I usually don't use before-and-after shots but here I think it is fitting.

Once upon a time there was a fireplace in a wall in a room. And it needed help.

The design constraints were wide open, but the budget wasn't. It was a perfect opportunity to break out some discarded crates!

A little industrial, rustic, modern wall treatment. The crates were made of poplar, so I cooked up some stain from old coffee that Asbury Park Roastery was throwing out.

And since there was room inside the wall, who could resist building some hidden cabinetry as well?