Dunno, but the wall tile in the two corner scenarios is not attractive. I'll give the middle application a pass, assuming there was something more attractive intended for the shelf.

Must be a religious thing. :c)

I'd guess that they are for art or reptiles, based on the targeted lighting. And reptiles makes more sense as they were removed for photos. (Or risque art...)

Reptiles!?

Alive or, um, not alive?

Are they indoor fountains?

reptiles can be very picturesque, that's for sure..

"looking for a pop of color? check out our reptiles!"

That is odd! They couldn't bear to have all that extra bathroom tile go to waste and came up with "special" art niches?

Random display shelves with accompanying backdrop. They look odd and out of place to me. You will probably find them at Costco within a year.

Could it be for bird cages? I had a friend who had a few large exotic birds and she said they were pretty messy when they ate flinging fruit and seeds all over the place.. Might explain the tile to protect the walls. Can you ask the listing agent?

Fountains? Nah. What are the black squares on the tabletops? They really should have staged this with the XXXX in place. It probably was quite stunning.

Maybe a fireplace?

Maybe there used to be grow lights suspended above the watering platform and for some strange reason it was all partially removed before the photo listing.

What is that thing in the upper left?

They all appear to biofuel fireplaces.

JustTerilyn,

That looks like a pendant light fixture.

They all have lighting--the one Jterrilyn zoomed in on is the most obvious but they're all lit for drama !

Ethanol fireplace kind of works, although the one in the bedroom looks more like a modern urinal.

JT, that is a fan. Strange size and location for a fan.

I also think it's a fan. Though the location seems random for a bedroom, it is situated right above where they placed their stationary bicycle so in that regard it makes sense.

As for the platforms, I'm guessing they're display ledges. Not my cup of tea, but I guess it would be cool if you were a sculptor or loved sculptures and had some that fit perfectly in those spots. Some of our neighbors have art niches in their walls with an indented space, some with lighting and some without, some arched and some not. They seemed like a popular thing in new homes in my area about 10-15 years ago. It's too formal looking for my taste and I'd hate having to try and find something just the right size to put in them, but if you had the perfect art for the niches I suppose it might look interesting.

On a larger screen, the Pendant looks like a fan - Probably the Matthews Diane without a cage. The bioethanol fireplaces just look like a slit - This an example image from one manufacturer. That it probably why the walls are tiled for fire safety.

Lots of ideas here, but they still could be meditation altars/Buddha shrines for burning candles and/or incense. In our country's sick political climate the realtor may have asked them to remove the objects. I wonder if they all face east?