Treat the niches in the wall

Sukhmani

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It has been rightly said—A house is made of bricks and beams; a home is made of hopes and dreams. The transformation of a house into a home is deeply influenced by its interiors. The walls of the house play an extensive role in giving a base to your dream home. If your walls have niches, or cut-outs as they call them now; don’t fret, you can actually do a lot with them.

Niches are recessed areas in the wall. They can be of any shape or size. These are mostly found in old constructions and are usually overlooked but they have a lot of potential and can be made to add style to your décor. You can use them for décor or function or both. Here is how-

Make a bookshelf:  Niches are mostly used as bookshelves. It makes a good place to store your books without having to make a separate shelf for them. Lay your books in a combination of flat and upright to make them look more appealing.

Mirror-effect: You can display decorative items in a niche. Add a mirror to the back wall of the niche and it will reflect all the articles you display.

Try contrasts: A niche can be turned into a work of art by painting it in a bolder/ different colour from your walls. Try painting a bit of a pattern or use wallpaper on the back wall for a stunning effect.

Mosaic effect: Using metallic mosaic tiles in smaller niches also looks very interesting and goes well with modern décor. You can add a trim to the edges or panel a niche with wood. You can even line the edges with mosaic tiles or glass to make it stand out.

Plants to the rescue: Liven up a seemingly flat and boring wall cut-out with organic lines and colour of plant life. You can use dry or fresh flowers to make an arrangement.

Personal touch:You can use lettering in a niche to display your favourite quote of family motto and add your family photographs.

Niches elsewhere: If you have a niche in the bathroom, instead of converting it into a cabinet, add a glass shelf and make it more aesthetically pleasing by displaying a collection of perfume and lotion bottles.

Get creative If you have a large niche, try placing furniture in it or use that space for your flat TV. Niches with good depth can be converted into a sitting area. Just furnish it with a comfortable seat and cushions.

Artistic ways: One of the most traditional uses of a wall niche is a trompe-l’oeil mural, an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimensions. This look is most successful and modern if limited to a single wall niche.

Bar and lighting: Add light in niches and cover them with stained glass panels for an amazing look. Give your wall niche a function. Instead of trying to make your niche purely decorative, use an attractive storage piece with drawers to create an exceptional entryway landing strip. A bar can be a great function for a niche.

(Sukhmani is a Chandigarh based interior and landscape designer)