Designing A Shower Niche That's Functional + Pretty
When it comes to bathroom design, there’s a subtle detail that’s often overlooked but it adds a layer of uniqueness, a ton of intentional functionality + a whole lot of magic + that’s shower niches. A niche plays a big part, especially in because bathrooms have a tendency to feel cold.
As an interior designer, the goal is to balance the beauty of the materials being used, in a way that creates warmth + adds a layer of softness to the bathroom as a whole. Quite frankly, your entire home should have a come-hither feel to it.
For instance, when you look around that humble abode of yours or when you spend time getting ready, it should pull you closer, indulge you in doing things that matter most to you + evoke an emotion that makes you quietly relax all day long.
You should feel connected to the experiences like the soft warm water falling from a rainfall showerhead mounted overhead or like the guilty pleasure of knowing you have the perfect foot nook for shaving your legs (yes gentleman, a foot nook in the shower is a big deal) *wink*
So, let’s talk all about the functional needs you may have for a shower niche, the benefits of a shower niche + then a handful of designer secrets that’ll make that niche to die for!
Psst… keep reading for why we love the shower ledge just as much as the shower niche too :)
Benefits Of A Shower Niche
Have you ever fought with a shower caddy before? If you’ve ever stumbled and knocked everything off of it then you know exactly what I’m saying. But, if not… consider yourself lucky!
From limiting the amount of soap + conditioner you can have to taking up unnecessary space in your shower after market shower caddies can be both functionally + visually unappealing.
The benefits of a building a shower niche
A shower niche can be just about any size. It can be one long + wide shower niche, a tall vertical niche or some combination of the two.
To add to the functionality, a shower niche can have shelves which creates more space for your shower essentials (shampoos, conditioners, soaps, razors, mirrors, etc.)
And with all these shower essentials comes the necessity to try + keep your shower clutter-free. Because a niche is built + customized to you — your shower niche thus stays free of clutter. It has everything you need + nothing more™.
From a design standpoint (which we’ll dig into a lil further down the page) a shower niche can be a focal point of the bathroom design or simply designed to just about disappear.
And so the benefits of a built-in shower niche are obvious. But what else is there…
Functional Needs Of A Shower Niche
Good design isn’t as easy as simply declaring you want a shower niche + then poof it appears. For a shower niche to be truly functional there is actually quite a bit of work + things you need to consider — before (or sometimes during) your bathroom remodel. For instance…
If we’re building a custom shower niche, how many people will be using this shower day-to-day?
This is a great first question because it really gets you thinking about whether or not a single shower niche is enough. Will it provide enough storage space for everyone’s shower products? Of course, all of this depends on the overall length + height of your niche. But the big question is are you limited to the 16” in between the studs to create a vertical niche or do you want a long wide niche –– which requires some custom framing? Speaking of...
How many shower products like shampoos, conditioners, soaps, oils + razors will you need to store in the niche?
A fantastic way to answer this is to get up + look at the current state of your shower. How many items are there? We often find ourselves falling in love, pinning away or taking IG screenshots of stunning inspiration but when it comes to recreating these doting spaces there’s generally a pretty big gap between what we like + how we actually live IRL. This is why, when we’re designing a custom shower for you, we want the niche to not only look gorgeous but be swoon-worthy functional.
Beyond the number of shower products, how tall, wide, or deep are your bottles?
Typically, a standard shower niche is going to have around 3.5” in depth. So consider, whether or not the products you currently use are going to fit within this space. If not, could the larger products be condensed down into smaller dispensers or stored on a shower bench?
Shower Niche Design Choices
Do you want the niche to fall off + blend in with the walls or are you going for a statement-making niche? While this might seem like a silly question, it’s important to remember that functionality doesn’t have to be boring.
In fact, when it comes to designing the overall look of your shower there are a handful of basic decisions that should be considered beyond functionality.
Horizontal Niches
When there’s a larger shower, utilizing as much wall space as possible with a horizontal shower niche is one excellent choice. Not only does it provide ample storage BUT it can potentially function as a focal point of the shower.
But, horizontal niches aren’t all long and expansive either. Sometimes, a small horizontal niche is the perfect niche for a bar of soap.
Vertical Niches
Often times, clients think that a vertical niche has to be narrow or skinny but that’s only true when wall space is at a premium. A vertical shower niche is simply a little taller than it is wide :) so a vertical niche with shelves is a perfect design solution.
To introduce contrast or not?
Does the shower niche make a statement for the bathroom by creating contrast in tile size, color, pattern or texture? Keep in mind, that an accent tile can be difficult to execute simply because depending on the tile chosen for the walls + the niche contrast can feel outdated quickly. That being said, not all contrast is created equally + an accent tile in your niche can absolutely be done with timeless style.
A designer tip to be considered… the size of your tile (wall + niche tile) absolutely plays a role in the size of your niche. Here us out, regardless of what you land on for tile… you want the wall tile surrounding the niche to be the full tile size so that the niche feels seamless along the shower wall.
Should you supersize your shower niche?
Another way for the shower niche to make a statement is in the size of the niche itself. Perhaps it’s a long linear niche that expands the length of a wall or it’s an oversized vertical niche with shelves.
Not only does this draw your attention as a focal point of the shower but as previously mentioned, it can provide some extremely functional + highly coveted storage in the shower.
Can you hide the shower niche from being seen?
In some instances, like a shower with a pony wall — the best of both worlds is possible as you can both incorporate a shower niche on the inside of the pony wall (at a comfortable height) while also hide the niche from being seen (unless you’re in the shower).
Shower Ledge vs Niche or A Bench Seat
What about a shower ledge?
And then there’s the idea of a shower ledge, instead of a niche. A ledge is simply what it sounds like — a long linear ledge. Without getting overly technical the main difference between a ledge + a niche is that with a niche you’re recessing storage into the wall whereas with a ledge you’re actually framing the wall to protrude into the shower a bit so that you have a ledge.
One of the design benefits of a shower ledge vs. a shower niche is because a ledge is framed out from the wall your ledge can theoretically be whatever depth you want it to be + typically runs the full length of the wall. Now, for obvious design reasons, you wouldn’t want it too deep but you could certainly end up with a ledge deeper than your typical shower niche.
And all this mumble jumble means? Well, it means that with a shower ledge you’ll likely end up with enough space for all your shower products (pretty or not) *wink*.
How to blend the shower niche or ledge?
Then again, neither shower niches nor shower ledges need to announce themselves at all. You can maintain the exact same tile you’re using for the walls inside the niche or above the shower ledge which will allow either space to subconsciously disappear while you draw attention to another feature of the shower like the fixtures.
Can you have both a shower niche + a shower ledge?
Depending on the size of your shower, absolutely. If you have the room to sacrifice a small bit of space to accommodate a shower ledge but you’d still like to have a complimentary shower niche both play nice together.
A great bathroom remodel (or new build) considers all these things + it brings in an overall elegance to the space. At their core, shower niches (or ledges) are seemingly exist purely for functionality but no one ever set out to design an ugly shower + these are all the reasons why good design is not just important but my love, it’s also why it takes time. So, don’t rush it.
Don’t be afraid to drop your comments about shower niches or shower ledges below. If you’re overwhelmed by all of this (which we totally get) + you’re in need of a bit of help, then let’s chat.
And if you absolutely loved this article about Shower Niche’s then trust me boo, you’re going to really enjoy this FREE video course: 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.