What does this wall look like from down below? Would you put rails just around the little square knee wall or along the wall that we can see in the picture? If you don't want cable or turned wood or wrought iron, how about glass with a hand rail on top? I would like to see this wall from below before making suggestions. If you want to leave it, close it off with drawers in the room side and the top covered and put a vase or plant or whatever. Would be like a built in chest of drawers.

The wall to the right terminates about where you see it the picture, so I thought rails from the wall and around the box. There is an electric socket in the box area, so maybe a table and lamp would integrate it better, and rails would just make more visual noise. The wall from below follows the outline of the box above, with the staircase descending below the area where you see all those papers. One concern about opening with rails is that there is a hvac return vent on the lower staircase wall that might be revealed. Hadn't thought about making it a built in, intriguing idea.

Maybe deck railing? The prefab kits have simple lines that would work style-wise. Would they comply with code, I wonder?

Thanks awm, that's the sort of rails/styles I've been thinking about- but didn't think to look at exterior pic's. I think something like the lower picture, if finished without the caps would look transitional enough. While I think the "nook" is awkward, I still wonder if I'd be adding an unnecessary visual element. I'm meeting with the GC tonight and will ask about code, I know it's changed recently where I am in N. Calif.

My friend Lynn has cable in her mid-century home and I love it but my style (below from our current house) is eclectic leaning towards traditional, I worry that cable will look too modern?

Personally, I don't think so. I think it would look great and go very well with "eclectic". JMO, of course.

Cable would look great! You don't have any young climbers in your household, do you? That's the only thing I'd worry about. And the need to tighten the cables at some point.

The cable is FABULOUS.

No little ones, maybe grand-kids someday! I'm unfamiliar with installing cable, if I go that route can my GC do it or do I need a specialist?

You could do a glass railing, a simple wood railing, or a iron/wood combo--

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Even if you take out the wall and put in railing, you're still going to have that nook area sitting there just crying to be used. When it comes to space, I tend to lean more towards function than style so take my idea with a grain of salt. Our upstairs is very similar but instead of leaving it open like that, the builder brought the walls up to the ceiling, added a door and turned that nook area into a linen closet. It had a regular six panel door on it but we've since switched it to a single louver so it would have ventilation. It's worked out great because it's larger than average, like a small walk in and has shelving installed. I store everything needed for the upstairs from linens to cleaning supplies, the vacuum and even extra toiletries. We'd be lost without that closet.

I agree a closet makes more sense, if this were the bedroom wing I would do that in a minute, unfortunately this is the front door entry hall and a large closet is directly opposite with two silly mirrored sliding doors I am have removed, and framed to a normal closet opening. Here's a pic of what's directly opposite

The other alternative is to enclose it and make a closet where the niche is.

If the alternative would be to leave the niche, I would still enclose it, one can never have too much storage. Did have it could be a space for a stacking washer / dryer but just realized it's the main floor.

What's behind the closet with the doors? Is it the living room or dining room?

Another option is to keep the nook with knee walls, use cable but have wooden posts at the nook corners, add a surface of wood on the interior of the nook ....voila a desk.

The living room is the room you see beyond the mirrored doors. I talked to my GC and he can do the cable railings so definitely an option, also like the idea of some sort of built -in I think I have to sit with it awhile more. Thank you for all the in-put and suggestions!