Image source: Houzz/Phoenix Renovations
If you find yourself living in the walls of an older house, especially one built in the early to mid-1900s, chances are you have seen an odd sight—a small shelf nestled tightly inside the walls, maybe in the kitchen or hallway. Perhaps you stopped, amazed by its existence, or maybe you have looked over it and its relevance escaped your attention.
Image source: Staging by M
Allow me, then, to shed light on the enigma behind this modest detail. Often identified as a “phone space,” this little shelf has a great history and use. Imagine yourself in a period when the loyal landline ruled communication, before the ubiquity of cellphones. Oh, sure, those past days! Many of your homes carefully created a specific enclave, the phone niche, to cradle the modest phone. Some even claimed extra conveniences, such as a tiny ledge or drawer next to the niche, which would house valuable phone books or address books. Remembering the time of physical address books is extremely charming.
Image source: Realtor.com
Now fast forward to the present, where the common cellphone has replaced the landline into invisibility. Still, signs of a bygone age endure among the march of technical development. Should one of these little treasures wind up in your house, don’t panic! Its uses have as many options as your creativity.
Think of decorating it with an old phone to make a beautiful decoration as well as a monument to nostalgia. On the other hand, should pragmatism take the front stage, you may bring it back to be a telephonic communication station. Should neither choice appeal, though, fret not; the shelf anxiously awaits the chance to highlight your literary masterpieces, accentuated collection of decorative objects, or beautiful array of small plants. You really are the canvas on which to paint!
Image source: Pinterest/Fran Osment