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5 (More) Ways to Use an Alcove

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Following up our post last week on 5 ways to use an alcove, we've collected 5 more ideas to add to the list. One of our favorites is Christy and John's ready-made bar, created in an alcove under the stairs using an antique medicine cabinet and a shelf that doubles as a wine glass rack. Click below for four other ideas...

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Alcoves make a great spot for shoe storage, whether you've got space for a bench, a closed shoe cabinet, or a vertical rack.


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Alcoves are particularly useful in an entryway or bedroom, where they make great closets. Outfit them with built-in storage, a set of floating shelves, or cover up your insta-closet using a curtain.


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An out-of-the-way alcove is the perfect spot for a recycling station. Stack your recycling bins vertically to save space.


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In Sa's Family Home, built-in shelving provides the perfect spot for CD storage. Another take on this idea is to use an alcove to create a media nook that houses AV equipment, speakers, albums, or other tech components in one spot.

For other ways to use an alcove, click here.

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Comments (9)

I'm in love with the cute grey landing strip (landing strip landing strip landing strip).

Fine. Entry way.

posted by Marie-Eve on February 10th 2009 at 2:38pm
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I have an alcove in my kitchen filled with open shelving. It provides much needed storage and requires a good deal of management to keep presentable!

posted by speck on February 10th 2009 at 2:54pm
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Aren't alcoves just screaming for a bold wall color or wallpaper or built-ins? They can add so much charm to a home.

posted by alwaysB on February 10th 2009 at 3:13pm
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The last picture looks more like a hallway than an alcove. I've always loved the idea of a library-hallway--so I could see my books when I walked through everyday!

posted by soco on February 10th 2009 at 3:21pm
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The grey with pink umbrella and white purse is totally me. Neat enough with just enough stuff to be still warm and inviting. And everything goes. The purse is a part of the whole. Love love love. You've used this picture before and I loved it then too. Now, to figure out how to do similar in my house.

posted by Jen C on February 10th 2009 at 4:04pm
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I need to work on my landing strip, it's a mess right now!

posted by atomicranch79 on February 10th 2009 at 4:32pm
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So tell me, where can I get an alcove of my own...

Our house is sadly free of alcoves...

posted by fjorlief on February 10th 2009 at 5:39pm
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Yay! I am moving to a place with a couple alcoves, and inspiration abounds.

posted by julieleanne on February 10th 2009 at 6:50pm
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You can build out from the wall and leave a space.

It is true, alcoves or nooks are kind of a nifty score, but for some reason, people have a hard time figuring out what to do? Maybe it's not wide enough for a desk, so you have to build something. Maybe it's too wide for a desk but not wide enough for a bed. Maybe it's not close enough to the door to be useful for entering and exiting materials. I can't think of anything you can't do with alcove. But anyway, I don't have any. I think the idea is that without an alcove, you can just put things against the wall and make it as wide or narrow as you like. People like "natural" borders, or a place to put shelves that's already its own case.

I'm not sure I would give up X inches of closet space for a nook behind the door (where right now it butts up with just enough room for a coatrack), but maybe I'll start using the closet by the bathroom for coats (instead of like a basement).

posted by K T G on February 10th 2009 at 6:50pm
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