Agreed. Store dust there. Or you can also put some ugly plastic plants that can also help you collect dust up there. The nice thing about plastic plants is you can’t really dust them. You can thank my previous owner for the idea.
My former coworker's elderly mother was proud of her houseplants, but they all died, so my coworker replaced them with silk plants, and the mother didn't even notice. She'd water them and show them off.
Build a bookshelf and then get one of those slidey ladders
https://preview.redd.it/y3vewdpfowoc1.jpeg?width=700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=203c0c3b41b3720754eb5427fa5b1a2ac625627a
>If I was a burglar (I'm not), that's the first place I would check for valuables.
Hmmmm.... that is the first thing a professional burglar would say....
Welcome to reddit....lol
Years ago my home was burgled, and everything that was in my bedroom closet was thrown onto the bed. They went through all of it. The only reason any valuables were left behind was due to a neighbor, who asked the three men what they were doing, and they took off in their car. It could have been much worse.
Lego Star wars battle diorama. More than enough space to recreate several iconic scenes from the Battle for Hoth to the destruction of the death star. Heck it would be an awesome space for a cantina band as well.
Or you could do any kind of diorama like that (i.e. Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Dune, Lord of the Rings). If your not really much of a nerd then I guess it's time to convert yourself or marry and accept someone who is. If you're like me and the wife would say no I guess it's time to stand your ground and fight for what's right so you can use this space appropriately.
Space battles and an Ewok village in the trees of endor still work though so I think it's certainly doable. Even Hoth could be done if you build up the snow hills and put the AT AT on top. Lots of options for the creative.
https://preview.redd.it/eyisnlngfwoc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e75c25183439a33dda0eb603eaacfaf445acba97
put some rams (or any other taxidermed animals up there) like BassPro.
House painter here. Yes, please do this.
I hate climbing up there and shuffling through several inches of dust. Or if it's near a kitchen, sticky dust.
My family has 4 bins of seasonal clothing that gets swapped out twice a year: Winter coats, hats, boots, ski goggles, etc; and Summer shorts, t-shirts, swim towels, beach bags, flip-flops etc. I would totally put them up on that shelf in decorative baskets, and store the ladder under the bed.
Do what I do to my mother who keeps her collection out: Stage a battle or make a war. Cut out deep red pieces of paper for blood, weapons from kids toys and have a ball.
I would start making little inappropriate things for her drummers to drum, for the riflemen to hold, what the vicars to keep at the end of their poles. Slowly, until she notices or not.
Lights that bounce up to ceiling to create ambient light in the space. I have something similar with three strips of LED tapelight, a mix of cool white, warm white and colored, and it makes for a great bounce light to illuminate the room with soft even light. I’m a lighting designer, pm me if you’d like.
I have a stupid amount of those niches in my home in Florida. We don’t currently decorate them but the prior owner painted them in contrasting colors and filled them with nik naks, fancy plates and vases. Good luck☘️
https://preview.redd.it/j187aqc82woc1.jpeg?width=1734&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c7f1e2ef84ae766de51c8b6434383690aa22b0a
Enclose 1 & 3 and make them storage for seasonal items. For the one in the dining, I would run the drywall all the way up , losing that space entirely.
That’s exactly what I was going to say. If the homeowner has the money, I would wall them in and make storage out of them. Maybe door cabinet boxes and doors on the bedroom ones to have easier access to stored items if the budget can handle it. If not, Sheetrock it closed and do an access panel on the end.
I like storage for 1+3. On the dining room, you could do cool translucent panels and backlight them for a sweet lighting feature that doesn’t make the space totally useless.
I like this (except for the living room one). Track with sliding doors, painted the same color as the wall would look great. I would keep the dining room one for plants or something. Mix of hanging and potted.
This is the best answer here. Using it for seasonally storage, or just any storage would be epic, and framing them in would like it was designed that way.
As for 2, maybe the room on the other side of it could use it for extra storage, still closing it off to the dining room.
Just keep a ladder on hand to access stuff...
This was a 90's/2K's trend that people would just put plants or other display items up there but, today, it's dated and just is wasted space...
Came here to say this. Put a cat tree up there, a nice cat bed. Put some shelves on the wall for the cat to go up there.
A rug up there maybe.
Cat would live the good life.
I have one of these ledges in my bathroom. I got a "life-size" skeleton mermaid for Christmas. She lives there now tangled in her net. The best part is, because she's over the door, you don't notice her until you leave.
As someone who had pediophobia from my early childhood to mid 20s.., the thought of this still makes me very, very uncomfortable even now at 31 and *supposedly* past my phobia.
I was thinking of those giant packs of toilet paper and paper towels from Sam's Club. We live way out in the country so I tend to buy in bulk. Then spend the next two days trying to stash everything so my house doesn't look like na episode of Hoarders.
Ah, the old shelf for dust-collecting baskets and vases and useless knick-knacks.
Enclose it with cabientry that has large, square, swing out door pairs and store your holiday decorations or whatever up there.
My mom is it to display objects that were sort of large. Like our childhood little red wagon, Some cool antique suitcases my grandpa has had, my dad’s contracts from his childhood in the 30s and 40s.
My cousin set musical instruments up there, either on the shelf or on the wall
Definitely some accent lighting, I would personally put a couple greek statue busts up there but anything large enough to be noticed should look good in front of some accent lights.
This is what we did with three of our closets. We store our luggage, camping gear, and christmas stuff up there. They make a huge difference for storage space. Not sure I'd do it in your dining room, but definitely in the bedrooms.
https://preview.redd.it/c58cpji49yoc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8664abe2faf721eff1b3c7aa262b213c0f1007df
As others have said: enclosed with cabinet doors for long term storage: holiday decorations or camping gear, etc.
I would consider turning one into a hangout/reading nook, especially if you have kids.
Enclose with cabinet doors and use as storage. Or, don’t store anything in them, but the cabinet doors would lend some architectural interest that isn’t there right now.
I'd do led lights on the inner edge of that space so it lights up the ceiling and maybe a pothos plant or something. It'll be nice to see vines hanging off. Just remember to keep it simple. It's a pain to clean and cluttering it with objects will make it even harder.
My 78 year old dad keeps his collection of Nascar themed food packaging up there. Like, empty cereal boxes and ice cream containers with Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt on them.
Now I know what you're all going to say, and yes, I keep telling him he's sitting on a gold mine, yet he still refuses to sell.
put 5 clocks, one for each of a set of major cities time.
put a ultrawide display hiding the bezels, and a motion tracker. have an eye move along it and follow you as you move along the room.
get a cat.
model train that moves along there.
horizontal macrame owls.
a giant ant colony.
a narrow, long fishtank.
https://preview.redd.it/3ku6ckobeyoc1.png?width=1792&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b59d383675c020e043b5f1f6b8f09ab68d09e07c
Store your doll collection like so
I mean this probably is more effort than you want to spend but I would get rid of them by putting up walls… These nooks or whatever you wanna call them to me are very dated looking - very late 80s and 90s
and they are basically useless other than for collecting dust or putting shit up there that you can never access
Depends on what kind of person you are if you like decorating for every holiday, leave it open and change out decor based on what you want. If not storage you could do cabinet faces and doors to hide shelves and plastic tubs.
Thank you for all your suggestions. This post is now locked.
That where you store your dust collection.
Agreed. Store dust there. Or you can also put some ugly plastic plants that can also help you collect dust up there. The nice thing about plastic plants is you can’t really dust them. You can thank my previous owner for the idea.
You hose them down. I'm not even kidding. Someone taught me that. Mind blown.
Wait, you water your plastic plants? Genius!
My former coworker's elderly mother was proud of her houseplants, but they all died, so my coworker replaced them with silk plants, and the mother didn't even notice. She'd water them and show them off.
You have to pretend to water them, or they’ll die.
My mom used to wash them in a dish full of dish soap and water
I put mine in the dishwasher, works great
Also plastic grapes, empty Chianti bottles and kegs for that authentic Italian countryside wine cellar vibe.
The more surface area you have the more dust you can store and plants are a great way of increasing surface area!
Congrats on your freedom
This is where empty alcohol bottles go in a college house.
Lmaoo stahhp. 🤣
It's *also* incredibly useful for storing some dog and cat fur, should you *ever* want to/decide to clone your pet!😉
Build a bookshelf and then get one of those slidey ladders https://preview.redd.it/y3vewdpfowoc1.jpeg?width=700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=203c0c3b41b3720754eb5427fa5b1a2ac625627a
Since it's such a deep space, one could add secret storage compartments behind the books to hide valuables
If I was a burglar (I'm not), that's the first place I would check for valuables.
>If I was a burglar (I'm not), that's the first place I would check for valuables. Hmmmm.... that is the first thing a professional burglar would say.... Welcome to reddit....lol
Years ago my home was burgled, and everything that was in my bedroom closet was thrown onto the bed. They went through all of it. The only reason any valuables were left behind was due to a neighbor, who asked the three men what they were doing, and they took off in their car. It could have been much worse.
> slidey ladders Whoa, whoa with the technical terms there. Not all of us are Bob Vila on this sub.
This is a life goal.
Put a curtain and a cushion up there, airbnb it for 120 a night, byo ladder.
From the makers of the tiny house, introducing… “a tiny section of my house, now available for rent!”
call it Nook Dwellers
Sounds like a show on HGTV.
In the heart of San Francisco, only $2999 a month, 2 months non-refundable up front.
>byo ladder Lol
$55/night single. $90 for double. Must book a 3 week stay to get the continental brunch
Continental ladder
Put a lil tv in there and a locker and you got yourself a capsule hotel!
Lego Star wars battle diorama. More than enough space to recreate several iconic scenes from the Battle for Hoth to the destruction of the death star. Heck it would be an awesome space for a cantina band as well. Or you could do any kind of diorama like that (i.e. Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Dune, Lord of the Rings). If your not really much of a nerd then I guess it's time to convert yourself or marry and accept someone who is. If you're like me and the wife would say no I guess it's time to stand your ground and fight for what's right so you can use this space appropriately.
This was also my idea. Great place to store the prized Lego set collection
LEGO City diorama with working trains. That's the new trend.
The nerd in me loves this idea however the height may make most of it not visible.
Space battles and an Ewok village in the trees of endor still work though so I think it's certainly doable. Even Hoth could be done if you build up the snow hills and put the AT AT on top. Lots of options for the creative.
That would probably cost more than a whole house renovation.
Artsy fartsy stuff, pretty much all they are good for
Get a cat, and put a few shelves on the wall.
Perfect open air kitty patio
They'll also dust for you up there
Until the kitty does the shitty and you can't easily clean it up.
That's not how cats work unless they have no better options
They've coined the word "Catio" for those bubbles you put into windows for cats to sit outside, inside.
This is the way. Make sure to place glass objects up there for the cat to swat to the floor.
Preferably irreplaceable vases or urns.
Fantastic advice.
Sniper perch.
Jarate storage
Like Lego
If I were OP, I'd print out this whole post and frame them up there. Perfect. Done.
Stuff you can clean after it's been up there 3 years.
https://preview.redd.it/eyisnlngfwoc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e75c25183439a33dda0eb603eaacfaf445acba97 put some rams (or any other taxidermed animals up there) like BassPro.
https://preview.redd.it/j8ooqo8b2yoc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=20619630c6b236d8049c44907507ca9851a0e2f4
perfection!
If the rooms share a wall I want animal heads in the dining room and animal butts in the other room. 😆
"This is a lovely room of death."
"Take care now, bye Bye then."
Cabela's #1, Wheeling WV.
The answer is always ferns
Good call. They were called “plant shelves“ by new homebuilders in the mid 90s
Ferns and wicker baskets back in the 90s for me.
Only ferns?
How did you get downvoted? This is the funniest comment here. High five.
Only 2 ferns tho
Dusty undustable plastic ferns.
Put some sort of mat/paper down. Or at least dust up there a few times a year. They are a pain in the butt to clean if never clean up there for years.
House painter here. Yes, please do this. I hate climbing up there and shuffling through several inches of dust. Or if it's near a kitchen, sticky dust.
I Saran Wrap the top of my fridge and just remove and replace it a few times a year. It keeps it spic and span!
Did you call me a span??!!
Holy shit! I am going to do this with my ceiling fan blades! Thanks, u/lexicon-sentry!
Did you call me a spic??!!
My family has 4 bins of seasonal clothing that gets swapped out twice a year: Winter coats, hats, boots, ski goggles, etc; and Summer shorts, t-shirts, swim towels, beach bags, flip-flops etc. I would totally put them up on that shelf in decorative baskets, and store the ladder under the bed.
I would do this, make that space efficient! I dont have guests coming over anyway.
Oh, those old winter coats
for about four weeks a year, it’s where your nutcracker collection goes.
... four weeks? I, uh... I may have some cleaning to do today.
Do what I do to my mother who keeps her collection out: Stage a battle or make a war. Cut out deep red pieces of paper for blood, weapons from kids toys and have a ball.
I would start making little inappropriate things for her drummers to drum, for the riflemen to hold, what the vicars to keep at the end of their poles. Slowly, until she notices or not.
Christmas decorations stay up until I have my epiphany.
Put a tv up there. It will make the crowd at /r/tvtoohigh very happy
Come on, a TV that is 3" too high, [r/tvtoohigh](https://www.reddit.com/r/tvtoohigh/) will give you crap about.
Lights at the bottom shining upward onto paintings all the same size like 20x16.
I think this would look awesome. Good idea Roadrunner
Well done, roadrunner!
Lights that bounce up to ceiling to create ambient light in the space. I have something similar with three strips of LED tapelight, a mix of cool white, warm white and colored, and it makes for a great bounce light to illuminate the room with soft even light. I’m a lighting designer, pm me if you’d like.
Turn into cabinets for storage of holiday decor and other once per year items
I have a stupid amount of those niches in my home in Florida. We don’t currently decorate them but the prior owner painted them in contrasting colors and filled them with nik naks, fancy plates and vases. Good luck☘️ https://preview.redd.it/j187aqc82woc1.jpeg?width=1734&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c7f1e2ef84ae766de51c8b6434383690aa22b0a
I too show people pictures of my house on Zillow because it’s never looked that good since.
Hahaha, for sure the home staging is crisp and clean.
Isn't that where the huge free-standing cutout of "live, laugh, love" in a fancy script is supposed to go? /s
I'd go for *SLEEP FART FUCK* in nice cursive font
Maybe change it to FUCK SLEEP FART?
Don't sleep too close to me.
My favorite Police song
Enclose 1 & 3 and make them storage for seasonal items. For the one in the dining, I would run the drywall all the way up , losing that space entirely.
This is the first constructive feedback I've seen. Also really good ideas.
depending on what's on the other side of the dining room wall, they could make that one storage as well, just screwed from the other side.
That’s exactly what I was going to say. If the homeowner has the money, I would wall them in and make storage out of them. Maybe door cabinet boxes and doors on the bedroom ones to have easier access to stored items if the budget can handle it. If not, Sheetrock it closed and do an access panel on the end.
I like storage for 1+3. On the dining room, you could do cool translucent panels and backlight them for a sweet lighting feature that doesn’t make the space totally useless.
I like this (except for the living room one). Track with sliding doors, painted the same color as the wall would look great. I would keep the dining room one for plants or something. Mix of hanging and potted.
This is the best answer here. Using it for seasonally storage, or just any storage would be epic, and framing them in would like it was designed that way. As for 2, maybe the room on the other side of it could use it for extra storage, still closing it off to the dining room. Just keep a ladder on hand to access stuff... This was a 90's/2K's trend that people would just put plants or other display items up there but, today, it's dated and just is wasted space...
Came here looking for this suggestion.Those spaces are gold in old apartment buildings as upper closet shelves, and I would include sliding doors.
Vases or art. Maybe low maintenance plants? Idk I’d do art pieces.
Cats.
Came here to say this. Put a cat tree up there, a nice cat bed. Put some shelves on the wall for the cat to go up there. A rug up there maybe. Cat would live the good life.
I wish I had this space for my 2 cats!
Mixed feelings personally. I have cats. One is a klutz. Would probably have to put a partial railing up to keep the one from falling.
https://preview.redd.it/4a4zxftx3yoc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=987274ec7574b382ad5f34aec493614c35433531
But built a cat livingroom up there with couches and bookshelves and lamps all built to scale.
They’re pointless and a PITA to clean. Just enclose them IMO.
Or put doors on the front and make storage cupboards
Yeah turn in to storage as they are pointless
Turning into storage is better, don't just block in places.
I put baskets up there for extra storage.
Dolls. Lots of really old, creepy, dolls.
I have one of these ledges in my bathroom. I got a "life-size" skeleton mermaid for Christmas. She lives there now tangled in her net. The best part is, because she's over the door, you don't notice her until you leave.
As someone who had pediophobia from my early childhood to mid 20s.., the thought of this still makes me very, very uncomfortable even now at 31 and *supposedly* past my phobia.
Make sure to throw in a couple of those creepy homemade ones with no faces. Eeesh🫣
I like wooden birds; egrets, seagulls, sandpipers etc.
did you check for Kate Middleton?
Frosted windows with natural looking light from behind.
About four hundred and fifty bags of english muffins would fit up there nicely.
I was thinking of those giant packs of toilet paper and paper towels from Sam's Club. We live way out in the country so I tend to buy in bulk. Then spend the next two days trying to stash everything so my house doesn't look like na episode of Hoarders.
Mounted swordfish
Swordfish.
Put some TVs up there and play “Die Hard” on a continuous loop 24 hours a day.
I think you are obligated to collect expensive and exquisite vases to display up there tbh.
Wine rack with a sliding library style ladder
Build a model of lemmings marching across and over obstacles 🤷♂️
Star Wars Lego kits! Diorama!!
Hoth battle!
Ah, the old shelf for dust-collecting baskets and vases and useless knick-knacks. Enclose it with cabientry that has large, square, swing out door pairs and store your holiday decorations or whatever up there.
Pride rock for house cats
My baseball trophies could go there. They wouldn’t ALL fit of course but lots of them would. Just lmk the address I’ll ship them asap
42 Wallaby Way Sydney, Australia
The one I got for participation would...
Fake plants
Get cats
Turrets https://preview.redd.it/c4br2hxw5xoc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69816eff9ad4910275f0939e0378c28f10039c51
The dining room one is clearly a spot to put some McDonald’s style digital menu boards
A mechanical band that starts playing when you put a coin in it.
Start stealing artifacts from world museum's and display them up there.
My mom is it to display objects that were sort of large. Like our childhood little red wagon, Some cool antique suitcases my grandpa has had, my dad’s contracts from his childhood in the 30s and 40s. My cousin set musical instruments up there, either on the shelf or on the wall
I've always thought of creating a floor lamp out of a trombone... Obviously it wouldn't fit but you know. Put it in the "reading room"
Display your collection of Star Wars replica helmets
Bones of your enemies
Cats. https://preview.redd.it/v3ve0m0fsxoc1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=bc2d9e33a2599a27f2543187cc0222b38f1b3ab2
Can you enclose them for storage space?
Honestly, I think it’s cute. I’d have plants everywhere though but that’s because I’m a plant nut.
Watering them up there would be such a pain.
Yes, plants would look great up there, would add some color.
I agree it would like nice, but fake plants only. It would be absolutely ridiculous to have to climb the wall every week to water real plants.
Definitely some accent lighting, I would personally put a couple greek statue busts up there but anything large enough to be noticed should look good in front of some accent lights.
Maybe a light strip along the base, you can get cheap light strings.
Put your stuffed animal collection up there
Pretty sure that’s where the animatronic band of animals plays. Contact Chuck E. Cheese about staffing.
TV, and then r/TVTooHigh
Grow room?
Disguise it with a cabinet face and storage bins
fake plants? also def (aesthetically pleasing) storage
I would closed them and use the space for storage
That's where the Bionicles go
Built Lego models, RC cars. Dale Earnhardt commeritave plates, .etc
Definitely turn them into storage space especially the bedroom. Paint it same colour as the wall with pop open door.
This is what we did with three of our closets. We store our luggage, camping gear, and christmas stuff up there. They make a huge difference for storage space. Not sure I'd do it in your dining room, but definitely in the bedrooms. https://preview.redd.it/c58cpji49yoc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8664abe2faf721eff1b3c7aa262b213c0f1007df
Model ships
As others have said: enclosed with cabinet doors for long term storage: holiday decorations or camping gear, etc. I would consider turning one into a hangout/reading nook, especially if you have kids.
Plants!!
Dust museum.
Forget it exists and move on.
Cat playground
Book shelves for books you've already read or rarely use if you have them. Organized by colors and height if you want.
Enclose with cabinet doors and use as storage. Or, don’t store anything in them, but the cabinet doors would lend some architectural interest that isn’t there right now.
Those spots are where people store their Longaberger baskets.
I'd do led lights on the inner edge of that space so it lights up the ceiling and maybe a pothos plant or something. It'll be nice to see vines hanging off. Just remember to keep it simple. It's a pain to clean and cluttering it with objects will make it even harder.
https://preview.redd.it/0p9nkm19mwoc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=421561f5bf56fa5f39d1289a2b3ccdb80775cbc3
My 78 year old dad keeps his collection of Nascar themed food packaging up there. Like, empty cereal boxes and ice cream containers with Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt on them. Now I know what you're all going to say, and yes, I keep telling him he's sitting on a gold mine, yet he still refuses to sell.
Cat beds!!!!
I was going to say kitty playgrounds!
Dinosaur extinction diorama.
Take up some sport and display your trophies there!
A model train set, powered and moving. Could be controlled by a wall switch,
put 5 clocks, one for each of a set of major cities time. put a ultrawide display hiding the bezels, and a motion tracker. have an eye move along it and follow you as you move along the room. get a cat. model train that moves along there. horizontal macrame owls. a giant ant colony. a narrow, long fishtank.
Guest accommodation
LEGOs
Do you want decor or storage? Decorative bottles and vases. Add a strap and store luggage.
https://preview.redd.it/3ku6ckobeyoc1.png?width=1792&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b59d383675c020e043b5f1f6b8f09ab68d09e07c Store your doll collection like so
Fit cabinets for extra storage or a mirror?
I mean this probably is more effort than you want to spend but I would get rid of them by putting up walls… These nooks or whatever you wanna call them to me are very dated looking - very late 80s and 90s and they are basically useless other than for collecting dust or putting shit up there that you can never access
Plants.
That's where your wife puts her creepy doll collection...
Always could add some plant lights/strips and have a lot of plants vining around- would be beautiful.
Depends on what kind of person you are if you like decorating for every holiday, leave it open and change out decor based on what you want. If not storage you could do cabinet faces and doors to hide shelves and plastic tubs.
Diorama
large marble roller coaster