I'm confused on this as well - anyone have feedback? We haven't figured out what we want, but DH is leaning towards shelves because he thinks an inset niche will either pool water or dump everything towards the floor. I see his point, but I think a niche will look nicer and you don't have to worry about bumping into it.

I posted awhile ago about my inset vintage soap dish, keep or no? I'm going for a vintage look, tub/shower will have subway tile.

I decided that since it's big and clunky and catches water and is generally a mess to clean, I will not use it. I like period style, but not if it's impractical.

I was pointed in the direction of a line of accessories with the name of Ginger. I did a search and they have some really nice bath accessories that are not built-in.

HTH

I hate shower soap dishes. They get wet and the soap melts. There are some fancy 3 or 4 wall dispenser models that adhere to the wall and you fill them will shampoo, conditioner, any kind of liquid soap, and whatever. The stuff never gets wet, you press a button the stuff comes out into your hand and if you want keep presssing.

And with one of those plastic scrungi's or loofahs you will get copious amounts of suds.

I told my contractor on my new shower if he wants an indention, then put one in with a device that holds one or two razors--kind of like his and hers--and of course the bench seat if you can fit it. Great for washing feet, great for women shaving their legs, great for clipping toe nails--as your nails are softened from the water and they just go down the drain.

Greg

I went with corner 2 corners shelves. One smaller than the other. I figure one for soap and the other for razor and back scrubby thing.

I like the inset niches. Our shampoo and razors stay put. Only the soap slips out, so I keep it in a little plastic soap dish on the niche's shelf. We used the ones by the company "Recess-It". They are a prefab product that the tile goes on top of, and the bottom surface has the perfect sloped angle. I recommend them highly. I don't like corner shelves because you can knock against them, and once our cleaning lady chipped ours when she dropped the handheld shower head against it. I also think the niche is a cleaner look.

I've done both. The ceramic pre-fab corner caddies are OK for subway tile or traditional 4" tile, the soap doesn't slide out and they have a drip cutout.....aside that, I think they generally look cheap. For a porcelain or stone-type shower, I generally fabricate a corner shelf out of marble or granite and set it into the tile. Some tile stores sell these and they don't look bad....but, as was said, they provide an obsticle that can be chipped or broken.

Niches look the best, don't protrude into the shower and are the hardest/most expensive to fabricate. There are "ready made" ones that you can tile on and they do have a slope built into them (as should the ones you fabricate) so there is no collecting water. Here is one I fabricated for a houseboat shower.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/Lazarus/BoatTile009-1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/Lazarus/BoatTile019.jpg[/IMG]

And one I did in a "Subway Tile" shower (walls not grouted yet)

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/Lazarus/kerdishowerpics005.jpg[/IMG]

Hmm....try again.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/Lazarus/BoatTile009-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/Lazarus/BoatTile019.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/Lazarus/kerdishowerpics005.jpg

OK....got it figured out now. (senior moment)

I prefer inset niches because they don't protrude into the space, look more "finished" instead of added-on (IMO), and hold more. We've used Swanstone niches in a couple showers (one with Swanstone walls, one with tile walls) and absolutely love them. They come in a wide range of colors and have no problems with water pooling or soap getting soggy.
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