A niche off to the side of anything is always a tricky space to use. However, I looked at it as a blank slate. I thought, “what could I use this space for instead of my TV? What am I in need of in this room?” I considered how my family plans to use the space, our love of entertaining, my kids and pets and decided to use it as a place to store firewood.

We love to sit together as a family, enjoying the fire and watching our favorite movies. And now we can watch the movies on our extra-large TV (now centered over the fireplace) and keep the fire going with the wood I’ve stacked in the niche. I still love the other two ideas for the space – a sitting area and a bar. Maybe I’ll use those ideas in my next home but for now I’m loving my firewood “installation.” It’s practical, functional, beautiful and brings a little bit of nature indoors.

– article by Ellie Lopez

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