Home Planning & Renovations

Your Tile Shower Needs a Niche

By Tiffany Smolick

3minutes

Your Tile Shower Needs a Niche

October 20, 2016

Conditioner, shampoo, body wash and shaving gel are just a few of the everyday products we love to keep handy in the shower. The problem is storing these must-haves in a way that still leaves your bathroom feeling clean and clutter-free.

This is why we make a point to talk about tile shower niches with visitors who come into our Manhattan showroom. A shower niche is an often-overlooked design element that can leave you feeling much happier about your bathroom remodel.

Benefits of a tile shower niche

Clients who opt for a niche see many advantages; the most obvious is storage. Who wants to see their bath products on the floor or unorganized in a corner? Not me. Niches give your shampoo, conditioner and other items a home.

Another advantage of opting for a niche is in the design. A shower niche can catch your eye and add flair to the shower while accentuating the bathroom’s overall look. It’s also a chance to repeat a unique tile or pattern used in the overall design. Want to make your niche a focal point? Try adding contrasting tiles.

Niches can be considered art in an otherwise empty space. When niches highlight a shower design, their seemingly understated presence gives the shower a bolder and more beautiful end result. When designing your niche, however, there are three important details to consider.

1. Location of the shower niche

Homeowners have flexibility to customize the location of the niche to the space. Looking for lots of storage? A niche can wrap around the wall, connecting to adjacent walls. Prefer something subtler? Position your niche on the smallest wall of your shower.

In addition to considering the wall placement of the niche, it’s also important to think about height. Be mindful of placing the niche at the right height from the floor so you won’t have to reach too high or low to use your bathroom products.

If you’re installing a niche in a shower/tub combination, position the niche so you can access bath products easily whether you’re taking a bath or a shower. In a family home, a slightly lower height will allow kids to reach everything safely.

2. Size of the tile shower niche

Once you decide on the location of your niche, it’s time to finalize the size of the cubby. Homeowners should measure the tallest of their favorite bath products and make the niche at least 1-inch taller. This way you can ensure everything fits perfectly in the new storage space.

3. Drainage for the shower niche

With water splashing all around, it’s no surprise that shower niches can hold moisture. To avoid creating a stagnant pool, make your niche angle forward so it sheds water properly. The niche tiles should tip out toward the shower and in the direction of the drain.

Niches are very versatile, and they look natural in just about any shower design. It’s a practical feature you’ll thank yourself for adding.

Home Planning & Renovations

Tiffany Smolick

In 2015, Tiffany was hired by MyHome to do the CAD drawings for the showroom renovation. Tiffany has been an Admin, Expeditor, office Manger, Showroom Manager and Designer at MyHome. She has acquired extensive knowledge of the daily operations and now applies this knowledge to her current position as Purchasing Manager. Working with design materials is one of her passions and anyone who has worked with her knows how her love of materials is a part of who she is.