A niche is a perfect place to set your shower toiletries. The size, shape, and position of the niche is an important decision. Your choices will determine if the niche is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. What shower niche sizes are available and which one is right for your bathroom?
Here are a few things to consider:
- Do you want to store bottles?
- Do you need to keep bar soap and razor in the niche?
- Do you prefer a vertical niche with shelves built-in or do you prefer a long horizontal niche with a single shelf?
- Would two niches of the same size be a better solution?
Shower Niche Construction
There are three ways to build a shower niche: a finished niche, a prefabricated niche that can be covered with tile, or a custom-built niche made entirely on-site.
A finished shower niche is made from stainless steel and comes in a limited number of sizes. The best-finished shower niches have the ability to bond with the waterproofing membrane. Never purchase one unless it has this very important feature. If it doesn’t bond, it will allow water to get behind the membrane.
The next option is a prefabricated niche that gets covered with tile. This type of niche is made from the same tile board used for the tile backing. It bonds directly with the tile board that surrounds it, making it watertight. These prefabricated niches come in limited sizes.
The custom-built option is the most expensive one. The niche is built out of framing members, covered in custom pieces of tile board, then sealed for waterproofing. The entire thing gets covered with tile. All of this custom work comes at a steeper price than the other two options, but it gives you the most design choices available.
Small, Large, Vertical, or Horizontal Shower Niches?
It is tempting to put as much storage as possible in the shower. Make large niches with multiple shelves to hold all your shower toiletries. That would be a mistake.
Your shower niche needs to be both practical and aesthetically pleasing. If it’s overly large, it could become obtrusive. If it’s overly small, you may find yourself crowding each shelf and not being able to find anything when you need it.
It’s important to consider how much space you really need. Which products do you use all the time? If you have products you only use on occasion, consider keeping them in a nearby cabinet and bringing them out when you need them. Plan your niche space to handle your most common items.
Another consideration is whether you have a shower only or a shower-tub combination. If you need to reach products from the bathtub level, you need to place the niche low enough to reach from a seated position. A vertical niche with two or more shelves is one solution. Another one is having two niches, one at the shower level and one at the tub level.
A horizontal niche can be visually stunning. However, it does require structural reinforcement since it cuts through one or more studs. Always talk with your contractor about this type of project. Don’t forget to pick bathroom accessories like functional and stylish toilet brushes to complement your design.
Practical or Aesthetic: Where to Place the Niche
Where do you plan to place the shower niche? You can situate it where it’s most practical. Or you can place it where it’s most visually pleasing. Placement is as critical as the size and shape of the niche.
If practicality is most important, here are a few things to think about:
- The niche should be outside the splash zone. If water continually splashes into the niche, it will melt away bar soap and cause razors to become rusty. Toiletry bottles can become slippery.
- It should not be placed between the showerhead and faucets. This is directly in the splash zone, plus it isn’t easy to see when the shower is running.
- For a stand-alone shower, the niche should be at adult waist height or higher for convenience.
- For a tub-shower combination, it should have a lower shelf accessible from below waist level.
If aesthetics are more important, here are a few things to consider:
- Symmetry is key. The niche can be positioned squarely in the middle of the wall.
- Two smaller niches can be positioned side-by-side or one on top and one on bottom.
Practical Shower Niche Ideas
Accent Niches
Accent niches often have two or more tile designs incorporated. They provide a break from a wide expanse of tile. It can also bring in elements from the rest of the room. However, these niches can become dated quickly if not designed properly.
Obscure Niches
Obscured niches are hidden in unexpected places. They make it easy to hide toiletries from sight. Consider adding them on a pony wall or in a wall obscured from sight.
Super Tall Niches
Super-tall niches can be quite striking if positioned correctly. They can be too tall for their contents, so they need to relate to and balance with the rest of the shower surround.
Double Niches
Double niches offer practical and aesthetic elements. They give each person a space for their items. Or they provide places for tall bottles and smaller items. Or they give space for shower and tub use.
Asymmetrical Niches
Asymmetrical positioning works to balance other off-centre elements. A good example of this is having a window on one end of the shower enclosure and a niche on the other.
Horizontal Niches
Horizontal niches can be visually striking. They can span part of a wall or the entire space. They offer plenty of storage.
If a shower niche isn’t a practical idea right now, there’s another option. A long narrow shelf built from marble can give you practical storage along a wall in the shower.
Mistakes to Avoid When Building a Shower Niche
When sizing and placing a shower niche, you need to avoid making some common mistakes.
Don’t Skip the Waterproofing
The shower niche needs to have a waterproof membrane lining applied. This helps keep the water from getting behind the grout and penetrating the wall.
Don’t Retrofit the Niche
Some prefabricated niches are installed after the shower is tiled and finished. They go into a preformed space and get a line of silicone around the edge. That’s the only waterproofing used and it won’t do an adequate job.
Integrate with Waterproofing Membrane
If you choose a finished or prefabricated shower niche, make sure it’s integrated with the waterproofing membrane. The niche should have a built-in flange that makes integration simple and straightforward.
Don’t Compromise the Structure
Horizontal niches can be practical and visually appealing. However, if not installed with proper structural support, the niche can cause major problems with the wall it’s installed in. And that can compromise the rest of your home.
Avoid Placing a Niche on an Outer Wall
Niches set inside the wall’s surface. To create a niche on an outer wall, the insulation needs to be removed. This lets outside temperatures infiltrate your shower space. Plus, moisture can get into the outer wall and cause damage to it.
Shower niche sizes are a major consideration when revamping your shower. It offers practical storage and a visual focal point. Its size, shape, and placement are critical.