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I had a combination of one large niche and one small niche and it works beautifully. I used to buy really large bottles of shampoo and conditioner. The small niche has two sections and the large niche is just very tall. I like that things are out of sight. I have them on the opposite side from the shower head. I also have a bench. There is no issue keeping clean. I use my hand shower to rinse it down after each use and I squeegee the door and bench.
My contractor was certified to install the Schulter waterproofing system. He explained how much better it is than mud. He told me using a mud pan (or whatever they call it) would last about 20 years and what he did was good for 50. I also had him use it with all the tile in the bathrooms and kitchen. He said the tile work he did will outlast my house. I used travertine.
My shower and flooring is sealed (though around 2027 I will need to have it resealed).
however in my view what is even better (I saw this in an Air BnB i stayed at in the mountains)
in the shower is a very wide sit-down bench area. I love being able to sit in shower. And with sit down bench, neither the niche or the shelf is needed at all. Products can be brought in and out and placed and used on the bench.
to me, that looks cleanest and neatest of all and is very functional. and is much easier to keep clean.
i don't like the look of clutter, including clutter in the shower or bath. I'd rather have a caddy or tote with handle that i can take in and out of the shower, and when not in use put somewhere else. Like in a cupboard under the sink or elsewhere.
and in response to question in OP yes i think shelves look tacky and cheap.
Oh yes! A couple of houses ago we re-did our master bath and put in a solid bench in and it was lovely. We also had a niche in the wall (it was a very large shower) and it was by far my favorite bathroom ever. The bathtub was separate and that was a real treat too
Suggestion:
Particularly in cold climates, keep the niche on an interior wall.
A niche on an exterior wall can compromise the insulation value. IF exterior is the only choice, foam insulation behind it is a good idea.
Well fwiw all the walls are interior so no issues with that.
I remember in our previous home when we remodeled we had a ledge/bench which looked nice but was never used. We also had corner shelves built in which were used. I'm thinking that we could have possibly used the bench for the products but it never occurred to us.
I wonder if a teak bench ( like I could pick up at Homegoods for $under 100 might be the way to go and I will still think about the grab bars with the shelves. We definitely are getting proper grab bars ....
Couple weeks ago I put a teak fold down seat in mine. We didn't want to sacrifice the room for a proper seat when we built it, but bad knees pretty well demand it now.
Good instructions, install was quite easy. Only issue was the screws they send are crap and strip out easily. So add a buck and half for decent stainless steel screws from the hardware store.
My shower was already here when I bought this house. Right now I have this gizmo, which is fine for my purposes, cost $24 on sale back in 2017, and doesn't take up much if any room in the corner of the shower. Water drips out of the shelves by design, so it doesn't need much if any cleaning.
But if I was building a shower, instead of a niche or shelf I'd probably put a 4' long, 22" high built in tile bench in it with a nearby grab bar for standing up. Then I'd just keep my shampoo and so on at the end of the bench.
As for grab bars: I have two very sturdy grab bars in my shower, one vertical and 2 feet long that is right next to the shower door (helpful for getting over the 2" threshold without tripping on it), and one 3-4 foot long horizontal on the opposite wall that is great for standing up from my shower stool.
My contractor was certified to install the Schulter waterproofing system. He explained how much better it is than mud. He told me using a mud pan (or whatever they call it) would last about 20 years and what he did was good for 50. I also had him use it with all the tile in the bathrooms and kitchen. He said the tile work he did will outlast my house. I used travertine.
Yeah, the Schluter system is incredibly good. Used that when I did my shower/tub area back in 2005 and it was so nice to work with.
When I built our shower I used these two of these shelves instead of a wall niche because I liked the look and thought the 'grab bar' feature might be handy one day.
I made this choice before framing the alcove, so the blocking was in place for the screws. I'd never count on these to hold any weight (for safety) unless unless they were screwed into the framing.
This, is actually a very smart option. Thank you for posting.
EDIT: Had an "in-wall" niche put in when I had the primary bath redone. The mistake I made with it is that I had it put in a bit "too high." I should have put a lower niche in for ADA use. Maybe I'll add a lower one on a different wall.
OP~ When you have your niche installed, be sure to have a 2-3 degree angle put into the shelf. Not enough for bottles to fall out, but enough for water to drain out. Not even noticeable.
Last edited by NORTY FLATZ; 11-01-2023 at 10:03 PM..
Reason: Add'l info
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I used travertine.
