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judyg It looks as if you have a gas cooktop. What is the electrical outlet for? Who was your builder? If this were my house, I would call the building inspector (who gave the occupancy permit for your house) and have him explain this. Someone with more expertise than I may have an explanation for this, but it makes me very nervous.

Urbana ~ Designer Ellen Crystal likely a plug in for electronic ignition on gas cooktop. I'd get a nice wrought iron rack to sit in front & fill with some cool copper cookware or nice crockery

Wendy Hummingbird Designs You could make it a wine rack .... Removable in order to access the plug if needed ... Just. Though

bumbles12 Could of it been and oven?

Christine Curry My first thought was for an oven as well, but I really like the wine rack idea.

bumbles12 Yes a wine rack would be great there. I would still be interested to know what they had there lol

Darlene Rantala good ideas,,,wine rack or wine fridge with a shelf on the top would look great, gas fireplace shelves with a kage cast iron frying pan or large potter bowl..lots of great options.

kldinsb95949 Just thinking that the heat from the cooktop would not be good for storing wine... Maybe some shelves for pans?

Ironwood Builders Put in some shallow drawers and store your posts and pans in there. We usually do that in an enclosed cabinet under the cooktop, no reason it can't be open.

Nip Tuck Remodeling That is a very interesting cubby. I can't quite imagine why they would have built an arch and it looks as if they drywalled it? You do need to be able to access the gas shut off, so anything you put there will have to be fairly easy to remove.

If you can find an owners manual for the cook top, it should tell you what and how far away you can put below it and if there is any heat that might travel down.

The easiest solution is to find something decorative to place in the space. The more involved solution would likely involve a local finish carpenter that could help you modify this area. Many custom paint / stain shops can do an amazing job at matching your existing cabinets and if you are lucky, you might be able to find the cabinet manufacturer for matching skins and some doors as I assume the cubby area is likely about 33" or 36"

Best of luck with your design dilemma.

Kat Sheridan If it weren't for the "floor" in it, I would have suggested it was a knee access space for a person in a wheelchair. Any chance there are other universal design elements in this kitchen?

cdpearman Looks like a kitchen pizza oven. Why not make it look like one? Would be totally cool to have a rod iron rack built in and stack firewood underneath. Add a wooden pizza paddle and the look would be complete. No one needs to know that the pizza really comes through the slot at the front door. But seriously, would look good. Pizza ovens are all the rage in kitchens right now. You could also put in double iron spindle doors(similar to fireplace doors, maybe even use fireplace doors) and use it for pan storage.
Diana

ASVInteriors I have never seen a low pizza oven. They need it chest height to place pizzas in and out. Don't let an Italian see that post! ;-)
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/decor/decorating/brick-oven.asp

underedenx Haha! im Italian! Italian/Latvian actually but us Italians don't much care how low to the ground the pizza's cook just so long it gets to the table and its accompanied by lots of Pasta!;-D it looks like the lower half of a brick oven tho! could of just put it as a design element with no purpose? i like the idea of using double iron doors! that would look sensational!

olldbobbi Could you hang a pot rack inside and then hang your pots from it?

underedenx although im having a hard enough time finding a pic of one with doors.... one should assume this would be a $$$$ solution!

underedenx shelves!!

rinqreation A fake ovendoor! It does look like a pizza oven! Or just a shelf, the shape adds something to the kitchen, I like it.

hez2u Thanks everyone for your input. I love the pictures with shelves (why didnt i think of that) and I will also contact a contractor about a price for wrought iron door$. The doors might add a little more to the existing look of the kitchen but I suspect they will also cost more. I do love this house!

underedenx not sure where u are but you might be able to find antique iron doors? love the tumbled marble back splash btw!

carole would have been for the gasbottle,but i would put a nice door on it!!