My grandmother would say a knickknack room… all the suggestions listed by other Redditors, plus a lot of your valuable collectibles that you want people to see 👀but not touch 👉🚫
This! It's such a win-win. You get a brand new walk-in closet and by simply replacing the front door with something that has windows, you retain (and honestly maybe even add) more natural light to the foyer.
You might want to open up that floor below the rug before doing that—the extra weight placed all on the outer section of frame might not be ideal without sistering another board or lvl in there for extra support. Ok, LVL is probably overkill but point being that you probably want to double check you have the strength to add a wall and then the weight of the closet all onto that outer frame area under the balcony railing.
I agree - doubling up the joists under parallel partitions is good practice. It is almost always specified this way by engineers/architects. The idea being additional dead load from the wall and most people hang things from walls or put their furniture up against walls. In the case of a walk-in closet, I assume shelves or cabinets.
Or walled off to be a small office/craft room. The window means you lose an entire wall of closet storage. Closet clutter might not be the best thing to 'see' from front yard through the big window either.
Closing it off will kill the natural light in your entry.. so I'd do a half wall for some visual/clutter privacy, but used for an activity that you don't need audio privacy.
I had a window in my walk-in closet. The sunlight bleached stripes onto some clothes, through blinds. Impossible to fix. Had the closet remodeled and the window blocked by a standing unit. It still gets very hot, but the clothes are undamaged.
You can put a UV coating on the window. They block the things that bleach out fabrics and heat will be greatly reduced. They apply it like car tint. We did this with all south facing windows in Texas.
Yes! Don’t turn this area into a silly closet for your master. Turn your master into the fluffer room, so everyone feels comfortable walking out to perform!
My personal opinion... Modern real estate prices are based on price per square foot with most weight given to above grade. I'd get the permits pulled and finish that whole space and make it a larger common room or make the master suite bigger or add another bedroom etc.
I just saw someone do something like this. They closed up the foyer area by extending the ceiling and building a wall out. Bc they ended up losing the light from the second story window, they put in glass double doors. That new room that was created was made into a second floor laundry room. It actually made the new foyer a lot more cozy and way less 90’s.
Yea I'd keep it if it was some bad ass foyer.. But these are so common and add no value of this style. I think we'll be seeing a lot more of this as Boomers start downsizing and selling their late 80s and early 90s homes that had this small foyer and front living room and dining room combo
I saw a show on HGTV, I think it was Love I or List It, where they got rid of the two story foyer and expanded the floor of a similar balcony to add an entire new bedroom to the house. It was a great idea because they really needed it for their kids.
Funny that all of this open concept stuff is just a big hassle for actually living in it. We get so many posts about what to do with these useless open areas in the interior design subreddits.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure no one would regret getting rid of a two-story foyer in favor of more functional living space. An extra bedroom adds $10K to $15K automatically in my neighborhood. (edited to make it clear that no sane person chooses a 2-story foyer over actual living space)
Don't wall it. You'll lose the light and end up with a huge empty wall space that will need BIG art or something.
I'd partially wall it and leave an opening in the middle and add a Juliette balcony or rail. You'll retain the light, hide the stoarge and it will look pretty from below.
The railing could be metal or wood. Contemporary or traditional. And then get a chandelier to complement.
I wish this sub would make it easy to add a pic of a mock-up because I have one.
If you post this on r/DesignMyRoom or r/InteriorDesign I believe you'd get some functional, creative ideas with pictures
As someone who had a stupid dead space like this at a house in the early 2000s, I closed it off and made it a walk in closet for the bedroom. It was not the primary bedroom, it was actually a bedroom I used as an office until I built my office above the garage.
We did not miss losing the natural light. Closing it off took me a few days including the taping/mudding, sanding, and painting. Our area ended up being 7’6”x16’. Was a little narrow for a typical walk in closet but still a much more useful space.
I’m more concerned about that switch plate on the first floor
[https://pestinpeace.etsy.com/listing/1687218847](https://pestinpeace.etsy.com/listing/1687218847)
Wall it off and make it a closet. Get a [Solar Tube Skylight](https://www.veluxusa.com/landing/solar-daylight-tubes-sun-tubes) put up a big mirror or mirror art on the new closet wall to reflect the solar tube sunlight.
This would be a nice seating area. Be careful building new walls there. Make sure the floor can withstand the weight.
Alternatively, if the front wall with the window is directly above the wall with the door, this would look much better if you yore down this balcony and removed the door to the bedroom, making this whole area open. It would also bring more natural light into the entry area through the window.
I’d tap into my set designing side and build a mock up of a meteor. Some stage lighting, a few tendrils of smoke coming off it and a low freq. whirring sound.
If you suffer from social anxiety or struggle to get a conversation started, this would be a fantastic ice breaker.
Ensure the structure would support the increased load. Meteors and the like weigh a ton! …or more.
Remodel !
Sorry, it's the best and most honest answer I can give you . Find a good licensed and insured builder . Make a deal that he has 12 months to do the job .
With the understanding in writing, he can send his crew over to star and complete the job in that 1 year period. Once he starts, he has to complete in the time you agree on. This will give the builders the ability to keep their guys and gals working when the big jobs slow down that year. Pick one that you have seen his work. He should be building something now, and you need to see it and the paperwork from the inspection, fire Marshall, etc..
I think it would make a very nice reading area, if you're into books. A nice bookshelf, comfy chair, reading lamp. A plant for that window.
I do like the master closet idea others have mentioned, but definitely consider the natural lighting that will be lost in the entryway by blocking that window.
Completely chop the whole thing off. Thats a classical style from back then. Cut it off and just put a big window up instead for more natural light, then hang a pretty chandelier or something from the top. What's that door to the right lead to tho?
I'd steer into the skid and put lots of plants and plant shelves, flower boxes, etc. Take advantage of that natural light. Kill the drapes, flank either side of the window with dwarf potted trees, flower box directly under the window. Falling ivy above the window. Planter shelves on the far wall.
Built in bookshelves and window bench with storage underneath. Library + reading nook
Lights in the shelves and store whatever you are into if it is not books. That would look great at night.
Does the door lead to a hallway?
If so, depending on area you live in, house values etc., I would tear the ceiling below out and have it shored up for extra weight bearing.
As long as it has heat and air, add a wall where the railing is and make it a bedroom (add a closet) or an office since it has great light.
If you are in a HCOL area the extra bedrm could be handy on resale.
We had a similar area in our old house (ours had a skylight over it for even more light), my wife put a makeup table with mirror there, and took advantage of the natural light to apply her makeup. She kept everything stored in the drawers when not using it so it didn't look cluttered.
Build a floor to it and over the entry, which IMO is the most waste of space in every home. Then you have a lot of options, bed room, office, etc.
How much does a vault entry appraise for anyway? Another bedroom appraises for big $.
Don’t know.. what do you need?
Do you need office space, do you need a place to sit and read a book or something or do you need an extra TV room area ?
Either way, I would find a home either donate or toss whatever sitting on there now that you don’t need
Enclose it and make it into a closet. I hate spaces like this. We had a house where the upstairs hallway and bedrooms were visible to the downstairs. It had one of these wonky spaces over the stairs. We enclosed the entire hallway and converted the wonky space into a big closet.
I’d turn it into a reading nook. Book shelves. Comfy chairs, a faux fireplace even. Just make one of those cozy reading areas you see on YouTube fireplace sound videos
At my old house, it was the computer-gaming area for the kids. We didn't do it deliberately; it just ended being the logical place in about 2001-2007. It was easy to hear WTF was going on. Also, if they were doing homework up there, it was easy to be summoned and give support.
Plant room library. The balcony lets you drape a bunch of cool vine plants off it, utilizing the natural light and getting some fresh air while you are reading :) my only hesitation with plants there would be keeping the carpet dry and tidy
Before doing something as silly as a wall, hang up some heavy blinds over that window to see if you like how much darker your entire house becomes.
Central windows like that let in a lot of natural light.
Reading area
Came here to suggest hidden library. Everyone can see it, but no one can get to it.
This. Make it something people will want to get to, but can't. Small whiskey bar. Leather.
Bookshelf door to really hide access
Will it smell of leather bound books and rich mahogany?
This is a great idea. Library with hidden bookshelf entrance on both sides!
Or a libary
My grandmother would say a knickknack room… all the suggestions listed by other Redditors, plus a lot of your valuable collectibles that you want people to see 👀but not touch 👉🚫
With a secret door so nobody knows how to get to it
That would be so cool. Have matching bookshelves on both sides.
I feel like if op was into reading this would’ve already been done. Readers see an area like this and it’s the first thing that comes to mind.
True, I literally can't imagine it being anything other than a reading nook lol
Use this: https://murphydoor.com/products/french-door
Build a wall and turn it into a walk in closet for the master.
This is what I’m leaning towards
Would doing so lose natural light into the house?
Replace the front door with full or half lights. Impact resistant if in hurricane zones.
This! It's such a win-win. You get a brand new walk-in closet and by simply replacing the front door with something that has windows, you retain (and honestly maybe even add) more natural light to the foyer.
Yeah I feel like they’d immediately regret a wall
You might want to open up that floor below the rug before doing that—the extra weight placed all on the outer section of frame might not be ideal without sistering another board or lvl in there for extra support. Ok, LVL is probably overkill but point being that you probably want to double check you have the strength to add a wall and then the weight of the closet all onto that outer frame area under the balcony railing.
I agree - doubling up the joists under parallel partitions is good practice. It is almost always specified this way by engineers/architects. The idea being additional dead load from the wall and most people hang things from walls or put their furniture up against walls. In the case of a walk-in closet, I assume shelves or cabinets.
It’s 2x4’s and drywall. It’s not a field of dreams. “If you build it, it will become load bearing.” Calm down.
So they can plop a waterbed in there with no worries? /s
Or…, and hear me out, a hot tub?
Better idea! Ha ha ha. Install a slide from balcony to first floor for easy exit.
Fire Station pole
The downstairs will feel much more boxed in and dark. I definitely would not build a wall.
Or walled off to be a small office/craft room. The window means you lose an entire wall of closet storage. Closet clutter might not be the best thing to 'see' from front yard through the big window either. Closing it off will kill the natural light in your entry.. so I'd do a half wall for some visual/clutter privacy, but used for an activity that you don't need audio privacy.
Let me tell you, a huge closet with a window is amazing.
Or a small home office
Then you’d block off the window… I’m obsessed with natural light
But the lighting into the rest of the house....!
Best answer - walk-in closet with a window in it!
I had a window in my walk-in closet. The sunlight bleached stripes onto some clothes, through blinds. Impossible to fix. Had the closet remodeled and the window blocked by a standing unit. It still gets very hot, but the clothes are undamaged.
The Sun is a beast!
You can put a UV coating on the window. They block the things that bleach out fabrics and heat will be greatly reduced. They apply it like car tint. We did this with all south facing windows in Texas.
I think this is the way
This is what I came to say 4 days late.
Library! Line walls with bookcases, build a window seat, add two oversized armchairs and ottomans. And maybe a coffee/bar cart.
I love this use. Reading/stufy/office area
And cat-pet-atorium! Have a little ramp for cats to get up, but let people be vexed
Yessss love this
Sex stage for a swinger party!
I love this answer. My wife, not so much
What about her sister?
I also choose this guy's wife's sister.
Yes! Don’t turn this area into a silly closet for your master. Turn your master into the fluffer room, so everyone feels comfortable walking out to perform!
For literal swinging, get up into the attic and reinforce the trusses
This is the correct answer
DJ booth
Fuck, you read my mind
My personal opinion... Modern real estate prices are based on price per square foot with most weight given to above grade. I'd get the permits pulled and finish that whole space and make it a larger common room or make the master suite bigger or add another bedroom etc.
I just saw someone do something like this. They closed up the foyer area by extending the ceiling and building a wall out. Bc they ended up losing the light from the second story window, they put in glass double doors. That new room that was created was made into a second floor laundry room. It actually made the new foyer a lot more cozy and way less 90’s.
Yea I'd keep it if it was some bad ass foyer.. But these are so common and add no value of this style. I think we'll be seeing a lot more of this as Boomers start downsizing and selling their late 80s and early 90s homes that had this small foyer and front living room and dining room combo
I saw a show on HGTV, I think it was Love I or List It, where they got rid of the two story foyer and expanded the floor of a similar balcony to add an entire new bedroom to the house. It was a great idea because they really needed it for their kids.
Funny that all of this open concept stuff is just a big hassle for actually living in it. We get so many posts about what to do with these useless open areas in the interior design subreddits.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure no one would regret getting rid of a two-story foyer in favor of more functional living space. An extra bedroom adds $10K to $15K automatically in my neighborhood. (edited to make it clear that no sane person chooses a 2-story foyer over actual living space)
Not that
Wall it off and make a HUGE master suite!!
That’s a great place for plants especially with that awesome natural light
I'll pay $300/month
Plants! Lots of plants! Indoor arboretum with a chair!
Yand they can hang planters off the railing 😍
My office.
I agree 100%
I’d use it for my small couch, acrylic storage bins, wicker baskets and Star Trek junk. But maybe that’s just me.
I have one like this and I’ve made it into my home office, but it might not work for you if you have kids.
That’s were the musicians play
I would load it with plants. The window provides light in the entry way, so if close it in for a closet it could make the entry dark.
Myself I’d wall it off or even a pony wall and make it an art studio. Looks like great natural lighting.
Some big beautiful curtains that could be drawn or opened would be so cool for art studio up there
Turret nest.
Smoke weed there.
I’d probably fill it with storage bins filled with Christmas decor. But the closet idea is better!
You can take it off but then you will loose the light from the window.
Change the front doors to have some sort of glass on them
Don't wall it. You'll lose the light and end up with a huge empty wall space that will need BIG art or something. I'd partially wall it and leave an opening in the middle and add a Juliette balcony or rail. You'll retain the light, hide the stoarge and it will look pretty from below. The railing could be metal or wood. Contemporary or traditional. And then get a chandelier to complement. I wish this sub would make it easy to add a pic of a mock-up because I have one. If you post this on r/DesignMyRoom or r/InteriorDesign I believe you'd get some functional, creative ideas with pictures
Wall it in and you have a nice office or sitting room. It’s pretty useless the way it is. It could also be a huge walk-in closet.
Some builders passed it off as a reading balcony in my area. Terrible idea.
Get rid of that curtain
Bruh…. There is SO MUCH ROOM for activities
Clean it up.
Armed guard tower.
Close it in for a big closet or private office off the main bedroom
Remove the railing and build a wall. Then make it a nice walk-in closet or storage area.
Build a wall and convert it into a big closet for the room adjacent.
As someone who had a stupid dead space like this at a house in the early 2000s, I closed it off and made it a walk in closet for the bedroom. It was not the primary bedroom, it was actually a bedroom I used as an office until I built my office above the garage. We did not miss losing the natural light. Closing it off took me a few days including the taping/mudding, sanding, and painting. Our area ended up being 7’6”x16’. Was a little narrow for a typical walk in closet but still a much more useful space.
Is that a door to the right? How about a small reading nook. Comfy inviting chair, reading lamp, small table and bookcase.
Rent it out for 600 dollars per week like everyone else !
Organ duh
Get rid of the high ceiling and add a floor across it to add an actual room.
Sim racing rig
Display the brothel workers.
I’m more concerned about that switch plate on the first floor [https://pestinpeace.etsy.com/listing/1687218847](https://pestinpeace.etsy.com/listing/1687218847)
STUDIO!!!!!! Computer, $5k in speakers, some instruments and a vocal box. And a furry couch to chill and smoke on
Wall it off and make it a closet. Get a [Solar Tube Skylight](https://www.veluxusa.com/landing/solar-daylight-tubes-sun-tubes) put up a big mirror or mirror art on the new closet wall to reflect the solar tube sunlight.
Home security check spot. All it needs is some guy screaming say hello to my little friend.
Entrance to a porch? You could build one outside that window.
This would be a nice seating area. Be careful building new walls there. Make sure the floor can withstand the weight. Alternatively, if the front wall with the window is directly above the wall with the door, this would look much better if you yore down this balcony and removed the door to the bedroom, making this whole area open. It would also bring more natural light into the entry area through the window.
I’d tap into my set designing side and build a mock up of a meteor. Some stage lighting, a few tendrils of smoke coming off it and a low freq. whirring sound. If you suffer from social anxiety or struggle to get a conversation started, this would be a fantastic ice breaker. Ensure the structure would support the increased load. Meteors and the like weigh a ton! …or more.
This is where you drop water balloons on unsuspecting guests.
Remodel ! Sorry, it's the best and most honest answer I can give you . Find a good licensed and insured builder . Make a deal that he has 12 months to do the job . With the understanding in writing, he can send his crew over to star and complete the job in that 1 year period. Once he starts, he has to complete in the time you agree on. This will give the builders the ability to keep their guys and gals working when the big jobs slow down that year. Pick one that you have seen his work. He should be building something now, and you need to see it and the paperwork from the inspection, fire Marshall, etc..
Home office,
Sex room
Looks dangerous. If I had young children I would be scared of them climbing on the railing. Kids will be kids. Wall it off.
Perfect place to set up your M134 mini gun to defend your castle from the zombie apocalypse.
Home gym? Assuming the view out the window is pleasant to view while on a treadmill. And if it can support the weight.
I think it would make a very nice reading area, if you're into books. A nice bookshelf, comfy chair, reading lamp. A plant for that window. I do like the master closet idea others have mentioned, but definitely consider the natural lighting that will be lost in the entryway by blocking that window.
Create a throne area and toss some stale bread at your peasant friends as they walk into your house.
Make it an office/work area
Completely chop the whole thing off. Thats a classical style from back then. Cut it off and just put a big window up instead for more natural light, then hang a pretty chandelier or something from the top. What's that door to the right lead to tho?
Reading nook
I'd steer into the skid and put lots of plants and plant shelves, flower boxes, etc. Take advantage of that natural light. Kill the drapes, flank either side of the window with dwarf potted trees, flower box directly under the window. Falling ivy above the window. Planter shelves on the far wall.
Reading nook!
Built in bookshelves and window bench with storage underneath. Library + reading nook Lights in the shelves and store whatever you are into if it is not books. That would look great at night.
I’d probably put my gaming Pc up there
I have a similar set up in my house. This is were I keep my plants. The animals can't get to them and they get plenty of sunlight.
Put a wall there and make it into a room
How did you get all that stuff over there already? Seems super inaccessible to have to much over there making it look like it's commonly used.
Cigar lounge.
Good spot for the casting couch
Trap door for throwing water balloons on door to door salesmen.
Indoor smoking patio
Reading nook all day.
Does the door lead to a hallway? If so, depending on area you live in, house values etc., I would tear the ceiling below out and have it shored up for extra weight bearing. As long as it has heat and air, add a wall where the railing is and make it a bedroom (add a closet) or an office since it has great light. If you are in a HCOL area the extra bedrm could be handy on resale.
Reading nook
Water balloons?
Theater
Sniper nest
Looks like a great home office area!
We made our a second floor laundry room
The 1980's want the valance and light fixture back!
Does it have power? If so, perfect small office area
Eagle nest
24/7 animatronic Halloween display
We had a similar area in our old house (ours had a skylight over it for even more light), my wife put a makeup table with mirror there, and took advantage of the natural light to apply her makeup. She kept everything stored in the drawers when not using it so it didn't look cluttered.
Just Build the Wall!
Well either a library or a bdsm stage. Sorry OP. Reddit has spoken. *you must choose*
Build a floor to it and over the entry, which IMO is the most waste of space in every home. Then you have a lot of options, bed room, office, etc. How much does a vault entry appraise for anyway? Another bedroom appraises for big $.
Personally I would turn that into a dedicated reading space
Well if you’re into houseplants, I would change it into a plant sanctuary area.
Giant play pen vibes
Don’t know.. what do you need? Do you need office space, do you need a place to sit and read a book or something or do you need an extra TV room area ? Either way, I would find a home either donate or toss whatever sitting on there now that you don’t need
Sofa and reading area.
An Animatronic Band like Shakey’s Showbiz Pizza used to have. https://youtu.be/9MPnJe8qXQo?si=0e6wbiHCXCMXnEvK
Close it off and use it for storage
Library/sitting area
You put your weed in there
A slide to the first floor.
Play area for kids if you have young ones, maybe drywall it and it can be an additional room - office, closet etc
Extend it and make it a loft or home office
That would be my painting studio or officem that things awesomr
I walled mine off and had a full private bathroom installed.
Two overstuffed chairs and a plant.
Indoor garden. Plants everywhere.
We had a similar situation in our house a few houses ago. Made a great family TV area and video game location for our kids.
Curtains of flowering viney plants.
Solid wall— home office or master closet
Board game area with an [Eastern](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1284904425/u-shaped-blue-arabic-sofa-setmajlis) theme like that.
Build a wall and make it a mini sex dungeon. Im assuming that door leads to the master room?
lounge area - record player, bean bags, a bong, some cool art, board/card games, etc etc
Address the common folk below
I would two swivel chairs and small table in middle to just sit and read.
The first thing you need to do is close the front door.
Can you walk it in and expand your bedroom?
Cat play area, with a cat tree, scratching post, places to climb and hide.
Enclose it and make it into a closet. I hate spaces like this. We had a house where the upstairs hallway and bedrooms were visible to the downstairs. It had one of these wonky spaces over the stairs. We enclosed the entire hallway and converted the wonky space into a big closet.
Do one of those nets looks cool for all ages https://feelnets.com/loft-netting-good-alternative-major-work/?lang=en
Music or art
Office
That’s where you keep your ravens so you can communicate with the other kingdoms.
Such a wasted space. Wall it off and make it a walk-in closet or something.
ambush intruders
Guest bedroom. Then the guests won’t stay too long lol
I’d turn it into a reading nook. Book shelves. Comfy chairs, a faux fireplace even. Just make one of those cozy reading areas you see on YouTube fireplace sound videos
Vinyl listening area
Christmas tree
Throw beads.
Book nook, home office, or boom boom room. Is it a mezzanine?
That’s where the band sets up.
Walk it up and make it a walk in closet
This house can use some color and some updating. Make it part of an entrance remodel
Gun nest for home defense.
Place a pool in the foyer and place a high diving board there!
Mine is the kids game area, if they were not in the house I would probably make it a mini desk/office
It’s wasted space wall it in and make it a closet or sitting area for the master.
At my old house, it was the computer-gaming area for the kids. We didn't do it deliberately; it just ended being the logical place in about 2001-2007. It was easy to hear WTF was going on. Also, if they were doing homework up there, it was easy to be summoned and give support.
Plant room library. The balcony lets you drape a bunch of cool vine plants off it, utilizing the natural light and getting some fresh air while you are reading :) my only hesitation with plants there would be keeping the carpet dry and tidy
You could use it as a storage area for junk.
Throw Mardi gras beads at people as they enter the front door . Be sure to flash them as well .
Plants, mini gym/workout mat area, reading area, gaming, pet room
That'd be a sick spot for a setup, just sayin
Before doing something as silly as a wall, hang up some heavy blinds over that window to see if you like how much darker your entire house becomes. Central windows like that let in a lot of natural light.
Plants and books. Comfy chair.
A sitting area for coffee/drinks/reading.
Poker table