I know I've seen some sizable niches here in the past year or so. Do a search at the bottom of the page for niches and see what you can pull up. I'll post some pics of the niches in our three bathrooms. Our niche sizes/placements/orientations were based on various factors; shower storage needs, tile shape/size, behind the wall restrictions (pipes, wiring, studs....). Guest bathroom niche: Hall Bathroom niche: MB niche: HTH!

Be aware that the Bellwether has two types of tubs. At least last year they did. The original has a slanted front end as well as a back end. It looks great but reduces the bottom length of the tub. It also requires a longer spout to reach the drain hole. I imagine the plumbing would need reworked too to accommodate the atypical drain placement. Typical spout is something like 9" and the need for the original Bellwether is something like 11" to cl drain, if I remember correctly. The (new version) Bellwether is not a good height for soaking. Kohler considers the new Bellwether more of a builders model, as it can fit into a standard alcove setup, no special fixtures. I don't think it is as wide at the original version either. The 5' original Bellwether had one of the shortest lengths of any of ther 5' cast iron models. The new version, while shallow like the Villager, has one of the longest bottoms of the 5' lengths. I know you are looking at the 5.5' and so this may not matter to you. It would be best if you could sit in a tub or two to see how they fit. People regularly make a different decision once they sit in one and can get a feel for the dimensions. I have the (new version) Bellwether in the 5' length and love it, but it is not the primary bathroom. It is in a room that is more of a guest bathroom, and can be used for bathing small children and pets. It would also make a great tub for a tub/shower setup. I wanted a lower tub like the Villager. But I didn't like the looks of the Villager. I am very happy with my shallow Bellwether (new version)

My acrylic Bain Ultra air tub was set in a bed of mud with a piece of think plastic between the mud and tub. This was done for the ease of removing the tub if ever the need arises. It's as solid feeling on the bottom as my husband's Kohler cast iron tub. As for cleaning, that's a different story. You're not supposed to use anything abrasive on acrylic. Believe it or not, Scrubbing Bubbles is considered abrasive :( That's been my go to tub cleaner for years. To clean my acrylic tub RIGHT, I use Gel Gloss. It's a pain (literally!). You spray it on, let it sit, buff it and let it dry and then wipe the residue. When I'm in a pinch for time or physically limited, I will use Scrubbing Bubbles. There are very few non abrasive cleaners out there. One Bain Ultra suggested was Lemon scent Lysol. NOTHING works better than Scrubbing Bubbles!

In my Kohler cast iron shower pan, I use something called R.O.G.3 Its a spray. I can't remember how I came across it. Supposedly it is recommended by Kohler. It works well. I wash my light gray shower pan about once every 3 months. I am the only one using it and I don't go barefoot. So it stays very clean. I could wash it more often, but I can hardly tell the difference. I clean the walls about once or twice per year, because I wipe the entire shower down after every shower with a microfiber auto detailing towel that I got at The Rag Company. Wiping down everything prevents any build up of soap and keeps all areas from getting moldy. I turn my fan on, and run about 30 minutes, when I start my shower and have never had any mold issues in the bathroom. Nothing steams up. the towels I use for drying are: edgeless-avalanche-20-x-40-super-plush-drying-microfiber-towel I hang it over my glass shower door and it dries beautifully. When I wash the microfiber, I wash on hot water with only other microfiber products. You don't want to wash microfiber with cotton, etc, because the lint from these other fibers are believed to "clog" the grabbing capacity of the microfiber. I used a squeegee for a few months and hated the process. A towel is SO MUCH easier IMO.