Our niche is small tiles, but our guy used our bullnose tiles for the edges, just because I thought that looked less busy. I didn't want a shelf. Do you want a shelf? Because the first picture you show doesn't have one. The second picture is different - the wall tile is notched out for the shelf on the bottom - it seems that it would be much easier to do the tile like you're asking for.

As for the curb, we were given the choice and I wanted it to match the floor, like you are asking. He didn't give me any hesitation about that at all.

My wife had our tile guy put 4 of these in our latest shower install. They're made of a solid surface material (Corian), to match the tile. She's got one with a hole in it for her razor. Used these in a previous shower and really liked them.

We don't have a niche, but we do have 3 corner shelves, all tiled. Water doesn't seem to be a problem. Maybe the grout was sealed? The shower was here when we purchased 2 years ago. We had to replace the cracked tile bottom shelf with solid granite because we couldn't find 30 year old tiles to match what was there and since it's in the master and nobody but us sees it, we opted for granite.

I think it is easier for your installer and more sound of a surface to use a solid surface as your horizontal niche floor and shelf. We did a white subway tile tub surround and the 'floor' of our niche is a piece of marble. But we're DIYers and I was trying to be kind to my DH.

I'm sure there are pros here who could do it and do it well, given the right waterproofing underneath and setting the niche's 'floor' tile on an angle so water rolls forward. Remember grout alone is not waterproof. I feel like if your guy is telling you he can't do it that way, he's nervous about it failing and just might be a limitation he has.

I have tiled niches in both bathrooms in FL. As long as they angle the bottom of the niche slightly (the pros can explain it better than I can), it shouldn't be a problem.

Don't know why the second one inserted horizontally.

If the niche is in the spray pattern of the shower head or within the rebound area of water bouncing of of the bather's body, yes, the niche will see water. And the grout will get wet. Just like the grout on your shower floor.

I build niches with a topical waterproofing, so the only things that can get "wet" are the tile, the grout, and the thinset that bonds the tile to the membrane. They'll dry out. And even though they can get wet, water can't penetrate through to get to the shower's structure or substrate due to the waterproof membrane right behind the tile.

With a properly detailed niche, you shouldn't get any water damage.

Goop? As cindywhitall wrote, if your niche grout is wet, and you use lotions and potions that tend to gunk things up? Then your grout can get a bit nasty. But it's nothing a once-in-a-while scrubbing won't cure.

Do make sure the shelving in the niche is sloped to drain into the shower.

Do make sure that your tiled curb is sloped to drain into the shower. With proper detailing, no water will get through to the curb structure below the membrane. I build my curbs from mud, so even if water got through to the mud it won't cause any swelling. A curb with a wood core? If wet, the wood may swell and blow the curb apart.

Be very careful with penetrations through the curb tile or grout. Any penetration must be sealed/waterproofed.

It's not uncommon for a beautifully built and properly detailed shower to be undone by a glass installer driving screws for glass clips or hinges through the curb membrane, not properly sealing it, and allowing a path for water into the shower structure.

Good luck with your project!

kiwigem, You want a tile niche & tile curb. Why would you want to pay someone for what you don't want? Both would be set level with a pitch to the inside of the shower. Yes there are grout joints and yes it's your shower. A professionals job is to get you what you want and have it function as intended.

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What Mongo said.

Oh and you might need a new tiler who knows how to properly waterproof.

Wow, for a second I thought I was seeing my own niche, except the one in your example has tiles laid out more symmetrically.

Here's mine. It's at the opposite end of the tub/shower alcove than the shower head. Water from the shower head is not making it back that far. The wettest it gets is from a little steam or my wet hand groping for the conditioner with shampoo running down my face. The surface on which the bottles sit is ever so slightly angled down, not enough to notice, but just enough to let water run out.

Ours is done like that and like linelle, we find that it only gets really wet when we clean it. Before it was tiled, I painted it with this green waterproofing stuff that someone on here recommended. I painted it around the window sill that was also tiled.

they just finished tearing apart our wall and it was clear and dry underneath so whatever it was seemed to have worked. Sorry I can't remember the name of the stuff. Maybe someone else more knowledgeable will chime in.

Maybe it was called Redguard? But I distinctly remember it being green when I painted it on.

I like the edging that linelle's has. I also like the stone in cpartist's. I agree, if your guy is not sure he can waterproof it, use a different guy, or choose what he can do well.

I'm with the tiler.

I like the LOOK of the solid smidge of granite as the base of the niche. It seems more sturdy, less likely to shelter mold or become leaky. Once you set items upon the shelves, it won't show much anyway.

Cindy, thanks! I used quarter round instead of bullnose around the shower perimeter and I like the finish it gives.

The tile man knows of what he speaks.

thank you Cindy. Our tile guy was fantastic. We have the onyx tile on the floor too. He pulled every one off the backing and hand set it into the floor because he said if he just butted the sheets together I'd see the lines where he butted them up against one another.

Linelle - I love your niche!!

I'm kind of late in responding to this post, but wanted to chime in because I am having the exact problem that Mongo described about the shower curb expanding. My bathroom was remodeled (I think) about 8 years ago by the PO. It was tiled with the floor tile and matches the tile in the shower floor. At some point water got into the wood through the grout, and the curb began 'blowing up' from the inside out. Of course where there's water, there's mold and it has caused major problems . Since I don't have any of the tile the PO used, my options were to slap some grout over it as a temporary fix or redo the whole thing. I've always hated this bathroom so I chose to bite the bullet and renovate. For this reason, I'm doing a stone curb and stone ledge in niche. Also, I really love the stone remnant I found, so am excited to use it throughout my bathroom and not just on the vanity.

Good luck!

"A professionals job is to get you what you want and have it function as intended."

There has to be a meeting of the minds. I have to believe in the details I leave on my job, yes it's your house but it's my job, or I won't do it for any amount of money.

Waterproofing, waterproofing, waterproofing...

Would you prefer a solid surface like Quartz in white vs the marble? Maybe this is more a design choice -- if there is no other marble then having it in niche would look terrible IMO. And I would go w/bigger niche or two smaller vs one w shelf if you need more room...

PS--that example of the subway w/marble shelf is not good example of tile work to me.

Top shelf should be at joint line and grouting looks very uneven...don't know if it's your guy's work or not...

I like the look of the second image better -- but you are the owner. I will say that the grout in the first image will be harder to keep clean on your end, but again, you are the owner.