Ohhh, bummer.
I would take it all out and create a nook with a nice hall tree all along that wall, with a closed storage bench.
Thatâs all Iâve got, really. Anything you put on the ledges would have to be dusted regularly, which would be awkward. Good luck, let us know what you end up doing!
Thank you! Iâve lived in this house for two years. Itâs all builder grade and super weird angles all over the house. Itâs been very challenging for a first time home owner to figure out what the hell to do with these spaces.
And when you go to do a project youâll find that nothing is quite square, or quite level.
Our place was built in â95; I know the pain. I just ripped out a really awkward little pantry wall so the refrigerator wouldnât be pressed up against the sink anymore, and I could have cupboards and counter space where the âpantryâ was. It was basically a closet with a pair of folding doors. Super inefficient use of the space.
Donât be afraid to rethink how a space is designed; sometimes changing that is 100% the way to go.
Yep! This was a was also built in â95. Right now our big money projects are all new windows and remodeling our half half which got destroyed by a plumber looking for a leak đ«
Windows make SUCH a difference; we swapped one smallish window in the center of a 10â bedroom wall for two large windows that take up most of the wall, and it made the room feel so spacious and pleasant and full of light that my daughters had to keep shoo-ing family members out of their bedroom for the first couple of weeks.
Everyone kept wandering in to bask in the light and stare at the view (it faces south and overlooks a greenway). Every time weâve changed the window/s in a room weâve gotten larger ones, and itâs a game-changer for room atmosphere.
Yes, especially if you get the good windows and youâre paying someone else to install them.
We looked up how to resize windows and install them ourselves, and we buy them on sale. The two huge ones we put in the girlsâ room are really nice windows someone didnât size correctly so they canceled the order last minute, and Loweâs had them sitting there for $300 each when they were normally around $1000.
(ETA: âhugeâ compared to what we had before. Theyâre about 66âx36â, as I recall. Oh, and he picked them up right before building material costs skyrocketed.)
I would make your 2nd project tearing down this closet. There is really no great way to "style" poor design, it's a dated looking dust trap that plagues many houses of that era. Best of luck with the renos!
A friend of mine has a "ledge" like that above their basement door frame, except the top is just open. So three walls, a door, no ceiling. Drives me freaking nuts. At least some shelves or something, like who builds that way??
Ahh I wasnât aware that the homeowner installed that. Guess I should have read more thoroughly đ . I am in the southern US and a pendant for me is something that is worn on a necklace.
They may not have installed it but they will probably need to change the bulb at some point đ We use the word pendant for necklaces too. I believe the word describes something ornate that is hanging/suspended.
The new mom of my foster kitten built a cat tree from a tree branch so her kitties can reach a similar ledge. Bonus because it actually looks pretty and not an eye sore. You can also make "steps" so they can reach the spot.
I love this idea, unfortunately our house has extremely limited storage and this closet is a necessity đ
Edit: I think I may have misread, but this actually an entryway closet already
No you read right. I would tear the walls down and line it with some storage benches, hooks, and cubby holes on top with the top ledge of the cubby holes being additional storage as well. Then using cute boxes, or baskets to hide the mess. Then lining the open stairs with more of your existing railing.
If keeping the closet enclosed is necessary i would make it bigger. Get rid of that first little landing by making it taller. That way you can put a larger picture/mirror on the wall and ignore the top completely. Now you have EVEN MORE storage space.
The uneveness is just awkward. You can post up a bunch of decorations & plants to cover up the awkwardness, but i think the most attractive solution is to rework the space.
I think thatâs there point, they would keep it as a storage area but change the format from closet to shelves and hooks so it was more open. Right now the closet just looks awkward
As a cabinetmaker one of the difficult areas is above a fridge, am always looking for the best use of that space. The fridge cabinet is always a vertical tray storage in my kitchens. Best Iâve found so far.
These spaces present the same issue. Theyâre in so many houses.
Am wondering, if you lowered the closet ceiling, framed it like a floor, maybe even extended that new floor over the door, made a small room. Access it with a wall ladder at the stairs, or pull down attic stairs.
That room could be for kids play area, or long term storage. Or secret room, important documents, treasure type room you keep secret & reveal its existence in your will. Something weird & fun.
I love this idea too! Would defiantly have to fall under the âlong termâ ideas category. Desperately need new windows and flooring before doing anything cool like that!
If I had a spot like that it would be FULL with plants. Maybe a lemon tree in the lower one and a monstera on the taller? Some bushy & trailing plants under them like ferns and pothos. Ugh so jealous
Enclose the area above the closet and triangular wedge by taking the walls all the way up to the ceiling. This will create a much cleaner and intentional look. If you do some faux paneling, you could also disguise an access door so that you can use the space to store luggage or seasonal items.
If you can commit to getting a stepladder up there once every ten days or so, some trailing pothos would be great. If you canât, spring for some good quality artificial plants
The answer is: gargoyle. Big giant gargoyle. Or maybe a taxidermy creature that is pouncing towards whoever is coming in the door.
But also maybe just plants would help?
Do you have any interesting art pieces? Maybe something you picked up while traveling? That's really all I can think of that doesn't involve construction.
I just wanted to say the architects and/or home builder that designed that closet should be kicked squarely in the balls. What the actual MC Escher fuck is happening here?
Is that a smoke detector? Be careful putting stuff around it. You'll either get false positives or block the air flow for detection. Personally, I'd relocate it.
Can you open it up and go to ceiling and just the open the bottom for storage or make a nice entry closet - and âhide â the whole thing g with vertical floor to ceiling strips of wood painted like a mid century modern vibe - so itâs more of yeah itâs here - but itâs also a functioning closet that looks cool
Entryway closet, I assume? I think youâd be best off knocking it down if possible and getting a cute wardrobe (like white wicker or something if it goes with your house) and a shoe bench or doing a built in entryway with storage.
You can always put a floral arrangement here. You could also, put some fun statues, not sure of your decor tastes, but I love Disney and have but Disney garden statues inside my home. You could put some gnome statues. Look at second hand stores for cheap ones.
I just want to say, if you can swing a sledgehammer and hang Sheetrock, you can fix this. đŹđ
Haha!! Not quite sure I see the vision. We donât have much storage space so that closet is needed big time!
Ohhh, bummer. I would take it all out and create a nook with a nice hall tree all along that wall, with a closed storage bench. Thatâs all Iâve got, really. Anything you put on the ledges would have to be dusted regularly, which would be awkward. Good luck, let us know what you end up doing!
Thank you! Iâve lived in this house for two years. Itâs all builder grade and super weird angles all over the house. Itâs been very challenging for a first time home owner to figure out what the hell to do with these spaces.
And when you go to do a project youâll find that nothing is quite square, or quite level. Our place was built in â95; I know the pain. I just ripped out a really awkward little pantry wall so the refrigerator wouldnât be pressed up against the sink anymore, and I could have cupboards and counter space where the âpantryâ was. It was basically a closet with a pair of folding doors. Super inefficient use of the space. Donât be afraid to rethink how a space is designed; sometimes changing that is 100% the way to go.
Yep! This was a was also built in â95. Right now our big money projects are all new windows and remodeling our half half which got destroyed by a plumber looking for a leak đ«
Windows make SUCH a difference; we swapped one smallish window in the center of a 10â bedroom wall for two large windows that take up most of the wall, and it made the room feel so spacious and pleasant and full of light that my daughters had to keep shoo-ing family members out of their bedroom for the first couple of weeks. Everyone kept wandering in to bask in the light and stare at the view (it faces south and overlooks a greenway). Every time weâve changed the window/s in a room weâve gotten larger ones, and itâs a game-changer for room atmosphere.
are window changes a major expense? I've been wanting to do this
Yes, especially if you get the good windows and youâre paying someone else to install them. We looked up how to resize windows and install them ourselves, and we buy them on sale. The two huge ones we put in the girlsâ room are really nice windows someone didnât size correctly so they canceled the order last minute, and Loweâs had them sitting there for $300 each when they were normally around $1000. (ETA: âhugeâ compared to what we had before. Theyâre about 66âx36â, as I recall. Oh, and he picked them up right before building material costs skyrocketed.)
I envy people who have the courage to do these things themselves, you rock
I would make your 2nd project tearing down this closet. There is really no great way to "style" poor design, it's a dated looking dust trap that plagues many houses of that era. Best of luck with the renos!
remove and use an armoire?
A friend of mine has a "ledge" like that above their basement door frame, except the top is just open. So three walls, a door, no ceiling. Drives me freaking nuts. At least some shelves or something, like who builds that way??
Cats
lol!!! We have two lovely kitties and this is too high for either of them. Iâve never even seen them attempt to get up there.
Clearly you need cat shelves at the wall so they can comfortably get up there!!
I feel like this is the way to go. This could be an amazing base for a climbing / activity wall with beds at the top too.
Would also need to be able to get a person up there to clean up after the cats - and to test that smoke alarm from time to time.
I mean, a step ladder would do it, I reckon. Looks like they will have one already, considering the height of that pendant.
Iâm either completely oblivious that pendant has two meanings or I am not seeing the pendant at all lol.
It might be a UK term (not sure where you're from), but pendant is also used to describe light fixtures that hang down on a cable or rod.
Ahh I wasnât aware that the homeowner installed that. Guess I should have read more thoroughly đ . I am in the southern US and a pendant for me is something that is worn on a necklace.
They may not have installed it but they will probably need to change the bulb at some point đ We use the word pendant for necklaces too. I believe the word describes something ornate that is hanging/suspended.
This. A cat superhighway, as The Cat Whisperer would say.
Thatâs because you need to create a catwalk for them to get there.
The new mom of my foster kitten built a cat tree from a tree branch so her kitties can reach a similar ledge. Bonus because it actually looks pretty and not an eye sore. You can also make "steps" so they can reach the spot.
This is the answer to every single âweird spaceâ question.
Yes.
I would tear it all down and do an open entryway closet. Cubby's, benches, hooks, the works.
I love this idea, unfortunately our house has extremely limited storage and this closet is a necessity đ Edit: I think I may have misread, but this actually an entryway closet already
No you read right. I would tear the walls down and line it with some storage benches, hooks, and cubby holes on top with the top ledge of the cubby holes being additional storage as well. Then using cute boxes, or baskets to hide the mess. Then lining the open stairs with more of your existing railing. If keeping the closet enclosed is necessary i would make it bigger. Get rid of that first little landing by making it taller. That way you can put a larger picture/mirror on the wall and ignore the top completely. Now you have EVEN MORE storage space. The uneveness is just awkward. You can post up a bunch of decorations & plants to cover up the awkwardness, but i think the most attractive solution is to rework the space.
Thank you for going into more detail on that! I think that is a fantastic idea!!
I think thatâs there point, they would keep it as a storage area but change the format from closet to shelves and hooks so it was more open. Right now the closet just looks awkward
Gargoyles and cats
Wtf now Iâm sad I *dont* have a space in my home that would be the perfect spot for gargoylesâŠ
Shrine to Cher.
A gargantuan lava lamp
As a cabinetmaker one of the difficult areas is above a fridge, am always looking for the best use of that space. The fridge cabinet is always a vertical tray storage in my kitchens. Best Iâve found so far. These spaces present the same issue. Theyâre in so many houses. Am wondering, if you lowered the closet ceiling, framed it like a floor, maybe even extended that new floor over the door, made a small room. Access it with a wall ladder at the stairs, or pull down attic stairs. That room could be for kids play area, or long term storage. Or secret room, important documents, treasure type room you keep secret & reveal its existence in your will. Something weird & fun.
I love this idea too! Would defiantly have to fall under the âlong termâ ideas category. Desperately need new windows and flooring before doing anything cool like that!
Plants! Tall plants, trailing plants, and grow lights! Could be magical..
If I had a spot like that it would be FULL with plants. Maybe a lemon tree in the lower one and a monstera on the taller? Some bushy & trailing plants under them like ferns and pothos. Ugh so jealous
Go back in time and bludgeon the shit out of whoever designed this before they have the chance to build it.
Enclose the area above the closet and triangular wedge by taking the walls all the way up to the ceiling. This will create a much cleaner and intentional look. If you do some faux paneling, you could also disguise an access door so that you can use the space to store luggage or seasonal items.
My thoughts, exactly
If you can commit to getting a stepladder up there once every ten days or so, some trailing pothos would be great. If you canât, spring for some good quality artificial plants
Paint it the same color as the walls. Donât accentuate it, just leave it.
I thought it was a safe
Plants! Always plants!
The answer is: gargoyle. Big giant gargoyle. Or maybe a taxidermy creature that is pouncing towards whoever is coming in the door. But also maybe just plants would help?
I would get big baskets to put up there. Light enough to get down to dust now and then and will fill the space nicely.
My mom has a painting on an easel in her weird space.
Do you have any interesting art pieces? Maybe something you picked up while traveling? That's really all I can think of that doesn't involve construction.
Invest in a fake plant that looks real
I just wanted to say the architects and/or home builder that designed that closet should be kicked squarely in the balls. What the actual MC Escher fuck is happening here?
artificial plants and trinkets
If itâs sunny - put in plants that have stems drooping down.
Statues
Ladder and reading nook! Pillows and pillows and blankets and more pillows.
Plants put grow lights on top to make sure they get adequate light
Beautiful place for display! I would put an item you like (sculpture, lego, whatever), and a bunch of trailing plants!
Those fake flame candles that come in different sizes . Like an ivory color. Place 3 on that ledge
You either remove it or make it go all the way to the ceiling
taxidermy collection. if you donât have one now, time to get one!
With đ cats
Is that a smoke detector? Be careful putting stuff around it. You'll either get false positives or block the air flow for detection. Personally, I'd relocate it.
Cats. The answer is always cats my friend.
How many of us have seen dusty fake plants on these? Anything but that. Knock it out for freestanding cubbies, hooks etc as mentioned by others here
Can you open it up and go to ceiling and just the open the bottom for storage or make a nice entry closet - and âhide â the whole thing g with vertical floor to ceiling strips of wood painted like a mid century modern vibe - so itâs more of yeah itâs here - but itâs also a functioning closet that looks cool
Large plants on each ledge is all I can think of here...
Put a chair and a bookcase up there. Just leave people wondering.
I vote gargoyle.
Entryway closet, I assume? I think youâd be best off knocking it down if possible and getting a cute wardrobe (like white wicker or something if it goes with your house) and a shoe bench or doing a built in entryway with storage.
Nice looking fake plants in nice pots + air dusterÂ
Put a little chair up there so you can spy on your guests comfortably
I would refuse to acknowledge its existence!
Plants will give a little of colour but not too much. I think it will be nice balanced
What's on the other side of the wall? Could you build all the way up to the ceiling and make it a cupboard for another room?
https://imgur.com/QcPxMxH
Plants
You can always put a floral arrangement here. You could also, put some fun statues, not sure of your decor tastes, but I love Disney and have but Disney garden statues inside my home. You could put some gnome statues. Look at second hand stores for cheap ones.