What can I do with this space?

What's behind the mirror? Hallway, family room or anything that would make opening it up useful or decorative? If not, how about creating a small cupboard storage area with doors? You could try painting the woodwork/shelving and stenciling a design (with paint) on the mirror. Add a light fixture or a string of lights around the inside that will reflect off the mirror. The ideas are endless once you get that creative hat on.....have fun....and please post your finished design.

You cloud take the mirror and shelves off, open the space up completely...take the trim off as well or change the trim to something more updated....painting the trim would also update it

Cocktail Cabinet ? Put up a picture and use it as a Safe hiding place. Bookshelves, Attach a Blind as if it were a Window..

A few plants and photos will be pretty.

To me, it's a bookshelf waiting to be filled with lovely books! (Nevermind the mirror.)

However, if you want to use it for something else, you can fill it with all kinds of things. Collections that you have: a friend of mine has one of these shelves open on both sides to display his exotic collection he has created over years of military service overseas. A nerd/geek would display comic figurines.

This could also display beautiful crystal with strips of LED lights on the underside of each shelf to show off the sparkles of the leaded glass. In fact, adding a mirror to the surface of each shelf would increase the sparkle and shine.

Display Waterford Crystal, Mikasa, Gorham, and other name - brand crystal pieces to your delight. An apprentice bowl —though a rare thing —is a masterpiece of art created by an apprentice glass cutter with every type of glass cut in it to graduate from apprentice to journeyman. It might crown your collection, crystal or eclectic.

Or lime the shelves with containers of things for your favorite Hobby or pastime to have these materials at easy reach. Glass jars are useful for viewing contents.

You could just remove the woodwork and mirror and drywall the recessed area, then prime and paint. That would give you a blank wall.

If you want to keep the niche but update the look, you could remove the shelves and mirror and paint the woodwork casing (the "frame" around the niche). Do you want to use it as functional kitchen space or decorative living room space? For a functional kitchen piece, you could put a chalk board, cork board, or key holder where the mirror is, and use it as a message center, something like this: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S-7plVWSox4/UdINBJBoF8I/AAAAAAAAfuM/uEgdaAuoboc/s800/BUILTINS.jpg

If you want to use it as decorative living room space, you could paint, tile or wallpaper the back wall where the mirror is, and put some kind of art in the niche, like this: http://pin-insta-decor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Wood-molding-ideas-for-home-decoration-hall-transitional-with-wall-niche-crown-molding-decorative-molding..jpg or this: https://i.pinimg.com/236x/cc/04/1c/cc041cf12d7780f8090668c7ccd93be7--art-niche-alcove-ideas.jpg

i agree, i wouldn't like the mirror either. if you can't remove it, i'd cover it with some sort of decorative paper (some shelf liners are nice) - if it's bright it could be a decorative highlight, with some small succulents or something?

i like the idea of adding cabinet doors. i have a similar problem with a cubby in my front room.

if it can be open to the next room (mirror removed) i'd fill it with some small jars of dried beans etc. i've done that with a weird shelf thing in an old apartment we lived in and it looked great! all the colors were neat and since we use dried beans a lot it was nice they didn't take up a lot of cupboard space.

good luck!!

I'd simply replace it with a framed, plain or molded glass making squares as you are used to see through this gap and so you do not find it strange not to perceive the light from it.

Spain

I would take out every other shelf so you could display some beautiful glass pieces. I would paint it the wall color, maybe take off the moulding around it first. If you hate the mirror get some decorative window film and put it on. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_2?fst=as%3Aon&rh=n%3A1055398%2Cn%3A1063278%2Ck%3Adecorative+window+film&page=2&keywords=decorative+window+film&ie=UTF8&qid=1504202385&spIA=B010PTLAKE,B00RDVD56U,B06XSFS9MB,B01CG52OHI,B01JFILPIS,B00UZDX3CO

or just rip it out all together for a passthrough to the kitchen, maybe even enlarge it with a small counter.... https://www.google.com/search?q=pictures+of+kitchen+pass+through+windows&client=opera&hs=OPW&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi18sPvhoLWAhVQ22MKHU1wAZgQ7AkIbQ&biw=1366&bih=629

Can you remove the mirror and shelves and have it as a open space? Or refinish the wood and add doors to make it a storage place maybe for wind glasses?

I imagine we are seeing the living room side and that you don't need another doorway into the kitchen? As has been said you could hang a painting in this space; in the front. You could try again with some decorative items. You could add or decrease the number of shelves. A collection need not be grand. I have a friend who collects rocks and she has them on display. I am a collector and display, art; books; china (lots of this) sea shells. I have heard of people displaying bottles of sand from different places. No limit to what can be displayed

People have shared many good ideas. Personally, I would paint the wood trim/shelves a complimentary color. If you want to cover the mirrors, use contact paper/other kinds of paper (wrapping paper) or make it into a chalk board.....esp. if you have children. This space would be great to display your children's projects or school papers. Your children would be elated to have a special space for their projects/papers. Only the best to you on solving this problem.

Glass shelves, paint it a semi-glossy white paint and fill it with reflective objects...ie..Glass Menagerie....However, if it was my home, I would cover the space with fitted wooden planks on each side (insert into bookshelf indention) use the trim of the bookshelf as molding, paint the new walls (hidden bookcase) the same color as your present livingroom and make a fake wall. Then use the (wallspace) as a foyer entrance with a 3 drawer-chest and mirror or painting hanging on my new wall..Your studs to hang your mirror/painting ..are the wooden bookshelves you've cover with your new wall. They give support and strength, top the foyer chest with a bowl to collect your keys, mail and pocket change!

how about putting doors on it and use the shelves bot hold spices or other small items.