I read this as, "Back to tweaking this room. I am sitting here this morning and drinking..."

What's the feeling you want when you sit in the room? How does the room feel right now?

For comparison, this is the room before we moved in.

We put a fpl where the painting and plates are (he had a desk there). On the left in this photo was, IIRC, a closet and filing cabinets. There were no windows on that side of the room. We took out the closet on the left and put in windows, which look onto a little interior courtyard where our koi pond is. We also added a hanging light fixture. We got rid of the lone bookcase on the left side of the painting, and kept all of the niches which go all the way around the room. The room is octagonal with a 21 foot diameter. The floors, which we kept, are travertine tile.

We kept the tile in part because of an "adjoining room." Not quite adjoining. To the left of the floor-to-ceiling bookcase is a doorway, it leads to a small room/hallway (9x11) that we use for music practice. That hallway ends in a powder room that has a travertine floor, integrated travertine sink, and a travertine wall surrounding a porthole window. I love this window. The little music room has a daybed with clerestory windows on both sides , and its lovely to lay on the daybed, read a book and look out the porthole. It's also very quiet, all the way to one end of the house, nothing above. This window is why the travertine stayed.

Not a folly at all! It's a magical space. My first thought when seeing the mantle on the other thread was a big full Boston fern and then something like the books and one of the demijohns beside it or maybe a colourful ceramic piece. However, I don't know how a fern would do if you use the fireplace often.

So, when we moved in we painted out all the woodwork in FnB Pointing (uuh, off white). But, I wanted the niches to be a contrasting color. You know how everyone always painted the backs of bookcases the same as the molding, ie white, and then it was "in" to use a contrasting color? That was the idea. And I didn't want books in the niches either. This was because 1)it seemed too topheavy 2)i actually like to read and you cannot get to them and 3)it seemed odd, visually, to me to ONLY have books in an inaccessible place. We have a monster bookcase elsewhere in our home and other bookshelves.

Anyway, I was trying to be patient and not "force" an idea for what to put in the niche. I thought maybe things from our travels. It hasn't really worked though. I have a few sad things up there, and DH's lawbooks. Nothing ever struck me.

I have now decided that a massing/repetition of similar items might look best. I have a few ceramic items that are blue and white, and I was thinking of using those in every other niche, interspersed with old books. I've always liked chinoiserie and maybe I can switch out the pieces I have (they are not fine quality) opportunistically. I feel like you see that stuff everywhere, of highly variable artistry, quality, and value.

So, question, would you repaint the niches? What color? Also, in the middle of each set of 3 niches is a speaker. Very fancy when the room was built, but now moot. Would you make a third niche, or give a little rest to the eye? Notice in the photo below, in the center niche over the doorway is lattice. What about that?

Last question resposted from "would you ever?"

The fpl replaced the desk. The mantle is crazy large. Eight feet wide, and 34" deep. WWYD? Here is a daylight shot.

It feels very light and airy and almost like a conservatory. I think it doesn't feel cozy enough. I added a tablecloth, which helps. It feels undone. OTOH I don't like a lot of color or clutter, so my whole house could feel undone.

It's a lovely space, Mtn, and I love the wall/trim color. I'm not completely certain I have a mental image of the options you're considering, but if it were my room, I'd want to paint the niches the same color as the wall and trim. Right now they look like dark voids and distract me. Perhaps they'd look okay as a different color, but not so dark.

Wait, now I'm not sure that was even the question. :)

Yes, Bunny, that is what I am thinking, paint the niches Pointing. But then, that seems my answer to everything and I am wondering if that is best.

At night the dark voids match the windows, but esp during the day (and esp in photos!) they look like back holes. They are actually painted the Ugliest Color (I am consistent).

I was trying to pick an interesting color as a back drop for objets d'art LOL but I never found many objets and the color is a fail. A niche close up.

what about Teresa's Green?

I need to read in detail but I remember this room, Mtn, from when you were working on the window seat cushions. You bought a variety of pillows from Anthropologie?? Anyway, I love this room! Love the depth/ width of the mantel - it opens up so many possibilities. I remember the table w/o table cloth and thought the wood was warm and provided contrast. It was used as a craft/reading room back then? Maybe the purpose of the room is changing? Too many questions, I know, forgive me. Maybe lighting on a dimmer switch in the niches.

Well, you are going to think I am crazy, but we have two octagons in our house. This one is "original"; ie from the PO, though not from 1904 when the center of the home was built.

The second octagon we added on as a craft room to another area of the house. We were cantilevering to avoid tree roots and an octagon ended up being the easiest way. That room also has window seats and similar windows, but no cupola and no niches and no fpl. And yes, I bought a bunch of throw pillows from Anthro for there. (I just went down a rabbit hole looking for photos of that room).

Anyway, yes, the table you see is from that room. We just call this room "the octagon" rather than LR or DR or whatever because honestly its use morphs. My DH thinks nothing of moving furniture around. It is sometimes a DR, sometimes a sitting room, and the other night held 2 large poker tables. Over the holidays, it held the tree, a chaise lounge and the table from the breakfast room with chairs we'd stored in the basement..

My current thinking is that it is my "winter sitting room" (my Houzz room). You may recall I changed around my DR so that I had a place to sit in the summer that was screened but had a lot of windows and doors that opened. It is a bit chilly in there in the winter, so I was gravitating toward this room (gas fpl instead of wood fpl).

I love this room. I like the niche that has the lattice in it over the door, I would be tempted to do that on all of them. Seems easy too, which is a plus for me. It would end the black hole phenomenon.

I would paint them the Pointing (F&B color names crack me up!) and get the large blue and white ceramics up there like you said. I am like you, detest anything remotely cluttery (if I am reading what you wrote correctly) but the blue and white stuff would look intentional. Laurel Bern has quite a few pics of rooms with those ceramics, I think she is a fan. Your fireplace is dreamy....I personally would do a symmetrical grouping on the mantle, but I have a weird fixation about that.

I can’t help you with cozy...I always prefer the opposite, light, bright, sun streaming in, etc. Which it sounds like this room is! 😊 I think the main reason I would lighten up the niches is bc they are lowering the ceiling by being dark and kind of a “line” around the room, and I prefer to raise the ceiling always. Must be a Southern thing bc of the heat!😂

Another vote for adding lattice over all the niches. The room is lovely. The dark blue makes the niches feel so heavy to my eye. I don't think I would want/like a lot of clutter/knickknacks in them either. You could even do hinged panels that opened up for cleaning dust.

Hmm, I never thought of lattice over *all* the niches. It seems like giving up in a way but OTOH it makes it a band of pattern.

If you are considering, I would have the carpenter make small frames for the lattice, and each frame would only need two small wood screws on each side to hold in place. Maybe one top and bottom. Minimal damage aka holes to be filled if they were ever removed.

I would lighten up the color but first, I'd haul some more white/blue ceramics up there (could also do just white) and see if you like the contrast as is. Looks kinda nice in the first close up you posted.

Also wondering about a pale robin's egg, maybe a little lighter and bluer than Theresa's green...or a pale taupe that has the same undertones as the travertine.

About the mantel, I can't help but think a horizontal landscape with high contrast and a gold frame would look nice in there and just the two candlesticks to either side. You might even be able to lean the landscape against something so it doesn't recede the whole three feet. The only other thing I was thinking is a high quality dried arrangement might add to the conservatory feel. Plants certainly would make it more cozy...

Here's one with a leaning arrangement.

Robo,

Initially I assumed a painting too. But the space is soooo large. And a weird aspect ratio for a painting. And it really cannot be all the way back, so how do you prop it up esp when it is sooooo big? Plants would be nice but we already have some and honestly over the fpl is not great (and I use it all the time I am in here, for the look and the warmth).

This is the 4th set of windows, (tableau in progress). This is where plants will go. The workbench is of course impervious, and you cannot see it but there is a channel in the back. Set into the channel are copper liners with pebbles, covered with brass decorative plates. I can put a plant there, water it, and the excess goes in the liner. Yeah, that is potting soil on the floor. : )

The backs of my K cabs are a Palladian Blue wash on beadboard, maybe I could try that color.

I'd leave the room alone as it's beautiful as is...and instead, inspired by the ceiling at Grand Central, stencil some signs of the zodiac on the flat panels of the ceiling...or maybe something that's a natural octet...though I can't think of one off hand....so the room stays interesting as is but extends the interest of the architecture upward.

OMG Annie, shades of Michelangelo. Funny, each week when I go into GCT, I never forget to look up, look around, and take in that beauty. I love the color of the ceiling at GCT. It reminds me a bit of the color of oceans in old Atlases, which was why I framed all the old atlas pages for the Maine house.

The dark paint on back wall of niche/shelf makes the room feel top heavy, so I'd try lightening it in some way, Either paint, wallpaper.

How about a big antique basket filled with dried hydrangeas over the FP?

Sorry, haven't read the other responses so this may have been suggested but I would replace the white tablecloth with a patterned cloth. Something with a fabric like those found on Botanica Trading, I love their stuff. I think the room is crying out for color and pattern.

botanicatrading.com

My first thought was the same as allison, to cover the niches with lattice. For the fireplace, what about setting a folding screen in there...

Maybe something like this for the mantle?

Except in a group of three with larger mirror in the center. Maybe after your party the white orchid’s could go up there with the candle sticks you have or some of the blue chinoiserie.

I added these photos to my post above but not sure if you saw the edit.

Before-

AFTER-

I also like this but it might be difficult to find a fit for the niche above fireplace. Maybe three individuals overlapped.

Are posts disappearing again? There was another post after mine above. Also, I’m having a hard time posting photo‘s. It’s taking me three or four tries.

I can't find it but someone mentioned a rug. Because my current one is --- off white! (Surprise.) I agree that would give the room life. The problem with a rug is 2 fold. I have some wildly expensive rugs rolled up in a closet, which is sad, and I am loathe to add to that collection. Even if I found one for a good price, Id still feel bad about banishing this one, a silk from ABC Carpet. But putting that all aside, don't i have to decide on colors or style first?

SueB,

I loved dried hydrangeas, but I'm not sure I've seen any particularly big antique baskets? I mean that would have a presence in an 8 foot wide space? (LOL i first typed "I love fried hydrangeas")

Jterri,

Wow, thank you for the mockup! My dark niches absolutely have to go, I think that image makes it clear.

In re mirrors propping up on the mantle, again, it is eight feet wide, things just get lost. Also, a few years ago I had a glass guy out and asked him to quote installing mirror on the back wall over the fpl. He said don't do it; don't put mirror someplace unless you want to look at what it will reflect - in this case it would reflect ... MORE NICHES. arggh

What about painting the area above the fpl? Wallpaper? Custom mural? https://www.susanharter.com/murals/

Kitch,

I think most folding screens, assuming i found one i liked, would be too high. Its' only 3'. I doubt an 8' wide screen would be 3' high?

Gail, those fabrics are gorgeous! Do you know any place that carries them. Funny you mention the tablecloth. It's new. I got it from Ballard. I've always liked those library tables with fringed tablecloths. Without it, I felt there were too many legs and rungs; it's a big table, over 60" round.. I'm using the table as a sort of desk. I have an office, but this room is prettier and i am loving the fpl warmth. DH have had lunch here a few times. I have a glass top for the table so I put it on top of the tablecloth so it is still a good writing surface and also easier to clean etc. I could layer in another fabric. And/or I could get new throw pillows. Maybe full-on commit to the blue and white patterns. I choose the off -white twill because my loveseat and ottoman are offwhite (like most everything I own I think!)

This is another view of the room; guess what, more white twill! And an ikat/weathervane theme. Because.

I like eclectic and I like neutral but my room is rudderless and bit blah. Let's assume the niches go cream. Should I embrace a white and blue theme, with pillows, tablecloth, etc?

I would paint them the color of the room paint and then hire an experienced artist to hand paint a single line of ivy in the Teresa green with deeper shades for shadows. A Trompe L'oeil would look beautiful.

Can I just say...I love a theme. Can you shop your closet for rugs? Anything blue in there? Blue and gold and white theme?

Layering rugs is cosy.

Lovely room! I would put a painting on a large brass easel on the mantle.

It would be pleasant to see something unexpected in that mantel niche. Something like this painting , it wouldn’t clash with what you have.

Add a navy bolster or lumbar pillow and call it a day.

No, i have a black floral Bassarabian and a gold french aubusson needlepoint. They are both quite large and don't go with anything. Anywhere in the world!

This rug I have down is 10x14 and I think anything smaller would look wrong; the room is 21 feet across. Even cheap 10x14 rugs are not cheap...

I mentioned the rug and then deleted it. It wasn't something you were asking about and my comments seem to be outliers, so I had second thoughts about my post. I looked for a botanical rug to pull in the outdoors, but I haven't found what I was picturing yet. Did find this one in a different direction -- https://esalerugs.com/dark-blue-10x14-villa-area-rug-22477601?pos=273&rt=aisle

I also mentioned backlit leaded or stained above the mantel -- would look similar to a window. I love art glass and think that could be a fun approach. If you went with leaded glass or stained glass with just a little color -- like a century old window, you could still treat it like a background and place pieces in front of it.

I would paint the niches to match the walls. Dark holes aren't working, and even drywalling them over, adding cabinet doors or panels that can be removed, but after removing old, tired lattice a time or two, I couldn't go that route.

Your light blue would be lovely on the ceiling, especially if you can find a rug to compliment it below.

Update - will be drywalling over the speaker-cubbies. Painting the others to match the trim. Again, thanks to JTerri, whose mockup had me running off to dial our carpentry guy!

Thank you, Lascatx. Its been a long post and you may have missed it, but I think we will either move to a city or a warm climate in the next 2-4 years, so not wanting to invest in anything. Especially rugs which are really hard to reuse in new spaces IME.

Jterri, I think a piece of modern art could work well, but the odds I will find something i really like, that fits, at a price where I don't care if i can't reuse it in a few years, are kind of nil. But I will give it some thought, as maybe I could do a print. Also thinking of wallpaper/mural.

Robo et al, I was thinking about my rug inventory. Their style is not the direction I was thinking of, but they could be worth looking at (and changing direction for). It occurs to me I have a fairly blank slate and a room with so much light. The only color/pattern is from a few throw pillows (easy to toss) and the ticking on the windowseats (neutral). There are three large off white masses -- sofa, ottoman and round table w tablecloth -- that obscure a lot of the rug and so perhaps could tone it down? So I could go with a rug that has a lot to say. For example here are 2 in inventory.

The DR rug shown below was in my MBR here for a while, until i changed to a less feminine scheme w a rug I got in India. Here's the rug 10 yrs ago in my old DR in my first house.

This one is really ummm, quite ... aggressive in its design. But OTOH I think the floral OTT quality goes with the highly feminine OTT vibe of my octagonal, cupola'ed, windowseated room.

PS ....Wow, looking at these rooms, I think I know how I became a colorphobe! My eyes hurt. Psssst, and would you believe, my DR was a rouge color just before the photos above?

Not sure I ever posted this before. In my defense it was actually a reddish pink.

Mirror Panel - Shades of Light - flipped on it's side. Fireplace alcove - could it be sized to fit?

From Ballard Designs:

Arapaho, That mirrored panel is a cool idea. Also love the Ballard thing.

I did have an epiphany. If you look at my old DR photo, there is a LaBarge mirror over the mantle. It is too tall for the space above this fpl, because of the frou frou part on top. DH used to always say he wanted to "take tin snips" to that element. It has been in our attic 10 years. If he did take tin snips, it would fit. I might test it. The mirror won't be reflecting cubbies necessarily because of all the stuff in front of it ....

Mtn, I didn't realize this was the house you were planning on leaving. From the photos I've seen, it's one of a relative few that really speaks to me. I have no plans to move north though. If you are going to be selling, why not just paint the niche/cubbie /shelf spaces above the windows? If I were a buyer, I'd like to know they were there (we have lots of books, so they'd probably be used). It would be easier to cover them up than to open a wall to find out what might be in the space.

And that rouge on the walls? That was very popular -- and reds are notoriously difficult to photograph well.

.

I CAN‘T BELIEVE YOU HAD A RED DINING ROOM!!!

I think it could be a cheap experiment to get a couple of strong-backed guys in to try the second rug in your room. Would it fit? You said it needed a clown...that’s not a clown but it certainly would warm things up. The black would look nice with the weathervane which is one of the big statement pieces. I think the strong rug could look good with the travertine as well.

Honest, Robo, it was pink. Ish. It was also a some sort of hand done treatment of the plaster, IIrC.

Wow it would be such a change up to bring in the black floral! My geometry is a little weak so I have to try a mock up to see if it will fit before I haul everything out.

I also vote for strong-backed guys hauling in a rug.. but I love the gold needlepoint!

And I choked on my water when I read robo's post. I said the SAME thing to myself early this morning-- followed by, "no wonder you hate red now!"

I believe you that it was pink. Ish. Funny thing though, I am pretty sure my dislike of red has spread to include hot pink. I used to love it but I have found myself passing on it lately.

I love the colors going on in your ikat corner-- I think they'd work well with the gold needlepoint. These are all colors that go well with my coloring (yours too?) so.. I am certain that has something to do with it! I would look lovely lounging in that corner on a lazy afternoon haha!

I think you’re doing the right thing by covering those niches, mtnroad, as they are too deep and too high to display anything understated or delicately colored. But the blue and white chinoiserie thing made my ears perk up, as that’s what I went with in our main living room and adjacent sunroom. I had a. Lot of that stuff from my mother in what we called the “blue bedroom“ at our old house, in addition to my Scandinavian Christmas plates, a couple of oil paintings and a museum banner from the de Young of The Girl With the Pearl Earring. (The cleaning crew like to put everything in a firing line when they dust, it’s a weekly game.) I have the Chinese porcelain on top of bookcases on either side of a fireplace, and the plates on a Dutch pine secretary. Although my favorite color of all time is green (as Oakley may remember!) I decided to do something completely different in the new house. The furniture is a mix of mostly old (sofas from our previous basement, reupholstered chairs from the old living room, coffee table and leather ottoman from the library, secretary from master bedroom, end tables from all over plus one new one, and a new granite coffee table.

These aren’t very good pictures I’m afraid, i’m on an old iPad but they give you the idea. The secretary has rows of plates but they are behind glass so not too, too much. (I hope.)

Please ignore that orange cord! We are having a tv screen hooked up to Uverse over the mantel upstairs so DH can watch his beloved tennis channel without going downstairs. I swore I would never have a screen where artwork or a mirror should be.... never say never :). ATT guy was here and we are waiting for Handy Guy to return and work his cord-hiding magic.

Just reading the comments and agree covering the niches will make them disappear. Not sure about this suggest but would the wall hanging (not sure i am describing it correctly ) of the horse fit above the mantle? Perhaps on a stand pulled a little forward. Using the ticking pillows, the horse and blue and white sounds like French/country to me. Beautiful room as is:-))