Home Trends from Ciaran O'Neill

Ciaran O’Neill

CREATE AND STYLE A WALL NICHE A niche, or a recessed area of a wall, can be a great way to add something different to your room's decor. Many homes have niches built around or above fireplaces, but you can add your own to a hallway, bedroom, living room or dining room. You'll want to be aware of any electrical or plumbing that might run inside the wall as well as if the wall is load bearing or not before constructing one though. Once you have your niche made, or if your home has one already, decorating it can be as simple as adding framed photos and art, various decor pieces like vases, mirrors, candles, books, etc. If you want the niche to be the focal point of the room, you can install lighting in it to showcase a piece of art or particularly important piece of memorabilia. You can also use tile, wall paper or paint to make the niche a different colour from the rest of the wall so it really draws your eye. If your niche is above the fireplace, you can use the space to house a small television or use an extending wall mount for a larger television that will cover the niche entirely. If a television above the fireplace isn’t an option for you, consider plants (real ones if they’ll get sunlight or artificial ones if they won’t), vases with branches, sculptures or even use it as a place to stack wood for the fireplace below.

780.445.8109 • ciaran.oneill@century21.ca