A vintage phone niche (or nook/cubby) is a built-in wall recess from the early to mid-20th century, designed to house bulky landline phones, often with a shelf for the phone and a lower space for phone books, solving the "problem" of where to place this new home convenience before smartphones, adding charming architectural detail to period homes like Sears bungalows.

Key Characteristics:

Built-in: Integrated into the wall, common in Craftsman, Bungalow, and early modern homes.

Shelf: A top surface for the phone itself.

Storage: A lower shelf or cubby for the essential phone book.

Wiring: Often features a hole or conduit for phone lines.

Style: Varies from simple to decorative, sometimes with millwork matching the home's era (e.g., 1920s-1950s).

Why They Were Popular:

Modern Convenience: As telephones became common (post-1900s), niches organized the wires and bulky devices.

Space-Saving: Kept the phone out of the way in hallways, kitchens, or living areas.