[cinderella]

Liam, my exact thoughts! Belle, unless you have tons of storage, the shelves are a good idea. As Liam said, it's a great place for cookbooks, and some pretty glass, ceramic or metal decanters, or decorative plates. If it turns out to be a 'showy' spot, i.e., where everyone will see it, consider glass shelving with hidden rope LED lighting, or one spot light to light a particularly nice piece.

As for the posts, again, same suggestion. If your house is on the traditional looking side, moldings add real character to posts - by boxing them in, and putting molding on them, they will look more like pillars then posts. You can also cover them with 'cultured' stone. It's lightweight and easy to apply, but that look is more 'lodgey', more rutic looking.

Originally Posted by Liam

Storage! Seldom is there enough of it, sounds like a great place for cookbooks. Go visit your favourite lumber yard or check out Lowes or Home Depot, and look at the different kinds of molding—there are lots of ways to decorate posts.