Are you advocating substance over style?

Why...how DARE you!

lol

Too often I've had people that demand the latest trend or the latest fad over what they actually find more useful. Kitchens...bathrooms...I find it sort of sad.

They usually already know what they like and what works for them. And if they don't, after quite a bit of discussion over a pad of paper, we can nail down a very effective lifestyle design that gives them everything that they really need. A design that works for them.

But it may not always give them what they want. Which with a few folks, including a couple I just worked with, is something to impress their internet friends.

On a personal note, I'm the opposite of you. And not just because of my blatantly obvious superior choice when it comes to supporting an NHL hockey team. lol

I really liked the recessed nature of a shower niche. But for me it has to be a large niche. Small niches with limited space are atrocious in my book. I dislike things that project into the shower like corner shelves, etc. I really dislike wire shelving simply because something always seems to fall through the wires, or gets wedged between the wires, or an open bottle tips over due to uneven support.

Niches, built-in shelves, aftermarket shelves, etc...different strokes for different folks. But thank goodness for variety.

All I ask is for people to embrace what works for them. That people have the courage to build for themselves and not for their friends.

Same with designers. I know a couple of "one-trick pony" designers. They design the same way for every client regardless of how different the clients' personalities or needs happen to be.

I stay in a lot of hotels, and hotels have helped me refine what I like and what I dislike about a lot of things. Matter of fact, I need to call my wife on her cellphone even though she's just in the other room. I need a beverage! Time for some room service!

My personal preference is a shelf that is high enough to stay dry. Typically across the shorter back end of the shower area.

My preference is for a small niche or two. The products can't get out of hand that way. One liquid soap, one shampoo, one conditioner, and that's it! I find it makes me use one bottle up before getting another, but I'm also at an age where I'm not that experimental in this category-- just going with what I know works. I also don't like things that protrude for the same reasons as above.

aren't the niches hard to clean, with water sitting inside them? I worry about that. I have shelves and don't like them b/c I think they're ugly. Don't like wire shelves b/c things fall through, I'm watching this thread b/c shower remodel is next and I really don't know what to do for holding soap/shampoo, etc.

bossyvossy, if I can find a picture, I'll post one of the shower in my previous home. We got the idea at a Marriott hotel and always liked it (for the 7 or 8 years we lived with it). If I can't find a picture, I'll try to sketch it for you. It avoids both the cleaning/pooling water issue of the niche and the problems you mentioned regarding wire shelves.

Had the ledges/shelves at the old house and they were always a mess.
Now using the suction wire baskets and am a big fan! If the soap is small enough to fall through it's time for new soap;-)

Sj,
In the meantime, can you describe it? I'm intrigued.

I guess much has to do where the niche or shelf is located, as well as the shower head and spray pattern.

Mine get some water, but not a lot, but the shelves are pitched for drainage.

Never have had a gunk issue.

I spec custom shelves a 4-5 inches deep and almost full width made of marble or solid surface--something that matches mounted high enough that spray can't hit it. I find the corner type made out of cultured marble or ceramic pretty useless with things falling off.

Wondering about the ledges you talk about. Are they projecting out from the tile wall or recessed? I have been looking at recessed ledges - very wide but recessed. Wondering how they are constructed since they would not fit between studs. It seems like they would require special framing to take the load? Just wondering.

numbersjunkie, my ledge projected out from the wall 3' x 3' x 4".

Mongoct, I say this with all due sincerity....

Our niches don't get grungy (I do clean the bathrooms every week to two weeks at most). There might be a little bit of gunk (shave gel residue) under my razor if I haven't rinsed it after shaving, but that's about it. The niche floors and shelves are pitched slightly to facilitate drainage (imperceptibly so; bottles aren't at risk of toppling).

We planned our niches based on our storage needs in the tubs/showers, and the tile shapes/sizes where the niches would be located.

Here's to seeing you in the finals!

I can dream :-)

I had a long niche put in and the carpenter put in a header. I went through 2 studs. Niche is about 44" long. I get frustrated that water gets in there. I wipe it down after ever shower to prevent risk of mold at the caulking. Lots of times I use a small folding step stool to hold all my stuff at the far end of the shower so I don't have to move bottles to wipe around in the niche. If I were to do over I'd like a niche outside the spray zone or not at all. I didn't have a choice for location. Overall it is too labor intensive for me. I do like the look though.

Thank you for this! I thought I was team niche for the shower in our master bath. Now I just took some time to look at a few ledges on Houzz and think I'm converted.

Something like this will be perfect in our small shower:

I also like the idea of two ledges for shaving. Do you mean something like this?

I did a niche on the shower wall that has the shower head. I ordered a shower arm that comes out a bit more than standard so the water will be projected closer to the back wall and will not be as close to the niche. Although the niche is tiled the bottom is solid marble as I did not want to clean grout on the shelf part.

That last one looks more like a bench and a ledge, which I like :)

Ours was very much like the top picture but it was on the long wall (and therefore not the full length of the wall).

I'm wondering how something like this corner grab bar shelf would work.

I'm trying to do double duty.

Here is a link that might be useful: corner grab bar shelf

How about a grab bar

Here is a link that might be useful: moen grab bar

Very useful discussion - I am about to have a new shower built, now I have some ideas for the details.

I have a niche in the short end of my tub/shower alcove, away from the water end. It's big enough for the things I use. Any larger and it would just attract more stuff. It doesn't intrude into the space. The shower curtain gets pulled to one side when not in use and effectively obscures the niche and its contents from sight.

Most tile setters are clever enough to give the slightest forward pitch to the bottom of the niche so that water drains out and doesn't sit there. In reality the only water that gets in the niche is from my wet hand.

I have a new all-Onyx remodeled bathroom, and I have a ledge-like thing in my shower. They call it a shelf.

I got the wide one and had it installed about eye-ball-high on the opposite end from the shower head. It doesn't get wet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Onyx shower shelf

I like both niches and having a ledge for shaving. But the niches do need to be up far enough and out of the way of shower spray to keep them from getting gunky. I've found that behind the shower spray doesn't cut it and I hate the corner things that aren't really 'niches'. Had one in a former shower. Also they need to be big enough to put most things actually in them, including tall bottles, with shorter things and razors on an upper shelf within the niche. The lower ledge for shaving should also be out of the way and not so big as to obstruct a person standing under the shower. Good examples, Eureka.

I have four, I only wanted the two that couldn't be seen upon entering the room but the tilers and carpenter kind of talked me into two more. I wanted one big long one between studs, up high and out of the spray zone. Two I have are out of the zone and the other two get blasted.

Had a ledge - tended to collect too many bottles on it, so I put in a niche hopefully out of shower spray area. Keep wondering if there was a better place or design.

Stayed at a friends, she used a grab bar to hold shampoo, soap & conditioner. They were just sitting on top of the bar. Maybe not most attractive, but kept things accessible and very easy to clean. Just could not use too small of a bottle, it would slip through.

I'm surprised to find that some GWers don't like niches! I'm happy as long as there is something within easy reach to put my stuff. Visually I like niches or ledges, but it's tricky to put a ledge somewhere easily accessible that doesn't get bumped. I'm surprised how many showers have ledges far away or nothing at all - just balance stuff on the tub ledge.

In looking for a picture of the kitchen, I came across this picture of the ledge in the shower in our previous home. I loved this setup (although I could have happily lived without the bench or the body sprays)

I'm all about the small niches, myself. I don't want to look at a bunch of random bottles (I'm one of those people that can't stop myself from reading things even if I already know what they say) and the colors of so many containers designed to grab your eye on the retail shelf are jarring. The past few years, we've gotten down to one shampoo, one conditioner, one liquid soap and a razor, so don't need much space. It can be one of those situations where the "stuff" expands to fill the space available!