Install a rod just under the upper shelf, and bifold doors and use it as a closet?

Find a small doored cabinet that fits under the counter and use it as a bar?

Be aware that laptop computers are terrible for your health, they are an ergonomic nightmare. You may eventually find you need to use a desk surface to keep your wrists and eyes and neck healthy.

There are a number of things you could do with the space depending on what your needs are. Obviously as a student you will have tons of books and study materials, you could add a shelf or two and use it as a built in bookcase. You could also do that and if you don't want to see the books, you could add doors to it so you can use it as storage.
One more idea that comes to mind is if you entertain that it might make a nice area fo a dry bar where you could put some glassware, liquors and a few mixers. Hopefully one of these ideas works for you or sparks a good idea for you.

Don't try to hide it! I don't advocate painting a countertop that isn't yours, so I would cover the shelf and the countertop with wallpaper and that adhesive stuff that isn't supposed to damage drywalls. If it won't damage drywall or leave behind residue, it should be safe for the countertop. I say cover both of them because then you create some cohesion and it isn't so obvious that you're trying to cover something up. Then I'd paint the inside a color accented by whatever wallpaper you've chosen. After you're done, arrange books, frames, etc. on the shelves.

How about a mini bar? Is there space under the desk for a small refrigerator? A wine rack up above, bar accessories, a fun picture or mirror set inside...and you have a built in stress release from law school.

Make it into a classy wet bar. Get some big decanters and retro/vintage glasses and you got yourself a Mad Men set up.

what do you mean, "when people still used desktop computers?" as if they are all dinosaurs

I wish you could paint it white like the rest - then it would blend, and make this look like an interesting display nook. I agree with the idea of using some kind of wallpaper to hide the whole thing. I think if you buy simple linen fabric and attach with laundry starch, it will unify the look and then can be peeled off when you move.

From there - use it as a great display. Behind your couch? Can you reach it from the couch? You could use it as side-table kind of space. Or, put some additional free-standing shelving in there to make it a bookcase. Or display space.

Honestly, I'd give into its original purpose and use it as a space to store and charge my laptop and iPad and whatnot. A little chair next to it, and I think it woudl be a sweet miniature (public and neat as opposed to private and messy) desk area.

What PI said re contact paper. Then what everyone else said re bar. Whatever you do, try this: couple of big groovy baskets/boxes/ottomans underneath for storage (and if you use ottomans, extra seating); big mirror with strong frame to take up most of the back wall and something gorgeous and/or useful on the top shelf...books, photos in frames, ceramics, whatever.

@TSPInteriorDesign - I think what she meant was that she usually has too many books and papers out, and would need a larger work surface. Laptops are just fine when you're using a desk, and not sitting on a sofa.

@EdmundD - Ha, I caught onto that too. How many iMacs have we seen in these house tours? obviously people are still using desktops!

I would either take out that counter and add the same kind of wood boards or I would just resurface the counter and add more shelves to create a built in ladder shelf! If you're worried about lighting and that it will become too dark of a space to try to utilize and display either photo's or decor, add a single, battery operated LED light to the top of the space that turns on when the room is dark!

My mom has one of these in her apartment, and she totally went the "closet" route. She put up a curtain rod with 1 or 2 curtains on it, and voila -- closet. She has her vacuum cleaner in there (too awkward to fit in other locations), and she's stacked plastic storage tubs up to the ceiling. Meanwhile, the curtains add some color and texture to the room, and it actually looks really, really good!

I'm confused. If it was once built for a desktop, how can it now be too small for your desk? Put some additional shelving in and hang desk organizing things on the side walls. If you still need space for books, buy a small bookshelf. I have a small desk too, it's about 42" across, but I flanked it with bookshelves and, really, I don't need to have that much crap littering my space. I quickly lose track of things.

I was going to suggest mini bar also if you're into that kind of thing.

Where is this in relation to everything else?

Is it near the front door? If so, use this space for a coat closet.

Is it near the kitchen? If so, use it for a pantry.

Is it near the laundry machines? If so use it for folding laundry and storing detergent.

Is it near the bathroom? If so, use if for a linen closet.

Is it near the backdoor? If so, use it for a utility closet.

Do you like to drink? Use it for a minibar. Note that a "wetbar" is the inappropriate term for this space since there is no sink.

Do you like to do craft things? If so, you will need a different space than your desk.

I would use this for my record player and vinyl collection. If that's not your thing maybe a home stereo system can go here? I always have a hard time finding space for that kind of thing. You could also install shelves throughout and make a build in library.

@matt.hansana - No can do. She's in a rental. Demolition work is not okay for this.

@KHinNJ - It was built for a desktop computer, but not for anyone who needs a lot more space to study or to spread out papers. This kind of built-in desk was really popular in the 90s when people were more inclined to have one computer in a common space and everyone could share it.

Winebar/wetbar. Personally, I didn't drink before law school (just wasn't interested), but it is amazing how many social events involve alcohol + law students. So even just having a cute area when you have people over (study breaks, small group bonding, etc.) would be fab: inexpensive wineracks on the bottom, or tiered shelves for the top; IKEA-type wine glass holders (so they glasses fit upside down) -- either suspended above the desk part or screwed underneath the desk part. Good luck! (Well, PS: I do like CK8G0's suggestion of a library space...)

If you're a drinker, definitely a bar! Paint the alcove some warm colours and get some lighting set up.

Also a great location for vinyl, as ck8g0 said above.

If it were my place I'd use it as the designated "cat area". Litterbox below (one of those covered ones) and hang a little curtain to hide it away, unless you have a designer box. Above I'd get some shelving for the cat to climb up and sleep.

And of course, a closet would be extremely practical. I'd probably house my shoe collection here. (behind a curtain if this is in a living/dining area).

It looks like a terrific spot for an aquarium. Or a large plant. :)

Definitely a place for storage. Whether its alcohol or a vacuum depends on your lifestyle!

It's in a good spot for a dry bar, or you could fit it out for a closet with an expandable curtain rod. Although you may find it too small as a work surface, it could still be a computer nook for when you are not in the throes of a project - it's certainly large enough to accommodate wireless equipment like your printer. In a different direction, if you are a plant or fish hobbyist it could be fitted out to suit your hobby.

I look at that and think, "Mirrored bar!"

Turn it into a bar. Add a few shelves for glasses above and wine below, and voila. Decorate with your favorite decantors and barware. Add some handsome liquor bottles. Maybe even a mirror on the wall below the shelves to add some reflective bling.

Bar! I don't think it needs to be complicated...some great art, some fun doo-dads, some gorgeous glasses and a few bottles. If you want to get fancy, you can skirt it under the desk and stick a mini-fridge down there, since it looks pretty deep, and there's an outlet. I'd just use a tension rod and a great cafe curtain from a big-box store.

Could be a cute feature of the apartment. Good luck!

You can use the space to charge your ipod, laptop, phone etc. You could make it a whole media center and add in some shelves (just putty and paint up the holes when you leave) above the desk to store DVDs and CDs. The desk is sort of an eyesore just as is, so I'm tempted to take some nice fabric and some velcro and just make a skirt to hide some storage bins underneath. Or, get a cute chair, place it in front of the desk, and make it into a bill paying/mail answering station.

If you don't need the area for media, e-docking station, or storage of anykind, then skip the shelves, and just get a great piece of art and hang it up above the desk. Go to IKEA and get a little light to hang under that upper shelf to illuminate the artwork. Get creative :)

I immediately thought "dry bar" when I saw the picture. If you're not inclined to go that route, I'd hang some cute removable wallpaper, put up some hooks for coats/bags (if the area is tall enough, it's hard to tell) and turn the desk into a landing strip.

The bar would be a great idea, but she said that it was positioned behind the sofa, making the bottom half unusable presumably, so I don't think all of the suggestions about installing a mini fridge would work.

@ Pi - actually, even on a desk surface the position of the screen and keyboard is not ideal on a laptop.

Recommended reading for anyone using a laptop as their prime tech: http://ergonomics.about.com/od/office/a/laptopasdesktop.htm

Given how many close-up shots we see in house tours of people's liquor shrines, I'd suggest turning it into a dry bar. (Everyone I knew in law school partook regularly and often.) You could glam up the nook with a mirror on the back (you can pick up framed mirrors cheap at discount places like Ross, and paint or cover the frame) and/or repositionable wallpaper. Cover the desk with a large tray or purchase a cut-to-order remnant from a kitchen counter fabricator and slide that in. If you want to be über trendy and offensive, buy a cheap Buddha and put it in there. If you want to show better taste, scan your local vintage shops for cool cocktail stuff and prop it. I'm thinking less Mad Men style (overdone) and more Thin Man chic. Cut class and swizzle sticks.

All I see is....MINI BAR!

Lots of great ideas here and it depends on what you need. Based on what I needed in grad school, I'd put file cabinets underneath and a charging station on the counter. Some kind of additional shelving for books - I always like keeping library books separate from other books, so maybe this would be a good place. Plus a place to deal with mail - stamps, cardboard mailers, packing tape, paper, pens etc.

Maybe use the top shelf for boxes of stuff - old papers, out of season clothes etc.

Then, depending on whether you can make it attractive or not, use a tension rod with fabric to cover it.

@ RURALANDRUEFUL please forgive me if this sounds stupid, but why is displaying a Buddha "uber trendy & offensive"?

PI, I understand what it was built for but that doesn't mean the desk is too small or too deep. It is simply not optimally organized.
I've done my fair share of studying too and it's hard for me to believe you need that many books spread all over your desk. These days, you can get almost anything in digital form. Buy an ipad and download Goodreader and Notability in addition to your notebook. I'd kill for a desk like that.

What I think the questioner really wants is a space that is not so claustrophobic. Why not come right out and say it? Is pointing out the other deficiencies supposed to be a rationalization for buying a new desk? This may be a case of quirky human behavior instead of a size issue. I can understand that but to address that problem will require a whole different set of solutions.
Straightforward is better. I hate reading minds.

@madame suggia.. For me, using a Buddha disrespectfully is as objectionable as using a crucifix or any other religious symbol, icon, or idol in that way. AT recently featured a bar or contain cart propped with a Buddha. The statues seem to be almost as common, on T, as owls and typography art.

I had a similar issue. I put the Ikea mongstad mirror in front of it and used the space as storage for things I didn't need that often. I was lucky the mirror covered the entire opening. The desk was unattractive and useless, it was an easy fix for a rental.

And you don't need to drink alcohol to have a bar! A bar is a lovely addition for entertaining friends that do. Not to mention, drinking a non-alcoholic beverage out of a lovely glass or making a some virgin marys on a Sunday makes things feel a little more special than just drinking soda out of a bottle. ;>

Do you have any art pieces or collectibles you'd like to feature? It would be a primo spot for a cool sculpture, and very easy to add a spotlight into the nook. The bar/storage ideas are also good.

Since it's a woman asking this question, I imagine the closet route could be really great. Adding a curtain is really simple and it could even be great specifically for shoes and purses.
Or you could add more shelves and use it for your printer, books and other school items.

Also, depending on if your lifestyle, it could be a good place to keep your recyling or if you have pets you could make them a little place to eat and sleep under the desk and keep their food, toys and leashes etc and use the top shelf for lesser used items or cleaning items and hide it all with a cute printed curtain.

add a tension rod, some beautiful fabric/curtain that coordinates with the livingroom (one panel, so it's flat like artwork) and cram if full of storage. :)

I'd use it as a dry bar. Heck yes.

I agree with Elizabeth that I would note want to study inside this white box.

If you pull the sofa out a few feet so it is not crammed against the space could be a:
-Vanity
-Craft area
-Mail, bill, photo, recipe sorting area (Cute boxes and filing bins. Some times it is nice to keep these things separate from your school work area)
-China cabinet

Or push the sofa back against the wall:
-Media, board game and book storage

*not

For the folks who commented on the ergonomics of laptops - while it may be true that they can hurt your body, most law schools require students to have them. It's unfortunately non-negotiable.

What about an aquarium? My sister in law used hers for her dog's kennel. You could just make it a writing desk with a nice chair some framed photos. A coffee bar? A wet bar? There is lots of things just depends on what your style is ;) I am sure whatever you decide will be lovely and hopefully you will update us!

Definitely a bar!! My husband and I made a wine rack for our desk here: http://www.thebaloneybug.com/2010/01/22/unpacking-re-packing-tv/

You could definitely add glass storage to the lip above the desk- looks like the perfect bar space!

I would treat it almost as a writing desk. I can see a cute little bench pulled under the desk and a stack of books with a pretty on top. While it's not practical for use in your studies, it could be the perfect spot to sit down and compose a note to a friend or if you are sending a quick email or two. It could almost be an escape from the desk you use for your studies!

If it is really behind your sofa, I would use it a niche to display something ornamental - I like the suggestions with a big framed image in the back or a mirrow and something in front. There are lots of ways to hide the counter material.

Otherwise you could use draped fabric to hide the counter and let it cascade down over the lower part to use the lower niche as storage und the upper nice for display with a more 'built-in' look.

And last: Your window is directly adjacent - You could extend a window curtain to hide this niche and use it for storage (can never have enough storage!).

Dry bar or add more shelves or a clothing rod and make it a closet. A tension rod would hold a curtain to hide it.

I have similar cut outs in my apartment. The built in desks have been removed, but the outlets are in similar spots and the placement of the cutouts are in main locations like yours. One has been used to display things - you can put in shelves pretty easily. In another one, we did what a lot of people suggested here and got a tension rod and put curtains across it and use it for storage (our cats also like hiding out in there). I agree with another commenter that it would really nice if you simply put up a curtain across that whole wall with the windows.

bar with wine racks underneath!

I'd make it storage/a closet.

If you, like me, want an amazing home entertainment system but hate to see cables and components then this is the place for it. it it even has a built in hole for the cables. if it's not line of site with the TV an RF remote can solve that issue.

@KHINNJ, law books are pretty enormous tomes in comparison to undergrad books, or even books for other advanced degrees. When a law student studies, it frequently looks like they're using half of an unabridged encyclopedia. The sheer volume of the volumes they use (pun intended) does actually require a lot of space.

Hells yes, make it a bar. It's the perfect size, height and shape, and displaying your booze and glassware is appropriate for a living room, unlike linen or files.

To those who suggested making it a wetbar: wetbars are, by definition, plumbed. It would be a drybar. As for a minibar, that would require a fridge, and I think that might be a little vulgar for the living room.

And in other don't-throw-words-around-that-you-don't-understand news, it's worth noting that the bar "Buddha" that a certain someone has been bitching about was actually a temple spirit, not a Buddha... I guess to some people all of these foreigner idols look the same. As such it's about as offensive to Buddhists as a picture of an angel next to the liquor might be to Christians (ie not even slightly, unless they're deranged snake-handling fundamentalists).

Yep, MiniBar.

@ ColeenMM - not arguing the usefullness or necessity of laptops (I have 2, one work and one personal use). Just hoping to be helpful to those that have them in preventing discomfort by sharing ergonomic info on how best to set them up.

Please save yourself from arthritis in late life, said the voice of experience. It's fine to use a laptop. Just get an ergonomic keyboard (the Microsoft Natural is great) and an ergonomic mouse that will plug into usb ports. Then grab your least-used thick law book, a laptop fan that sits under the laptop, and set the laptop on top so you're looking at the screen at a comfortable angle.
The difference this makes will prevent lifelong pain from Repetitive Stress Injury; I can, unfortunately, testify to that, since I worked without such a setup until it became an absolute necessity.
Really. Truly. It's simple to do.
I even have a real ergonomic chair - an expensive one - that I got for nothing from a big business that was being bought out.
You'll need to work long hours. Don't let them ruin your neck, back, and arms.
Best to you in law school!

So many people have great ideas... I love apartmenttherapy!

I'd turn this corner into a craft corner. Perhaps put my sewing machine there (moving it when I have larger pieces). A few extra shelves - small closed storage containers, under counter lighting from the 'ceiling' and under the shelves to brighten up the work area... a place to organize all the little things one needs...

You're lucky to have this corner!

Bring on the home bar!