We can personally attest to dealing with (more like enduring) a TV niche that was both poorly located and improperly sized. Shoved into the corner of the living room, it suffered from extreme glare coming through floor-to-ceiling, west-facing windows and created an unfortunate scenario in which there was only one good seat in the room: the one directly in front of the TV.

The massive size—and uneven measurements from front to back—also made TV and furniture selection challenging. Nothing ever looked right in there, and it became a constant source of frustration—so much so that we found ourselves not using the room.

Our solution: relocate the TV over the fireplace and turn the niche into a (windowless) window seat. It set us back about $400 for the semi-custom cabinets, the cushion, the peel-and-stick wallpaper and the materials for the top, base, and sides, which were put gogether by a local handyman. You can do it yourself if you’re good with a saw (we like our fingers too much).

Of course, this is just one idea for how to transform an odd, awkward, or unusable TV niche into something decidedly better.

Home office

A TV niche is the perfect spot to tuck in a home office. We love these table tops from IKEA (from just $8.99) that you can attach to the wall for a built-in look. Pick your favorite finish, add a comfy chair, some cute accessories, and a shelf or two plus a dynamic piece of art above, and you’ve got a usable—and attractive—space.

Bookcase

The same shelf you used above the desk can be multiplied to create an area for books, photos, art, and knick-knacks. Whether you want a sleek look with hidden brackets or you like to be able to see the hardware, you’ll find an abundance of super-affordable options at IKEA. We also love these rustic floating shelves from Wayfair that have a lip so the end so your stuff will stay put.

Gallery

Don’t have good wall space where you can display some favorite art or framed family photos? Now you do! You can use these tips to help you with the layout, and, for added punch, paint or wallpaper the back wall of the niche to really make the art stand out.

Play area

DJ booth. Hair salon. Spaceship. Kitchen. Art studio. There are so many ways you can turn an unused or underappreciated space into a masterpiece for kids and inspire their creativity. Of course, it helps if you don’t mind it being the centerpiece of your living space! If you do, a pair of curtains you can close or a couple of sliding doors will help keep everything under wraps.