It’s not weird, but the color of the fireplace and the color of the walls do not allow the fireplace to be “important “. There needs to be more contrast. I would paint the fireplace and the recessed area the white of the trim molding, and the walls something a little darker but not any kind of white. Do you have an area rug in the room, or a fabric with more color than the drapes which could give you a suggestion for a wall color? The recessed area needs something to draw the eye....art, and interesting object, a tile inset, or a special wallpaper treatment. I’d like to see the whole room and your personal style.

just have a contractor fill it in - if yo plan on having a tv up there or art work drop in the appropriate electrical prior to closing it up

Just removing the arch at the top will make a big difference...make it more contemporary..and more architectural...rather than an extension of the fireplace...then adding a little color variation ..start with a shade darker for the border....and decide if another slightly darker shade for the inside is needed...the goal is to separate the feature from the fireplace...you could go one step further and remove the surround to a simple square one...i wouldn’t add anything to the indented space...these changes would turn that corner more into an interesting column...there is no room to create a fireplace seating or focal point here in any case

Is there any reason for even having a fireplace there?

$1,000 is a ridiculous price to screw in a couple of furring strips and cut and hang a single sheet of drywall, IMO (you don't say the actual size, but I'm guessing it's 2 or 3 by 8 or 9? So two sheets at the most). I could literally do that job myself, and while I am fairly experienced at that sort of thing--I've framed walls, installed them, and hung and mudded drywall onto them, with no visible seams--I'm not a pro.

I wouldn't, though, unless the indent is completely inappropriate for the rest of the room. I think it's kind of cool. I don't know your style or what you're going for, but I personally would highlight it by bricking it, or tiling it with a cool patterned or solid tile.

(If money is a real concern, paint it and cut some garden lattice to fit and stick it in there--$22 for a 4 x 8 sheet of lattice. We painted a wall in my daughter's room lavender and hung lattice over it, and are in the process of putting up flower garlands instead of crown molding; she loves it and she uses the lattice to hang pictures, banners, etc. using clips and S-hooks and such. You could also use decorative trellis, if you don't like lattice.)

Or I'd brick/tile the "outside" of it and leave the indent plain.

Maybe square off the top if you want a more modern look to the indent.

Or find a big clock whose top side fits into that curve and hang it there, maybe, or some narrow shelves to hold photos/pictures/objet.

Install a few sconces and hang plants.

Get rid of the flower jugs and the mantel and replace them with a bigger, chunkier mantel made of solid wood; or maybe keep the same type of mantel but have the edge curve outward a little to mirror the top curve.

Replace the entire frontpiece or surround and mantel and brick/tile--put in a bigger but less "fussy" one that comes out several inches, with a hearth. Or get some antique-style tiles and hang them down the sides of the frontpiece.

Again, I don't know your style or what you're going for, the dimensions of the fireplace/room, or even what room it is, but I hope these ideas have at least maybe given you a sense of what you *don't* want, or maybe sparked something for you!

Good luck to you!

It’s such a grand, elegant wall. What about a large window pane mirror that is the same shape as the indentation? It could help the space look more “deliberate” if that makes sense. Here’s an example, though the shape isn’t exactly right.

Window pane mirrors are attractive, but from an Eastern Feng Shui perspective, fragmented mirrors are not the best. But you could fit a solid mirror, or have a mirror fitted for the niche or use a piece of art.

I vote to do away with the arch top and make the cut out the same height as the window to the right. Place a large piece of art in it that is scaled well and it will disappear.

I would think of it as a tokonoma, a space in which to display art or artistic objets.

If you have a grouping of sizeable and interesting archeologic finds, or things from nature, you can mount them there.

Or that would be a perfect spot for a Japanese or Chinese scroll running the length of the recess.

Close it in unless you can find a perfect piece of art that fits in the space . I would not draw attention to it as it is . Please no TV up there ever, Lose the fake flowers and vases. I honestly need to see the rest of the room but I think I would remove the mantel and all the trim on the FP and tile that whole space with large format tile right to the ceiling. But I really need to see your style

Thank you for all if the great suggestions! I really appreciate them!

I have one of those early 90s “architectural” details. Right now there’s a metal sculptural hanging in there. Get rid of it completely. Nothing will ever look at home there. My own goal is to eliminate the fireplace and hang the tv in its place.

There seems to be no space for a seating area by the fire. It is even worse than a corner FP as far as furniture arranging goes. The cabinet to the left of it should actually be on the opposite side of the room to serve as a visual counter balance to it. Is it a gas one or wood burning? I would consider getting rid of it entirely. Maybe that cabinet needs to go in that area since the wall is too narrow for much else in the way of furniture.