LIVING ROOM DESIGN AND INCORPORATING NICHES!

by Arizona Custom Home Builder on September 29, 2009

Popular Architectural Features in Arizona Custom Homes… The Niche!

Pronounced kneesh or nitch depending on what part of the United States a person resides, the niche is one of those loved or hated architectural features often incorporated in the living room design of Arizona custom homes. Drywall alcoves, bays, or recesses used as entertainment centers seem less popular than a decade ago, but drywall niches have stayed strong for artwork display.

For some custom home buyers, niches are a must-have feature included in living room design for displaying cherished artwork or collectibles. They are an architectural feature that screams “custom home” because these recesses, alcoves and bays can be designed and built to hold specific artwork or collectible pieces belonging to the homeowner. Incorporating niches into living room design can be very creative, in some cases an entire wall of niches is built in various sizes and shapes. When used for entertainment centers, the largest opening houses the television and smaller openings house ancillary electronic equipment. Specific architectural styles almost always include niches. When one thinks of a territorial or Santa Fe style home, invariably one may think of these drywall niches. Whether one likes niches or not, staying true to an architectural style will likely result in a house that does or doesn’t include niches.

Some of our custom home buyers at Woodridge Custom Builders LLC, are on the other end of the niche love-hate relationship. Niches are clearly NOT the must-have feature in some of the homes we’ve built. Niches may not be designed any where in the home, nor added later. For displaying artwork and collectibles, as an alternative to the niche is to have a cabinetmaker design and build shelves as display areas. In AZ custom homes these are usually constructed of alder wood stained, painted or glazed, often matching or complementing the kitchen cabinets. These same materials are often used for creating entertainment centers in the home. The storage of televisions, and ancillary equipment can be hidden behind cabinet doors or cloth-covered doors reducing the clutter of exposed electronics.

Highlighted below are photos of various niches, built-in art wall niches, entertainment center niches, and the recent alternative to niches, the built-in entertainment center.

The first photo shows the variety of sizes, shapes and locations in this wall of niches. The largest one designed for the television, others perfectly sized for ancillary electronics, and collectibles.
The second photo highlights the decision by these homeowners to have a custom built-in wall unit as opposed to the wall of niches shown above. This unit has a large opening for the television, display cases, and shelves for the ancillary electronic equipment.

Whether one loves or hates niches, incorporating your own style into your living room design is the most important.