I forgot to add that the planter portion is roughly 45”L x 9”W x 6”D

Can you cover the planter portion and turn it into an entryway table/shelf for keys, etc.?

I agree with Ellen S.

Yeah, I’ve thought about that as a backup plan. I was hoping there was something creative I could do with it.

I agree with Ellen S.

If you want to use it as a planter, snake plants are almost impossible to kill.

It really constricts your entry space. Have you considered removing it?

Your planter was adorable!! BUT as noted it is a tight space and if that door is used a lot the plants would only add to that feeling as people pass by. Air plants? They too are supposed to be indestructible but after loosing a few I swapped mine out to fake..but it's up high in a glass globe and no one knows!! Having it planted is appropriate to your home but my inclination would be to find a piece of wood..but hey what about a piece of glass and put a few really cool antique something something in the hole...you have the shelf that could be handy AND you could make a nod to your homes style/age.

I’d personally remove it and put up a wall where you can have a few coat hooks.

I'd remove it altogether. It makes the entryway very tight and closed in. It's also too busy with all the knick-knacks and gravel/plants. Roccouple has a good idea, but if you do that, then place it further into the living room to allow more room for entry.

Remove it. It has no functional purpose, and makes the entryway feel stuffy.

I had one of those at a house I lived in several years ago. Mine had spindles going to the ceiling, which I had removed, and then a woodworker fashioned a top for the planter. It looked much better. I set one plant in a pot on it and left the rest bare for a drop zone for car keys, etc.

Is it possible to reverse it? You could have shelves on the door side for keys, purse, etc. and then the planter on the room side. I think it looks like a cool MCM piece. I’ve seen these with frumpy looking spindles and they look dated but depending on your decorating style, I think you could turn this into something very unique.

Before thinking about removing it think about the cost/possibility of fixing the floors. If the flooring does not extend under this is could be costly to repair that it blends with the rest of the floor..

Love it! Maybe there are things that can be done to soften it a bit and help it be more welcoming. Can it be painted? If so, painting in a lighter, neutral color would help the piece to recede visually. Like Ellen S suggested, cover the planter portion to create a ledge. Add an oval tray for mail / keys. On the shelves, put three battery-operated flameless candles with a timer set to add soft light in the evening.

Thoughts: Agree with others that it seems too close to the door. Remove it and replace with a low bench and storage, if the flooring is affected.

Sorry to hear about your black thumbs. How are you at maintaining fish? Could you install an aquarium that sits atop the planter? The base might offer a place to store the air pump and other equipment. It would be a unique feature to see as you enter your home. You could leave the shelving as a backdrop for the aquarium as any decorative elements you add would be fully viewable from both sides. That's my best suggestion for something "unique." Good luck!

IMO it creates an entry and I would just add a top and use as a console table type for keys etc as mentioned. I dislike entries into LRs so keep it IMO. I see some MCM deocor in your space and this is definately part of that era so do not destroy it. BTW plants need natural light and you have none there.

If you decide to keep it I would price out a few options

Options include keeping or removing the shelving portion and having a top fabricated. Top could be wood, stone, tile, mosaic tile, metal, or glass - the options are endless. If you did glass and painted the inside of the planter portion and fill it with something interesting (stone, glass, decorative balls) maybe even incorporate string lights and use clear silicone to fix a few pieces of Murano glass bowls/vases. Could also just fill the space with some interesting balls or other material and place a few nice wood bowls into the material to hold your keys, mail . . .

To me, the point of keeping it would be because it’s original to the house ... so I wouldn’t paint it or modify it. If that were the case (not happy with present looks), then I’d just remove it. But it looks like you decorate in this style, so I’d embrace it as is. :)

I know you said something non-plants, but there are very realistic faux plants, if you change your mind. And I’d use smooth black stones or colorful pebbles.

Just quick examples, there are so many places that sell faux plants —

https://www.afloral.com/products/mother-in-laws-tongue-in-variegated-green-24-tall?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh5yYxKPP6gIVhYbACh2ekwygEAQYAiABEgJYIvD_BwE

https://www.afloral.com/collections/silk-flowers-silk-plants-greenery-leaves-grasses/products/faux-fern-leaf-bunch-22

https://www.afloral.com/collections/silk-flowers-silk-plants-greenery-leaves-grasses/products/artificial-eucalyptus-spray-in-green-and-grey-pse331

As the unit is very closed-in with the door, and has lots of hard elements around, I think plants would soften the area, and provide nice interest and texture from both sides ... as well as have a simple and organic feel that would mesh well with whatever decor you use on the shelves.

Yeah, if you're going to keep it, this would be a great place for realistic fakes. I've seen some amazing faux succulents, and would not hesitate to use that sort of thing in this application. I like what Jinx posted too (I was actually going to share that same photo!). The plants in the photo below may be real, but you can absolutely achieve this same look with fakes that are so good that nobody will know unless they touch 'em.

It may not be original to the house, but I do like that it creates an entryway. I wouldn’t want plants there anyway, it’s just too handy a spot to set things. I like the glass top for it, with something interesting inside (line it with some cool paper, maybe something metallic) a small lamp on top, and just one item per shelf. Thinking some Danish-modern items in teak or walnut. There are some great Danish animal figures.

A couple of options

realistic fakes along with decorative stone

a stone or some type of ceramic countertop to cover the planter then add a pretty bowl to hold keys Install MCM style hooks on top to hang jackets

Thank you all for the suggestions! I’m going to discuss some of these with my wife and see what we come up with! In the meantime, Keep em coming!

Anyone know what you’d call this thing? Would love to search google images as well.

I looked up ‘mid century built in planter’ .

Have a carpenter make a hinged top and then you can hide your keys, mail, umbrella, etc.

Don’t remove it- it’s charming

We had one of those (and a round metal column, ugh). Boxed the column in and added quartzite slab.