I didn’t put a niche in our previous master bathroom and while I didn’t regret it (because we had a shelf at one end of the tub) I knew that functionally, most people would wish there were waist-high access to their hair potions, instead of turning around, bending down and grabbing their shampoo. While I did put them in our current master and don’t mind them there, in general, I don’t love niches, mostly because they break up fields of beautiful tile with labels and gross scum (literally, soap scum). This isn’t something where if I go to a friend’s house or stay at an Airbnb and see a shower niche, I’m like “ugh, get some taste.” They can absolutely be FINE and often are even beautiful.
But designing what has felt like dozens of bathrooms between Portland and mountain house (honestly, I think I’ve designed a bathroom for every Duggar offspring this year), I’ve had a lot of opportunities to contemplate the niche and what other things can be done instead. The possibility of designing a good version of the thing I didn’t love was an attractive challenge. What could we do to create storage but not have a box break up a field of beautiful tile or if it is going to break up the tile, can we do it in the most modern way possible?
First, let’s revisit the niche. This grid of four that follows shows a handful of niches that feel rather dated. I want to preface this by saying that if your bathroom looks like this, there’s no need to hide out in your closet forever, never admitting to the world that you have a “dated” bathroom niche (how dare you), but I do feel like I have to establish what a “traditional” niche is before launching into how I’m seeing people rethink the whole inset box.
When you do a Google search for “shower niche,” 92% of the results come back with contrasting tile, and I think this is the ticket to feeling a bit “dated.” As a loose rule, I’d say to stay away from alternative tiles or “accent” tiles. Yes, this can totally be done well, but like a wet pair of jeans, it’s just harder to pull off.
In some of the ones above, it basically sucks in your eyes/attention. Call it the excessive cleavage of the bathroom. It’s hard to look away, for better or for worse.
Instead, I recommend going for a shower niche that is almost invisible to the eye. Built with the exact same tile as the rest of the shower surround, so it almost disappears when empty. Or keep the background of the shelf super neutral. I get it, having a shelf right in the shower is almost a necessity, but it doesn’t have to announce itself.
Here are some great niches that I think are simple and pretty and well done, mine included.
These are the niches in my master bath. Yes, they were styled simply and pretty for this shoot because we’re not heathens, but they’re functional and don’t really pop out at you.
This appears to be a hotel (or a very fancy home) where each showerhead gets its own designated niche. These are pretty big for a niche, but something I wanted to point out is that sometimes, niches are made so small and you can’t even store your taller or larger-sized products. You can FORGET going from shopping bag to shower niche if you’re all about that Costco bulk-sized life. Yes, you can decant things into bottles that fit in a smaller nook (which would be better, if you like to keep things pretty and ready for the lifestyle mafia to come by at any moment), but it’s just an extra step. SO, if you’re remodeling and dead set on a niche, remember to allow yourself at least 12 inches in height to maneuver your bath goods.
The lower niche is also a subtle option, but if you’re not into bending down or sudsing up while seated, this might not be the best path to go down.
Technically, this image has a niche, yes, which is why it’s here, but mostly I just wanted to show you a WALK-IN TUB SHOWER THAT LOOKED LIKE THIS.
The way the tile pattern falls in these niches is a little trippy, so even if you aren’t going with a contrasting accent tile, be careful with how your tiles will fall within the shapes you are creating. The nice thing here though is that there are different levels of niches—one for when you’re in the bath, and two for when you’re showering.
Somewhere between the traditional niche and what I’m about to talk about (spoiler alert: it’s a ledge) is the linear niche, like this:
So, it’s just what it sounds like…a niche, but longer (i.e. linear). To keep the look nice and clean, make sure that the inset lines up with your tile line so nothing is cut off strangely or awkwardly.
This is a large linear niche. I mean, some people don’t even have that length in their bathrooms, let alone enough room for the ledge and a walk-in shower BUT, the installation of the tile is spot on here. If it weren’t for the black edging, from afar, the depth might not be very perceptible, which = a barely noticeable break in the tile field and less visual clutter.
Hot tip: if you have the space while renovating a bathroom, putting the handle trim in the entrance to your shower (instead of on the further wall where the showerhead is) IS SO SMART. DO IT. Long gone will be the days of subjecting your limbs to either scalding or freezing waters before your shower gets to temp. But back to linear, updated niche talk…the wall-to-wall look is even closer to the ledge idea, but again, make sure you have enough room to store the bottles you know realistically you will be using.
It’s a particularly sexy look in a marble bath surround, plus it’s far easier to wipe clean scum because there is no grout or tile texture to get stuck in (because let’s face it, NO space looks good messy/grungey, but a modern minimal room looks ESPECIALLY bad because there’s nothing to distract from the filth; you cannot create a dirt diversion in a room with fewer elements than you have fingers on one hand).
Now to the new ideas—what is the “new niche”? America must know! Well, I’m here to tell you today that I DO NOT KNOW because likely, the niche will never go away, BUT the ledge is a serious contender in my design playbook, and something we’ve been seeing a lot in magazines and in high-end hotels.
In fact, that’s where I first started contemplating this. I was in Portland staying at a hotel while working on the project up there and mid-shower, I was like… “why aren’t we doing a ledge like this more?” It looked so sleek, so modern (and by modern, I mean more “fresh” and less “contemporary”), didn’t break up any lines and, frankly, just looked cool. So I ask…
Is the ledge the new niche?
At first glance, I thought this was a ledge, but studying it again…it might be a nook? A ledge-niche? The change in materials makes it look a bit like a pony wall (which we considered doing in the mountain house upstairs guest bath), but it still just feels simpler and fresher.
Oh, this is a different perspective on that bathroom and I have to imagine there was a reason they needed that vertical break in the ledge (likely to attach the shower door/glass wall), but I do like how it continues around the vanity area.
It’s not common to get a ton of surface area for storage around a free-standing tub, mostly because they’re not exactly a shower stall and more of a luxury design moment, which says “don’t you dare besmirch me with your bottle of Garnier Fructise Sleek & Shine.” While a ledge doesn’t automatically rebrand your drugstore shampoo (no shame), it does provide a place to put whatever bottles you need (pretty or not) in a way that’s less obvious (like a nook or niche would be) since it’s a continuous line across your wall.
Yes, you’ve seen this bathroom from Decus Interiors time and again here on this blog, but it just keeps proving its worth in terms of style. It’s basically all the bathroom trends we’ve been talking about for the past few months (stacked tile, bubble sconces, wall-mount faucets, vanity mirrors) in one bangin’ package.
Here’s another angle of that bathroom that shows how the ledge stretches from the shower to the sink area, which is a really nice touch. This plays out especially well if you’re installing a killer material (like this stone they have here) and just makes everything look so seamless. If you’re working with a space limitation and it works best for you to have your vanity on the same wall as your shower, something like this would seriously elevate the style of your smaller space.
Keeping the ledge lower like in this bathroom serves two purposes: it’s at a height that would work well for easily doing real-life things like shaving legs and having your products in easy reach when you’re bent over. Have you ever been shaving your legs and need to reach for more shaving cream/soap/conditioner (yes, I know some people who use conditioner to shave their legs and swear by it) but it’s so high and far away that it feels like a nightmare game of Twister? Something like this is a solution that also happens to look really sleek.
Another little tip: if your ledge is on the same wall as your showerhead, make sure the showerhead extends out far enough past the shelf (which is typically four to six inches) to make sure you don’t end up with a soggy, soppy wet shelf always and forever.
Okay, SO…what do you guys think? EHD really loves the simplicity and clean lines of a ledge vs. a niche, but are you team niche 4eva or totally on board? As always, chime in in the comments below with all your thoughts, concerns, advice…all the goodness that lives in your brilliant brains.
The niche doesn’t bother me – it feels more contained and intentional than the ledge, although both are cool.
But why did the Portland master not get either??
We intentionally didn’t put one here because there is MASSIVE bench and we didn’t want to disrupt the beautiful tile. The only wall that was an option had studs/framing behind it that would have made the placement of it totally weird – long as skinny and to the right, shoved up against the glass. huge bench + tray 🙂
I have a shower/tub combo in a 60 sq. ft. bathroom. I was considering putting a linear niche on the left side, where it would be hidden from view unless you were actually taking a shower. We are doing a full renovation, so I have a blank slate to work with. Where would a ledge go if we wanted to do that instead?
I’m totally down with ledges- they look crisp and clean. And, Emily, I absolutely love the way you write. So engaging, fun, and funny. I want to talk like you write!
I definitely agree that the contrasting tile will make a niche look dated quickly, but if the tile is continuous and there is no break, it works great and is super practical..doesn’t take up any extra floor space like a ledge does in a super small bathroom.
‘Xazctly.
Yep. Floor space is pretty a pretty big deal-breaker here!
I laughed so hard reading your (hilarious) writing, that I failed to form an opinion. Lol. But. I think… Niche4eva.
Ha! Can’t decide if that’s good or not, but…glad you got a chuckle.
It’s good! Very good! 🙂
I think placement is key, ideally the niche is not visible from outside the shower (more to hide the products than the niche itself). I love mine – 3 separate niches on the same wall as the shower door, his/hers/shared. The lowest one is a perfect shaving foot rest. Perfect!
Yes agree! I think the issue is when they are FRONT AND CENTER, like a showpiece, but really all you see are bottles of Pantene.
We’re a week away from starting our ensuite renovation and we’re putting in a full wall length ledge in the shower… mainly out of necessity but luckily I do love the look of it. We can’t cut a nook into the walls so have to build out a ledge. The only problem is that its a teeny bathroom (4m2) and by putting in the ledge we’re losing a small amount of floor space. Hopefully it will be worth it!!
Where floorspace is tight, would it be possible to install a long shelf (in a single piece of marble or teak or whatever material works with the wall) to take the place of a ledge?
YES. that’s a great idea.
I’d think twice about the shelf option! If floor space is tight for a ledge then a shelf mounted higher up is still encroaching on your limited space, just in a different area. I’d worry about bumping into said shelf or supplies every time you raise your arms for a hair washing!
Team niche. I think in a bathroom with limited space (read as: for my life), the niche makes more sense, provided the niche is tall enough and deep enough for a big ol’ bottle of Tresemme.
This is totally a valid point. A ledge does take up at least 4-6 inches of floor space, and when you’re already cramped, that can be a bummer. I don’t HATE the niche, just wanted to present new, fresh takes on the go-to accent-tile mini niche we’ve been seeing for years.
I walked into our gut reno a couple of months ago to tell the tile guy I wanted the niche to have the same tile as the rest of the shower wall only to have him proudly show me that they’d finished and look how good it looks – and the niche had already been done with the floor tile. It still bugs, but it isn’t too crazy a contrast (it’s all marble) and I’ll cover most of it up with bottles soon (will probably go through the trouble of decanting shampoo and conditioners into pretty pump containers just to distract me even more). If you don’t have a staff to take some of the load, no matter how much you love design and know it’s your only shot at something close to your dream home, it just gets too exhausting to fight every single battle. And I’m too broke now for more change orders.
I couldn’t agree more with this comment. I’m not a designer BY ANY MEANS, but I know what I want and I like to think outside the box.
We just moved into our custom home, and we literally had to give up on some of the design details. The fight was just to much to handle towards the end. We fought hard for a lot of things…but no way would we have gotten our builder or trades to get on board with something like the “ledge”. They just wouldn’t have known how to handle that. Which is why if I ever build again, I would what until I have an EXTRA 100k to have my architect and designer fight for me.
Speaking of pretty pump containers – Pantene has a new line (Micellar or something) using the perfect sized pump bottles I’d race buy alone. Already decanted my own shampoo into them after funneling it into kid’s shampoo : )
They’re great looking – heavy, VERY slightly frosted-ish plastic that looks like glass (see through). Lovely! Perfect size, not too big. Have one for shampoo, one for conditioner. Makes shower less visually cluttered.
Ledge ALL the way. So sleek and practical too. Niches with contrasting tile (like you see in all those flip-programs) are in my opinion sooo ugly, never have liked those. A ledge is super practical to fit/make your bathtub fit exactly in the space (we’re in the middle of our bathroom renovation and are making a full ledge along the long side of the tub. so chic). LOVE your posts, always.
sounds like a dream! Good luck with your renovation.
I struggle with ever wanting a bathroom niche.
Doesn’t the water puddle? Or not drain off well?
I worry it would be a pain to keep clean or from the grout getting gross.
I love the look and the ease of the space. But just can’t do it
Depending on where it’s placed, yes the water could puddle, and if there is tile and grout (instead of say, a slab), yes the grout can get gross (part of my issue with the niche, too), but as long as you regularly clean/maintain, it should be just fine. Than again, slab stone in a shower surround and niche would also solve alot of these issues…OR A LEDGE!
I definitely like this ledge option for beautiful showers. The niche with contrasting tile has long been a peeve of mine – like, why do you want to draw attention to that? and I recently tried to talk a friend out of one but he isn’t a designer and he just loved his contrasting tile. Bleah. Long niches look nicer to me than rectangle ones but I am fine with either kind when designed unobtrusively. Man, you found some beautiful bathrooms for this post!
Team niche! Think of them as the lovely little dish or basket you put on the expanse of dresser to hold your unsightly junk (i.e. drug store shampoo – ha!). My kids’ bathroom has a ledge along the bathtub and while it’s very convenient, I’m constantly shoving things from one end to the other to keep it “organized” and I would much prefer a niche (or two) that corrals everything.
I am HERE FOR the ledge! Niches have always bothered me because if you have more than one or two people sharing that shower, you tend to quickly run out of storage and bottles end up on the ground. But a ledge? Beautiful and functional.
Ditto, ditto, ditto!
I love the ledge. Feels modern, but classic.
Yeah, it’s def one of those things that doesn’t scream MODERN. It just feels more practical frankly, but also fresh and cool.
Of all of the purchases that I’ve ever made to add to my kitchen’s efficiency and fun, this is the one thing I could not do without. I ordered it after making a decision to cook with fresh ingredients in order to make my meals healthier. It took me awhile to gather data from online forums and various cookbooks and “how to” resources before I actually opened the box and began my discovery journey. It’s been a delicious one, indeed, not to mention how much time I am saving in the process. The quality of manufacturing is evident and customer service will make you happy, IF you need to call them….I’ve heard. I have not had one single need to call them but forums indicate that they are very accommodating and quick to respond to any issue you might happen upon.
https://avitalbinshtock.com/best-pressure-cooker-reviews-and-buyers-guide/
I don’t know why I’m laughing to this comment so hard ☝️??♀️
But on the subject, I’m all in for ledges ? They look so effortless and practical, while niches usually end up looking forced and out of the place. Had one in my prevous rental apartment, and they were really hard to keep clean.
The problem I have with niches in the bath are twofold: one, and most importantly, it encourages purchase of expensive, small-bottled products if one wishes to keep the area looking beautiful and this is not sustainable for our environment, and two, the vast majority of people can’t/won’t keep that up. Thus you have a niche riddled with a cacophony of colorful plastic jugs screaming with fonts and pictures and it’s just. so. ugly. I use the Simple Human wall mount with three containers. One contains body wash, one shampoo, one conditioner. This allows uniformity and the ability to buy wholesale size containers which I decant and then store in a closet or to buy in bulk (best option for the environment). I store shaving supplies in the bathroom closet and put them away after each use.
What people who put their products in pretty bottles aren’t doing anything fundamentally different or more expensive that what you are doing with your Simple Human wall mount dispenser – buying a new container and decanting into it. It doesn’t require continually buying expensive products any more than your solution does. I like the Simple Human dispenser better than others I’ve seen, but I’m still not sure it it feels too commercial for me (and not in a hotel way).
Ledge all the way. Its just a cleaner look. And I like clean bathrooms : )
I’m totally on board with the ledge. It’s so simple and clean. I’m trying to find a way of incorporating the shower to vanity ledge in my own bathroom, but its one downfall is taking up valuable space. Pulling the vanity into the room an extra 6″ or making a shower 6″ smaller seems like too much space to give up. This concept is more of a luxury option for bathrooms with space to give.
You can try adding the ledge either at the back of the shower or the wall with the showerhead so it doesn’t eat into the square footage of your room (just the shower space), but because a shower is typically longer than it is wide, it won’t feel like that much of an intrusion.
Does it have to be a full 6″? I would think even a 2-3″ ledge would provide a significant amount of space to set shampoo bottles and vanity items on, and wouldn’t intrude on the space so much. Just an idea, in case that helps you out!
I actually really like the pictures of “dated” contrasting tile niches! I even swooned over that black and white one lol I like the ledge too, so I say go for whichever makes you happiest!
Lol. I loved the black and white one too!
Love the ledge or the wall long niche.
My husband and I are in the process of renovating an entire mid century house before we move in and I have long disliked shower niches, especially with contrasting tile. In our master bath however, the shower is open with a glass panel on one side and the whole showe is visible from the second you walk in the room. We need a niche to not have our open concept bathroom cluttered with things on the floor and I specifically asked for a ledge but our wall is load bearing and we were advised to not cut the studs to build a linear box. So in our case, structural integrity wins over aesthetics and I’m bummed about it.
Love the ledge but I can’t help think it was originally rooted in necessity. If you look at a lot of the images, it might be a way to hide plumbing. A necessity if you are remodeling a historic home/building and trying to squeeze modern features into fixed spaces or working with barriers to hiding plumbing in walls. It’s the sign of a design working to elevate function as well as create new utility.
I lurve a good ledge, but they usually take up a few inches of floor space so you have to take that into consideration.
I’m team long niche with same tile – here is one I designed for my last house that is kinda perfect:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/4362930866032806/
I’m team anything. I’m not passionate one way or the other. As long as the materials are pretty, I like ’em! We just installed 2 in a new master, and I had wanted to use large-scale arabesque tile somewhere in our renovation (been in love ever since EHD spanish inspired kitchen from eons ago!), but I just never found a good use for it in other locations (nor could I find large scale tiles within our price range)…enter the niche! My last opportunity to use some kind of tile…so I decided on arabesque in there just because I could. It brings me joy, and looks pretty. All that to say — nothing — there was no point to that.
I do love all of the examples shown of the ledge though!
Well I’m making a comment even though mine never seem to show up. :((
So many bathrooms are small and the niche can be built between the studs. Comments about to tile it are right on. I love the ledge but it has to be built out so takes up floor space. I suggested in Emily’s ledge in Mountain house to put it under the shower head because her shower was long. Great post!
I don’t feel strongly either way, I think they both look nice. The problem with a ledge, I would think, is that I would be compelled to add more too it because there’s so much space, which just increases clutter. The niche keeps things contained nicely. The sweet spot is to have a wall hidden from view to tuck the niche into so it’s not right in your face when you look at the shower. I do also have to comment (which seems a bit silly but I’m passionate about it and you brought it up) that I’m one of those rare folks who uses conditioner for shaving, and it is a game changer! One less bottle and it serves the same exact purpose! Win-win!
Interesting…I also have some friends who do this (well, one) and I tried it once and yeah….it worked out well. Plus, I ALWAYS have more conditioner than I tend to have shampoo, so maybe I should just make this a habit to use up all that spare conditioner I usually end up hoarding until I decide to ditch.
I’m leaning more team niche. But with a couple caveats. First I think it is important that you make the bottom of your niche a smooth solid surface (ie marble or quartz) rather than tile. I used white subway and did not heed this advise and therefore it is much harder to clean. Also I’m not a big fan of putting a different (often a mosaic) tile on the back wall of the niche. Like you I don’t like the pretty tile to be broken up with somewhat jarring (to me) intrusions. The reason I like the niche is I think it corrals all that stuff in one spot and sets limits on the amount of product you can accumulate. We have a niche and also a ledge in our shower. I call it ledge creep when the bottles spill out of the niche and onto the ledge. The ledge is a knee wall with glass on top. The ledge is visible from the hallway whereas the niche is not. So it looks a lot messier to have all those bottles on the ledge instead of tucked away into the niche. I think what it comes down to is you… Read more »
You wrote this at the EXACT MOMENT I was making this exact decision. I was meeting with contractor this morning and said “no niche! Bench!” So now I am on the hunt for a nice slab of granite to use as a ledge/bench. Cant’ do a full Bench as it will mess with the drainage tray for the shower floor…water drain at back of shower. The soap crud and buildup in my daughters niche is gross. And, I just can’t fit all my tall bottles in the niche. SO, Bench it is!
My ears must have been ringing a few days back when we decided to go live with this post today. Glad to help!
I love the ledge look, and the idea of more built-in storage space, but I would love to hear about how the ledge concept is actually built in? When doing our niche space, our contractor said it was only possible to do in the “cavity” space in between the 2x4s in the wall. How would a ledge realistically be inset into the wall? I can see in some of the pictures in the post that it is really sort of a build out of the wall vs. a true inset ledge…but while I love the look, I just don’t understand how it’s possible! Please help me! 🙂
A ledge is not inset, it is built out.
We just updated our bathroom. Here’s what we did and what I would totally do again:
* One long niche on the shower head wall, chest height. Plenty of space for larger bottles. I am 100 percent on board with Team Niche.
* Controls on the opposite wall where you walk into the shower. Emily is 100 percent right on this one: put those controls where the door is, not under the shower head!!
* A separate corner “bench” for shaving legs. This has already added joy to my life.
We did put contrasting tile on the back of the niche, but it’s the same tile from the floor of the shower, which is beautiful marble hexagons. We couldn’t bear to waste it.
Team Niche for space reasons. Our niche has contrasting tile (gasp!) but it’s a nice twist on the shower trim tile (Spanish bungalow, with Malibu-style tile trim), so it works for us.
Sounds gorgeous — my dream house!
Putting the handle trim in the entrance to your shower (instead of on the further wall where the showerhead)?? Why doesn’t EVERY builder, designer, homeowner do this???
RIGHT?!?
We are transplants to (freezing cold!) Buffalo, NY… We redid our bathroom this summer and our contractor warned us against niches because of Buffalo’s winter temps. Because there’s often no room for insulation behind the niche, he’s seen people’s niche’s get icy and has had tiles pop out from the cold. We were stunned (and now paranoid of winters here).
Ha! I am in Canada (read effing COLD) and our contractor said the same thing. Niches can only go on inside walls. Who wants frozen shampoo?
I believe it. My windshield wiper fluid froze to a solid block in that city once. Pro-tip for southerners driving north in winter… add anti-freeze to your wiper fluid or live to regret it;)
Just don’t put one on an exterior wall, and you won’t lose insulation. It’s not good to have an uninsulated spot in southern climes either, because it means losing energy when you’re using the air conditioning and, worse, it can change where the dew point occurs in your wall – meaning condensation inside your house.
YEP, LOVE THE LEDGE!!
LEEEDDGGEE. Literally my favorite part of my new house. I don’t think the space is really an issue because above the ledge it is open so it actually seems more spacious than an equivalent niche would be. Narrower by the feet, wider by the arms (where IMO it matters).
I adore the ledge if it must be visible, but prefer a niche if can be hidden from view from the rest of the bathroom. Plastic and labels ruin bathroom zen. I remove all the labels from my shower products (which looks lovely but confuses my boyfriend.)
I LOVE the niche in your bathroom … it’s a nice, quiet, clean spot for the eye to rest. It feels so fresh to me. Is it simply one large white tile? What material? Where did you get it? We are renovating our bathroom and I really want to replicate that look!
I’m totally team niche but I do like the idea of positioning the niche where it’s not visible from outside the shower. I like how a niche contains the products whereas on a shelf they could be spread out all across it in a messy way.
That WALK IN TUB with accordion doors! What? How? Love it.
AH! Dry stacked tile in a bathroom is a nightmare! It looks great, but think of all the gross stuff that gets between the cracks that you can never get out! I’m surprised someone found a tile installer to do it!
Hmm… I’m of the opinion that niche or ledge can look modern and fresh, depending so much on the space you have to work with. I don’t think the niche with contrasting tile looks dated. I think it’s the tile choices in some of those photos that look dated.
The HGTV show Flip or Flop always does accent tile in their niches. I always disagree with their choices. Why would anyone want to draw attention to their shampoo/conditioner bottles? I also think the stripe of accent tile going around the perimeter of the shower is a bad idea.
Can I be on both teams? I think a niche might work nicer in a more traditional bathroom whereas a ledge looks fab in more modern/ minimal settings. I think they’re both great options and it’s great to have options!
Contractor perspective weighing in here – the linear niches will cost you a lot more because they can’t fit them in between framing studs, so have to frame a special box for it. Not that big of a deal but worth a note for the more budget-minded readers.
My favorite line in this whole piece was: “like wet jeans, harder to pull off” ha ha ha!
Great point, thank you Julie!
Also I’m 200% team conditioner is awesome for shaving legs. And against contrasting tile in niches. FWIW I have a ledge in my 1930’s bath and it’s convenient for leg shaving and stuff—but there’s so so much stuff on that ledge (shared with a 5yo). I’d love to do a big hidden ledge in my imaginary someday master suite remodel… sigh.
Thanks for the tip, Julie!
(Actually, keep them coming… Would be interested in other thought processes of contractors with the various style/renovation recommendations. Found it super interesting in the comments above about the folks who got tired of fighting for things. Would love to know which things are hard to fight for!)
I only ever seem to work on small bathrooms and clients only ever seem to want niches. Agree wholeheartedly with the tiling comments in the post re contrasting tile and tiling layout. And I’m cool with a nice niche if it can fit into the space and be inset without losing space in the room. However, it’s happened multiple times that people want to build out the whole wall just to incorporate a small storage niche and it blows my mind. When I re-do my own small bathroom some day, when my husband capitulates, if there’s no way to fit a niche (or a ledge) without losing square footage, then I’m just going to install….. A SHELF!
Bravo! A SHELF! Would be lovely in 1cm thick marble with marble struts for support.
I like the ledge more but niche is fine too
Agreed! I have never accented the shower niche in my projects – and I’m not sure I understand the impulse. Why draw attention to your shampoo bottles? I too am loving the ledge!
We remodeled our master bath a couple of years ago, and definitely wanted a niche, but wanted it to not be visible from outside the shower. I also use the large bottles of shampoo so need it to be big enough. What we ended up with is a niche that is 13 inches tall by 28 inches wide with a granite slab as the base, tilted ever so slightly so that the water mostly runs off. It is gorgeous and works perfectly for us!!
Ledge!
I actually measured my gigantic Redken shampoo bottle with the pump in it to give my tile guy a measurement.
That’s real life, though! I see the design team doing that kind of stuff all the time and makes total sense!