strange box between kitchen and livingroom
Thevail
Ok, this is hard to describe so please bear with me. I'd love to show you photos, but don't have them yet. Imagine that you walk into a large open kitchen, mostly white at this point. As you look to the other end of the room you are looking on the left side half into the living room, and on the right half is a stairway leading down to the basement with the exterior wall to the far right. The stairway is fairly wide, say 4'6" and open at the top. Where it turns to the right to go under the kitchen is this strange box. Under it is the headspace on the stairs going down. Without it there would be this scary open hole into the stairwell, so it can't really be removed. The "box" is about 4'6" wide 2'6" deep and about 2' high. What on earth am I going to do with this thing?! Turn it into a window seat without a window? Build shelves on it, but it'll destroy the view through the house? It's too low for a countertop and too big to ignore.
catwoman708
Is this "box" inset into the outer side where the stairway turns/curves? Like a niche cut into the wall? If so, it might be there deliberately so that if you are carrying long items up or down the stairs you can make the turn. If it is on the inside, what is underneath it? Could there have been a chute at one time (like for a laundry chute), a furnace, chimney, access to the space inside the stairs, duct of some kind, a cabinet, or bookshelves there, or would it make a good place for one? Really hard to picture without photos.
jillann27
Is it possible that you are describing the remnants of a Dumb-Waiter? When was the house built? I believe these went out of fashion in the 30's. If so, you could accent the siuation with some vintage metal signs, like old Coke Ads, etc. Good Luck
AJAlbro
As you are surely aware, it is hard to imagine without pictures. I know you said that it would be unsightly to remove, but based upon your description, I'm not sure how it would be scary. As in someone could fall down it? Why not try a small railing similar to those found on stairs but straight across instead. As in creepy? Leave it be and place a small indoor garden on it, using hanging plants along the edge and maybe some taller indoor trees toward the back. If these ideas seem wacky, it's only because of how I imagine it looks. Once again, tough with the photos.
#EANF#
#EANF#