I'd love to see a big painting there and being you have a plug, it could get some fancy museum lighting.

Would you hang the painting? Or display on an easel so it's not so far back in the hole? Thanks for your suggestion!

I would hang it.

I would add crown to the front of the space and trim on the sides to match the bookshelves on either side, paint out the back in the same color white as the backs of the shelves, then add adjustable glass shelving so that you could use it for display, put a small lamp on a shelf or add uplighting behind a plant at the bottom or at the top that would shine through the glass shelves.

The other choice would be to add panels inset just inside the edges of the area that match the door panels on the bookcases. Three or four would look like an overmantel. You could then hang art on that, or a mirror, or just place objects on the mantel in front of it.

and I was thinking I would take the crown modling off (LOL). It looks like it doesn't belong. I like the 2nd picture with items on the mantel, but I also think a picture would look nice.

Laurie

It is rather odd, and if you really don't think you would find a useful purpose for the large recessed area, I'd just drywall it flat.

With ice dams this winter causing drywall havoc with my kitchen ceiling, I've learned that small drywall jobs are fairly inexpensive - less than a couple hundred dollars. I'd close it off and put a mirror or nice painting over the fireplace. If an architectural element just isn't working in a room, then get rid of it. Probably some MALE architect thought he was being really clever with that design idea.

My thoughts, exactly. If you're not interested in using it for a tv, just drywall it over. Otherwise, it will continue to look odd, however you try to make do. The next homeowners can open it up again if they want to recess a tube tv but people seem to be putting flat screens over the fp these days.

Thank you everyone for your ideas! We have been stewing over what to do with this huge space. It sounds like it would be a lot easier to work with if we just got rid of the hole (by drywalling over it!). We could then easily hang a picture or mirror above the fireplace.

If it's not useful, then cover it. The sore thumb is the moulding they added! Just getting rid of that would be an improvement. You could also cover it with a recessed or raised panel painted white as suggested.

I would remove the molding in that space, to me it looks odd. The wall color is beautiful and the built-in book cases are very classy looking. You can use the space to display art or a big mirror. You could fill in the depth with items such as a large antiqued globe or a set of vases and architectural elements. I also like that clock you have displayed.

If you drywall the space, how much depth would remain on the mantle? If it's too shallow then you would be very limited on using the mantle to display decorative objects.

I'd remove the trimwork and hang a large framed art piece
(with either a bold black frame or wide black matting) there or a sized-to-fit black, scrolled iron piece to tie in with the black of the fireplace.

Then you could add a small accent lamp to the mantle (or 2) and some other decor pieces as well.

I vote for drywall too. Sometimes these little "nooks" are more trouble than they are worth ;)

I have an idea, but not sure how to best describe it, so I hope this makes sense:

A TV up there would free up space in your room where you have the armoire.

Since you want to hide the TV when not using it, you can have some sort of doors built for this alcove, that are similar to the doors on the cabinets nearby, but have the ability to fold up and slide in to the sides of the alcove when you want to watch TV.

Sorry if you have no idea what I'm talking about. If I find a picture of this idea, I'll post it later.

It's a matter of personal preference, but I do not care for a tv over a fireplace at all. We too have an armoire and that's where the tv goes. So, I would definitely not buy a tv to fill the space!

I would either do the drywall or panels over, drywall being my first choice.

tina

you could do a stained glass window to fill the space - it could be lit from behind since you have an outlet there. We had a similar arrangement and had a tv in the nook - but didn't want to see it all the time and could not afford retractable doors - so we installed a mini blind - when it was pulled up, it was only about 2" tall. When down, it looked like a window blind - or you could do 2" white wood blinds too. I would not patch up the hole - you may change your mind and want a TV or gaming console there someday. Good luck!

I have the exact same hole over my fireplace and I have no idea what to do with it either. I have been trying to figure it out for 3 years now! It is such a pain!

Wow! Thanks so much for all the feeback. It gives me something to think about. Adding drywall for sure would make the mantle VERY skinny...it is a tiny mantle. It is tempting to drywall it though, just to get rid of the space. Maybe taking down the molding and adding a picture or decorative iron piece on the back wall would work, leaving room (over 2 feet!) for something! My husband also mentioned something about building doors up there...we'll have to think more on that.... Thank you, thank you!

Well, I see you have built in bookcases on either side of the fireplace. Have you considered just continuing the theme and putting another built in there? Sorry if this was already suggested. I only skimmed other posts. I am a book lover so would lover the extra space for books. You cold put a small armchair there and call it the library/reading area ;)

Oh wait, I see there already is a small armchair there! Perfect :-D

If it were mine, I'd leave it alone. There is so much potential there with accessorizing. It'll take time to figure out just the right things to put there, but I wouldn't drywall it or put a TV there.

And think of all you can do with the space at Christmas! lol

Since many home buyers seem to like the tv-over-the-fireplace setup, I wouldn't drywall over it. And I love htnspz's idea of the large work of art with museum lighting over it. I'd love to do that over my fireplace, but I don't have the outlet for it :( And I'd paint the interior the same color as the built-ins for a more cohesive look.

Just my 2 cents.:)

For me I think I would cover the whole with drywall and hang a large painting or mirror. Or I would go with a gigantic TV. Personally I don't mind a huge TV, my husband is kind of a gadget guy/ gamer so I have learned to mix his electronics in my decor and it is perfectly fine. Nothing says beautiful like the biggest TV you can afford :P

You could just cover it all with a huge mirror and have a "secret" storage place back there. :)

Isn't that where you put your wall safe and many valuables, then drywall it and hang a picture?

If you keep it as is, one larger sculpture or a larger picture on an easel would look better than several smaller items because with the shelving there are too many other points of interest.

My first thought was to put the tv there and add some white plantation shutters that you could close when you're not watching the TV. However... I see the outlet and the cable jack, but I don't see a chase for running wires anywhere else. To put a TV up there, you'd need a place to run the wires between the TV and the DVR and other components. (Unless those would fit in the box too, but then you still might want to run speaker wires.) It would probably be easy to add a short chase between the big hole and the recessed shelves on either side... IF you want your TV there. I know some people don't like the TV over the fireplace; I do, IF it's in front of the couch and other seating. (If I'm watching a movie, I like to view it straight on from the couch.)

If you added shutters up there, you couldn't have anything on the mantel (or you'd have to move it to open/close the shutters.)

Glinda, I took some time and did a little virtual for you of my thoughts on your dilemma....
{{!gwi}}
Click photo to see an enlarged version.

I love the clock and pottery by the way.

Wow justgotabme! That looks awesome. You are good! I hope you have time to help me, once we get moved into our newly remodeled home. I would not drywall this recessed area. It's a great place to decorate & with help from the great GW's here, it will look great!

I think the space would look better without that top crown molding because of the way it looks cut off. You could put in a lovely selection of orchids there or a painting on an easel not set back too far. Some beautiful antique sculptural figures could look good too - jade maybe? If that fireplace doesn't actually produce heat and it's just for show you could put a fish tank in there with some carp or something but that might look strange too. That's a pretty awkward space you have there.

Here is a link that might be useful: framed poster

justgotabme has the best idea. I would definitely do that. I agree with the people who say that right now, the molding looks wierd in there. Please do not put a glass shelf or stained glass window up there. I don't think sheetrocking over it is a bad idea, but if you feel like you need a deep mantle to put "stuff" on, then that probably isn't the best idea for you.

I'm loving all the ideas and am going to have a hard time deciding what to do now!

Justgotabme- A BIG, thank you! I have such a hard time "visualizing" what the end product will look like and I really appreciate the time you took to help me out!

Thanks to EVERYONE who responded for all your great ideas. This forum is awesome!

I agree that the hole would definitely look better gone OR as part of the "built-in" instead of being just a separate hole. Now, if I can just figure out how to make that happen....

Here is another picture after we added something else to the hole tonight. Thoughts??? (ie. can we leave it this way until we fix it and not be too embarrassed?!)

We definitely started leaning toward the 50 inch TV because it's HARD for me to find stuff that will look good in this room!

My crazy idea - find, make, commission a set of thin (cardboard, wood, whatever) cut-outs of buildings in different sizes, whether skyscrapers or Victorians, or anythings, and stage them in front of each other (staggered of course - larger ones in FRONT (it works) - but just the outlines, no windows, or different colors, in other words, a skyline but sort of from the ground up (rather than just the top halves). It could be interesting.

You are very welcome Glinda. I'm happy to help. Here's another idea that's using what you have up there now. If the clock had a face that didn't blend so well with the wall what you've done would look fine. But since it does I'd change things up just a little bit.
{{!gwi}}
Click photo to enlarge.
Oh and I added a bit more foliage for you. If it were only that easy, huh?
Ruthy, if I have the time I'll be happy to help. I enjoy making virtual drawings.

That is not well arranged (nothing personal justgotabme) because the white vases, the smallest and lightest colored things, should be in between the large dark vase and clock which is also large and dark, especially as the books on the left are also heavier... everything is weighted over to the left - not balanced.

Dry wall it and be done with it, and buy an oil painting unframed and hang it there. DONE!