Restoration Hardware makes several nice wire baskets (screw - in). We've selected these so as to avoid (or at least minimize) the inevitability of soapscum!

HTH

I added one of the wire units (Motiv brand - made by Ginger I think, I got it at HD Expo) to the kids' shower -- the one that was not being remodeled. It's the screw-in kind, and it's perfect. I wish I had gotten a bigger one (I just got the triangular corner one).

I have slightly high ceilings, and I had a really hard time finding a floor-to-ceiling wire unit.

At first, the only one I could find was from Frontgate, and it was more than $100!!!!

Then I found one at Bed Bath & Beyond that could be made long enough to reach all the way.

It's definitely sturdy enough. And the price was right--under $30.

I think the wire pole has more visual clutter. That's about the only drawback, I think. And they don't look high-end. Were I starting from scratch, given that my home is mid to high range in my neighborhood, I'd probably try to do something more permanent, less "jury rigged" looking.

I sometimes consider getting a wall-mounted dispenser instead.

My sis had a problem w/ all the shampoos falling on the floor all the time, bcs there were too many for the little niche, etc. I got her a 'The Dispenser," and encouraged her to tell her teens that they had to use the same brand of shampoo. I think that's what she did.

I plan to use both a chrome corner rack and the 4-bottle Ulti-mate dispenser (with space for pouf, razor, bar soap, etc.). If the dispenser suffices, I'm removing the rack. I didn't go with a niche simply because I don't really like them for some reason. I use a lot of conditioners at once, and was concerned about space.

We love our niche! On the top shelf there is room for shampoo/conditioner and my razor. On the bottom is room for bar soap. But after thinking about it, we decided to get a small soapdish (Crate & Barrel) to fit in the botttom, it's easier to clean.

Susan ~

I am not getting a niche built in. I will probably get a chrome soap dish and bottle holder by Ginger.
Donna

We used to have a series of shelves suspended on a tension rod. Over time it put too much pressure on the corner of one floor tile (12" marble) and it cracked. I don't think I'd ever do that again.

When it was clear we had water damage I can't tell you how guilty I was feeling about putting that *(^% thing that my husband didn't even want in there. Fortunately, the leak wasn't from that cracked tile but from a bad seal at the threashhold. ::whew!::

We have a shower in construction right now and are waffling around about a niche or screw-in chrome baskets which I suppose I'd be getting at Expo or Great Indoors.

I guess I'd go with the drain through baskets and my husband is more into the niche. He's the one who showers so I guess he'll get to make the call.

My father has wire baskets to hold shampoo bottles - and I hate them with a passion. The bottles often balance on just one or two wires and more often than not cannot keep the balance and fall out. So we opted for niches to hold bottles, just made sure that aquaboard in place of regular drywall is used before they get tiled and a slight slope is built in for proper drainage.

However, we will get a wire soap dish as that works much better for this slippery stuff than the niche would.

What about the prefab ones by Bonsal or Innovis? I'm in the market for something at the moment.

We have a corner "bench" in our current shower and will have a longer bench in our new shower. No one has ever sat on it to my knowledeg but this is where we pile all of our goods (I'm kinda a shampoo junkie.)