Is there anyway to run electric to in and create a cell phone charging station? It may appear shrine-like if you paint it differently and place a figurine in the middle.

Kinda hard to tell, but if its the same color as the wall color, leave it painted as it is.You could place a small houseplant there.

What room is it in?

Just bought a very cool twenties phone on ebay, Heavy black bakelite and rewired for modern use. Very retro. But then...so is my house! For a while, as a gift to myself, I bought or cut flowers once or twice a week and a put them out. A floral niche?

It's in our hallway

I like kdeley's idea. Actually, you can buy a working retro phone, that looks like a rotary, but has a touch tone dial. It's actually good to have a land line phone in the house too.

Well we both use cell phones, so no land line here!! But great ideas so far...

It doesn't have to work. It's just decorative. :)

An off the wall idea could be to use it as a space to mount a small "wall" plant. (Pun definately intended)

Lean a picture against it that covers the opening. Attach the picture somehow so that it will not tumble down.

Paint the inside of the phone nook with a darker color and put your favorite flowers in a silver julep cup. http://bit.ly/TUaPUP

We have 2of these in our house (circa 1932). Entry one is great for keys etc when we come in. In the master bedroom it serves as my mini nite stand, for placing daily jewelry, phone holster, dish for change.

I would put a good sized flameless candle and a nice ivy and other low light plant arrangement. This would also light the hallway at night . Much nicer than a nightlight. You can get a programmable flameless candle to come on at a certain time.

Definitely keep it the same color. Otherwise, any small picture, display, etc. would be good.

How about a fish bowl? Doesn't have to be this..just a pretty glass round bowl with a couple of fish and pebbles. BTW..Not one fish..two. No creature so be alone their entire life. :)

Sorry , I would argue against a fish bowl. I agree they look lovely but do you have the time and energy to clean the water regularly?

How about a basket for mail? I wish I had a phone nook!

a recipe, books, phone, mirror.

I love the old fashion land-line phone idea but alternatively a small picture with basket in front of it to hold all your keys as you come in and out of the house.

Yes, that sounds nice too.

perhaps apply gold leafing on the curved space & affix a tiny singular "floodlight " from either@ the base where the shelf meets the curve or a very small ceiling spotlight, single track light, or eyelid showing directly on the gold leafing. Then display glass objects or a classy old black phone, etc?

Leave it as is and find a piece of pottery that is size appropriate that you like and be done.

A good place for a religious grotto, night light, or any of the above.

HI -- Either a vintage phone or just a beautiful blown glass vase or object , thats all , just one thing.

We have a telephone nook in our hallway, we put a mercury glass style owl there. during christmas i filled the nook with vintage miniature pine trees, it looked cute!

oh, and we matched the trim work to the molding around the doors.

This is so unique in this day and age -- I say keep it for sure and work with the above ideas--you can switch it up as often as you like--I think it looks cool!

I love the nook. I would definitely put one favorite thing centered in the middle. Or a collection of similar objects. On a side note, I just moved into a 1925 house and we have textured walls similar to yours - everywhere! I love them!

I like an idea with key holder

a retro phone(working even better) was my first reaction.....I do like the curse jar idea too. But the character and nostolgia of a working phone nook is priceless. I may even get my husband to make one for my house!

I love the idea of a cell phone re-charging station, also a great place to put your keys or anything else that needs to leave with you.

It depends on the room it's in. I'd actually add height to it.....take the wood shelf off and give it a floor instead. Paint the inside a very light color or very dark. A tall vase or tall figurine alone would be perfect. It depends on how spiritual you are but many people are now having a small version of a shrine built in there homes. That would work too.

My home is very elclectic and colorful, so I was decorating a small hall with my collecition of primitive Mexican art, One morning, it slapped me in the face. My telephone nook in my 1940's home is now a Mexican nicho. It honors a beautiful chapter in my life, and tells a little story of that much loved time with small keepsakes, photos, and lovely colors. Everyone who walks into my home asks about it. Many ask if they may take pictures. I love it, and it is very special to me.

Lottamonkeys -- that's great! I love it when we can use something that is original to the house and make it work in our current decor.

Please don't change the niche -- work with it! It's such a great old detail, and just has so much character that new homes today just don't have.

kdeley--I love this website--not only is Houzz is a great place for ideas, but also a great place to find kindred spirits!

I have one of those nooks too and I keep a candle in it...simple but pretty when lit. I like Al B's idea about using the flameless candle on a timer!

definitely keep it, don't cover it up! I would use a patterned wallpaper or brocade stencils... something bold that you couldn't do on a large wall. I like the idea of one simple piece, blown glass or whatever.

Not sure what room it's in, but if appropriate, then get one of those small window murals of a Tuscany Vineyard scene & set an emply wine glass with a bottle of wine in there with some fake grape leave & and a cluster of grapes.

We put keys, wallet, business cards, sunglasses on the one in the entryway. The one in our master bedroom still has the metal phone base attached which extends the "shelf" so I keep my everyday jewelry, watch, phone, wallet, change in one place til morning. It even still has the old phone connection so I could place an old phone there. All my walls are textured too, I love my 1932 home. Love this sight, too. Forgot pics of mine.

Pics of mine in use. More functional than decor.

Old fashion phone for sure!!!!!

My grandmother kept a small vase with a flower in it. Sometimes just one gardenia. Or if one of the kids brought in a dandelion or other "yard" flower, that's where it went. It was always a pick-me-upper.

I'd use this niche to display a small but really striking piece of art glass. Look for something with a sculptural shape and vivid jewel-tone color. It will delight your eye every time you walk past.