AWKWARD SPACES - Niches and Alcoves (How to design around these challenges!)

AWKWARD SPACES - Niches and Alcoves (How to design around these challenges!)

Welcome back to the awkward space series. Today’s video is all about addressing those awkward niches, alcoves, ledges, and cutouts found throughout your home. Not all niches start out as beautiful built-in cabinetry that add more storage and architectural interest to your space. Some cutouts are downright awkward, making you feel like you’re forced to style or address it in some way. I want to share my top tips on how to highlight these details to bring unique and original beauty to your home.

Do you have any awkward spaces you would like for me to address in this series? Comment below!

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#niches #alcoves #ledges

[grat]

You're doing a fantastic job with this series. So many of us have homes with challenging areas. I just don't see enough designers tackling these issues.

[purpleyip]

Just bought a mid century house and we were struggling with the niches in the living room, the stairways and the bedroom. I am so glad you made this video. Thank you. Love your videos. They made so much sense to me.

[tklassen]

This was really interesting! We have a niche that’s 6’ tall but only 15” wide in our dining room. We ended up making a door for it and turned it into extra functional storage

[tamsaragrey]

We had the weirdest long, oddly shaped nook in our master bedroom. It was wide enough to be a closet, but it wasn't deep at all-- maybe 12". Finally we came up with my DREAM solution-- a SHOE CLOSET! 😍. Our contractor framed out sliding closet doors and my hubs installed rows and rows of shoe racks. I wish I could attach before & after pics!

[robynfuller]

I have a few niches in my house and was wondering what to do with them- this video is perfect! Thanks for a great series!

[ArvinOlano]

Omg a convention that said niches are IN hahahaha why does this make so much sense though 😂👏🏼

[jennifer]

I absolutely love niches/alcoves, and can see many uses for them. I'm designing a house now (I'm not and architect or interior designer, but I love design) where I'm incorporating five alcoves into it. Two are built-in book shelves (which can be used for anything), one is for extra storage, one is an art display in the foyer, and one is a mini bar or coffee station in the kitchen. The key to each of these is the textured background, wood shelving with a contrasting color, and combined with lighting. I love nature-made materials, so stone, mother of pearl, and wood will be used in all of them.

[Amira_Phoenix]

Thank you, Julie. Your videos are always such a delight.

I wasn't blessed with a niche, so I made one. I had to wall up an akward doorway to the bedroom that opened just in front of the foot of the bed. Therefore, I put the door on the side instead. So, since the wall was quite thick, it created a deep recess (11') in the wall which I took advantage of to 100%: Open shelves display my family photos and decor items, the lower section has cabinet doors for bedroom accessories safe-keeping. Also, the lower shelf is conveniently at the level of the eyes when one is in bed. That is how I watch movies in bed through the lap-top. Since the bedroom is tiny, barely enough space to walk around the bed, a cabinet that does not invade the room comes in handy. I do recommend.

[StringsnShoes]

Thank you so much for this video! I'm currently (as in driving cross-country this week during two separate snowpocalypse storms) moving into a house with three tall, shallow, curved niches in the foyer (plus other assorted niches and ledges) that I really had no idea how to style. This gives me a good starting point for how to make them add to the decor, not look junky or like a 90s nightmare!

[Elegrawats]

I've been watching your awkward spaces series as I'm trying to figure out how to style our new bedroom. Can you believe we have alcoves, cutouts, sloped ceilings, a wide chimney breast and low windows. I am absolutely baffled!!

[annetteanderson]

Thank you for helping with awkward spaces! I have a very large ledge - 18 feet long and a large alcove. I definitely feel you addressed my concerns with them! Thank you!

[MPGeterdone]

The most UTILITARIAN design video I have seen in a while!!!! Thank you because I have SEVERAL areas with these design elements in my home and was on the same design lines as some of your examples. It feels good to have confirmation and to see how it could look finished! THANKS AGAIN!! :)

[rockshot]

Julie Honey, I am an architect and I understand design, BUT NOT interiors. I am having to redo my house by myself. You not only know what you are doing but have amazing talent. I understand exactly what you are saying, the pics are just icing on the cake. It is hard to believe I don't have to pay you for these consultations! You will never know how much you have helped me. I am taking an entirely different approach to the bathroom, the bathroom post was crazy good, my original idea was ok, but now it will be over the top, since so many things I didn't even consider until you pointed it out. Please take a very genuine thank you? Do you have a general post about an overall color scheme within an entire house. Here every thing is a version of tan/grey, the only color is ultramarine blue, so I am thinking to do that in every room as a general theme?, then vary the secondary color (versions of orange red) in the various rooms?

[caranwysong]

You should be on TV! This is so helpful. I have all the things: niches, ledges, corner fireplace with a rectangular niche with arch on top under a slanted ceiling in the north area of my living room. My dining room has a slanted ceiling. I have a slanted ceiling in my bedroom. Whew! My house was built in 2002, I believe. The 2/3 rule is great! I have one vase too tall and one too short. This is very, very helpful!

[marvinjayne]

I’m doing a project in a living room. There is a niche right above the fireplace. We’re lining the back of the niche with mirror, install a light inside the niche, add glass shelves with strip lights attached onto the shelves & turn it into a bar.
In my bathroom, I took out the old medicine cabinet, leaving a 4 - 6 inch niche. I lined the back of the niche with mirror, & installed glass shelves then just decorated one shelf with small glass canisters filled with cotton balls, q-tips, flosser (unused obviously), the top shelf with a favorite photo and votives with tea lights. A word of advise, I would not light real candles, but instead use battery operated tea lights.

[marissasolomon]

Love this!

An awkward thing I have is 4 bow windows in the master bedroom and living room. I have NO CLUE what kind of window treatments to do to make it adjustable to sunlight and look sleek yet still be able to use the space as a sitting area. Not an awkward space, more awkward windows!!

[Stellaperez]

I always learn something new and useful with every video that you bring us. Thank you!

[MGomez]

I didn't even know what they were called lol trying to Google how to decorate wholes in the walls lmao

[araeswhiteflag]

julie: today's topic is one i may not have received a ton of requests for
literally me last night staring at my awkward bedroom wall: i need to post on a julie khuu video tomorrow and ask what to do about a wall that has 3 consecutive cutouts (forming like a W)

[luisahori]

Thank you Julie for this putting this video together---my house is full of awkward non-symmetrical niches thruout the house that I intend to remedy ASAP with the help of these ideas.