Could you fill-in some or all of it? Why was it put there?

i like it more than most of these oddities. not sure whether it would look better if the support post was instead extended to the rear, dividing the area into two.

Time for me to go eat a donut')

My inclination is to decorate it seasonally... If you want it to be a focal point... Never understood why home builders think this a good idea... But there are possibilities with large items per season. If you don't like that idea.. See attached picture.. Something like this would work too.

It's so weird with that post in front of it. Id definitely try three dimensional art.

Sculptures or statues?

I too don't understand these things. If it was mine I'd fill it in with drywall and have a nice simple wall. You have enough going on with your high ceiling, I don't think that giant niche adds anything.

Any way you can just have dry walled over. It is a bit strange looking. I think it's distracting not a focal point.

Something like this would be cool. You could have a couple of them- one on the wall and maybe a couple in the niche looking down at him/her climbing. Do you have a lot of natural talent or a lot of money? Haha

I have to say my initial thought was to put a couple of huge plants up there.

HI -- Yes you could have it filled in but the easy thing to do is keep it simple and just put a photo mural wallpaper up there . A suttle mural of tree tops and sky in soft colors or black and white or maybe a foggy look . And that's all ... just very simple and clean with no vases or items added.

Dry wall over it!!!

I don't want to drywall over it at all, I actually really love it. It adds so much character and is part of the reason I fell in love with our home. I like the idea of putting some plants up there... Maybe really large vases on either side? I also thought about doing starburst mirrors up there as well.

You loving it changes things. I think it's distracting too and would take very little effort to drywall and blend into the rest of the wall.

Pray tell, when you fell in love with the home and niche, what was up there?

If you put plants up there you'll have to get a super long watering wand.

You could do lefty's idea of the serene sky mural and build a false window around it. So the post in the center would be part of the "window" and you'd be looking out at the sky.

i see it as a great opportunity to be inventive, there are wonderful murals you could light it so they did not always show. or do a fab night scene lit from behind. the climbing men are cute too. i like something startling and unexpected. here are a couple murals

2nd is a space ship. how many are going to ask how you get up there i wonder? lol what fun

It looks too high to change decorations seasonally. I like the idea of a beautiful sky mural and "window trim" to include the center post. Always a sunny sky!

Thank you everyone, I do like the mural or iron gate idea. I'll have to mull it over and come up with something. I can't really remember but I think the previous owners had big plants on either side and just pictures hanging on the wall.

I thought about doing two large vases on either side, kind of like this:

And then something large on the wall... ??

i like the gate idea, i just want something behind them that says this is so special we gated it.

Green plants always brighten a space. Would forgo any tall vases though and keep the greens low or possibly overhanging a bit. Other than greenery (ferns maybe?), just keep it as is and let its lines be the visual interest. The more you dress it up, the more it will disappear. Best wishes!

Ashley, I think it would look better dry walled up but you like it! I'm guessing the middle piece is there because it is structural. It would be less awkward if that were gone. You may want to close this up with decorative grillwork from a co. called tableaux. They have many different styles and can customize any size. They are lightweight too! And come in lots of finishes.

Thank you Lynartist, those are beautiful!!

Ashley---I LOVE the niche as well and love the lighting. I like the seasonal decorating idea, but if that's not practical, I'd definitely use larger scale items. I lie tie vase idea too. Another idea. ...perhaps incorporate some floating shelves to help blend in the post in the center. I'm not suggesting shelve it all the way across, or "filling in" from the wall to the post (that would obscure the lighting). Just a couple random shallow shelves scattered on the back wall to allow you prop art, etc at varying display heights. You could do them in white or black, then wrap the center post in wood and paint it to match the shelves. You may also want to decide what you're đisplaying before installing the shelves. Good luck!

Another idea to blend in the center post...,wrap it in wood,....then add angled posts going from the ceiling, connecting to the post about a third of the way down. It would have kind of a barn - beam look, if that fits with the rest of the room. That would also take away some of the need to fill up the area visually. Just an idea!

There is no way that the niche near the ceiling should be the focal point of your living room.

Builders think they're decorators and they have terrible ideas. How do you even get up there without a 20 foot ladder?

The easiest thing is to turn the lighting off and ignore the niche. Remove the art and hang it somewhere else. Somewhere you can actually see it without getting a crick in your neck.

yet another reason whatever is there should be an in your face item. you want them to see it right away when they look, not after hours. i tried to look up tableaux, cause i love that kind of work, but my zip is of course wrong. anyway, they look very upscale, not to say that is bad, but i have a second company that is amazingly inexpensive, might do what you want, all per request.

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