Hey there- and welcome to another installment of Pick My Presto!
I randomly selected another email from my Pick My Presto inbox this week, and had fun photoshoppin’ a picture of a wall niche sent in by a reader named Martha. Her email read:
Hi Layla!
I would love to get your feedback on what you would do with this niche in the back hallway of our home. The rest of the house has a very “cottage” feel, but I could never figure out what to put in this space, so Venus De Milo made a home there!
Thank you!
Martha
My first thought was to trim it out and add shelves, so I used Photoshop CS5 to create a (quick) inspiration photo for Martha. Move your cursor on and off of the picture below to see it in presto change-o action.
(PS- Google Readers will have to click over to our blog to see it switch back and forth.)
(Note: My presto change-o pics are for inspirational purposes only, and the ideas shown in them are just that. Spontaneous, totally flexible, just-for-fun, ideas that may or may not actually work in the room. Boom.)
Here’s a still photo in case you weren’t able to view the interactive one above…
The shelves I popped into my presto pics came from PotteryBarn.com…
…but the sky’s the limit when it comes to how Martha’s niche could actually be trimmed and decked out, ya know? She could even use glass shelves if she wanted to keep the light. Fun, fun!
And speaking of neat-lookin’ niches…I’m cuckoo for the one at Mary Kay Andrew’s place, Breeze Inn, on Tybee Island…
…and speaking of MKA, to celebrate the upcoming release of her new book, Spring Fever , I’m going to host a fun giveaway here later this week. The book comes out on June 5th, but she and her publicist (Meghan) put together a whole bunch of goodies especially for one lucky Lettered Cottage reader- so stay tuned if you’d like to enter for a chance to win!
In the meantime, I hope those niche ideas come in handy, Martha! Let us know if you decide to get your trim on- we’d love to see your transformation pics!
Would you like to submit a photo for our Pick My Presto series?
Send an email to PickMyPresto [at] aol [dot] com titled, “Living Room“. (Replace the words Living Room with whatever type of room you’re actually submitting.) In the body of the email, include your name, your blog name (if you have one) your design likes & dislikes, and one photo of the space in question. (No links please.) It should be clear, and measure at least 400 pixels high x 600 pixels wide. (In other words: at least 4″high x 6″ wide) The bigger the better though! Make sure it’s a photo you’re comfortable with me showing and writing about on our blog. Oh, and since I love surprises, I probably won’t email you to let you know I’ve “picked your presto” unless I have a specific question for you about your space.
I need help with a part kitchen remodel…….it is very country……like it that way, I live in an old home (150yrs) old………need to be sufficient…….do you have any pictures of remodels? love your stuff!!!!!!!! thank you!
Hey Deborah!
I use Google to hunt for inspiration images, but a lot of folks like Pinterest.com, so you might try that site too. Happy decorating- I’d love to live in a 150 yr. old house! Fun! 😀
Hi Deborah & Layla, I couldn’t help but to throw in my 2 cents about inspiration photos. My go-to site is houzz.com, check it out! You can search any room, decor, or specific word like wall stencil. A bunch of pictures, articles and blogs will pop up. But just beware; you might spend a lot of time on this site. Oh, and did I mention…you don’t have to get an invite to be on houzz.com 🙂 I like that. I hope you like it as much as I do!
Sincerely, Jess
Hi Jess! I used to write articles for Houzz and agree with you- it’s a great site to draw inspiration from! 🙂
I always love to see what you do with pick my presto. Heck, I loke to see what you do with everything. I just saw Mary Kay’s new book on Amazon yesterday and thought maybe I should go back and buy if for a fun summer read. Loved her last one. I’m on a mission to vacation on Tibbee Island ever since I read her book and have been seeing all of your posts. I keep just popping it into convo. with the hubs whenever I can. I think he’s getting the hint.
Love the use of space!
I really like the baskets in a niche like that. It’s a perfect place to stash things, and they’ll be hidden 🙂
I think shelves would look great in a niche like that. The baskets would be a great idea because then the area could be used for storage instead of just display.
Ok, I’m staying tuned…I LOVE Mary Kay Andrews’ books….have them all…they are my favorite go to beach books each year…..I also love her cottage on Tybee…I am hoping to stay there during our family reunion in June 2013!!!! (fingers crossed…it looks adorable!)
Andrea
Love what you did with the Niche!
I just finished Summer Rental and stayed up to 1am for two nights in a row to get through it. Love Mary Kay Andrews!
Love the built in idea – really makes the hallway look complete!
And that bathroom is beautiful too! I’ll have to head on over to check it out!
I love the idea of putting shelves and baskets in that little niche, and WOW, what a gorgeous bathroom – that is definitely calling my name! LOVE IT!
The niche is fun, but I love Mary Kay Andrews! Can’t wait for the new book!
LOVE LOVE LOVE Mary Kay Andrews! Discovered her on your site and quickly read all of her books! Can’t wait!
This is probably a silly question, but I was thinking about putting wood on my walls in my bathroom and was wondering what type of wood is best for this project? Thank you in advance.
I could say “ditto” to Kara’s comment above. The niche turned out great, but I can’t wait for what you have up your sleeve with Mary Kay Andrews! I am soooooooooo ready for summer!
Hi Layla! Thank you so much for selecting me! I will keep you upto date on the process! We live in a cookie cutter suburban home in Minnesota, south of Minneapolis. I am trying so hard to make it look like a cute cottage! I have added so many details to our home that I have gotten off your blog. Thanks again!!
Martha
LOVE me some Mary Kay Andrews!!! That bathroom is to die for!!
I can see the back lined with chippy beadboard and glass shelves (adjustables). I’d like the back a different color. There’s a place in texas who has quite a load of chippy beadboard. How glorious would that be?
Love the Breeze Inn Pic! Kohl’s has a similar rug! Make sure to use a liner underneath it though.
Dying to read Mary Kay’s newest book!
Great ideas as always for this little wall niche! I think shelves would look great. And I LOVE Mary Kay Andrews! Isn’t she awesome?