpture or pieces within the niche fill the space well. The width and the height of what’s in there should only be about 1-4 inches smaller than the cut-out itself.
-Instead of bamboo, you can use a nice wallpaper. In a bathroom, consider tiling the back using a mosaic. Mirror would work well in any room of the home – and as an added bonus it also will reflect light and add a hint of sparkle to the space.

2) Cover it up– with a door. If you want to use this as a storage area and a place for keys, mail, and clutter then this is the solution for you. Think about installing 2-3 glass shelves inside (depending on the size of the niche) and installing a perforated decorative door that you can close to hide what’s inside. Install a pot light at the top as in suggestion number 1 and the light shining through the holes will look enchanting – especially at night.

3)Get rid of it! If you really can’t deal with the niche, then why even bother with it? Dry wall it up and you can just hang a nice piece of art or a mirror on the wall in place of where it used to reside. Put a piece of furniture under it if you have the floor space, such as a nice sculptural console table.

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