Your 2” ledge may be fine as a toe rest. I think things would mostly hang over the edge if you used it as a product ledge, though though. I used a corner grab bar/shelf for my foot rest and it works to hold 3 bottles, as well.Invisia Corner Shelf and Grab Bar

So glad you replied, @Nancy in Mich. I know you thoroughly planned your bathroom remodel. Thanks for the link. I hadn't come across these shelves before. I've seen the metal ones from Schluter and another less expensive brand but the idea of an integrated grab bar makes so much sense. How are these shelves attached to the shower? Btw, you went with Swanstone for your shower, right? I'm in Canada and can't seem to find a local dealer. Wayfair dot ca has their shower panels (and kitchen sinks) but I wouldn't order something like this online without seeing it in person first. A grout-less shower that's easy to clean is certainly my dream though. :)

I didn’t want a niche in our guest bath and decided to go with the Schluter corner shelves for our upcoming remodel after seeing them in our tile showroom. They are a smidge utilitarian looking, but felt extremely sturdy and the slotted surface should make cleaning a breeze - no more scrubbing the underside of shampoo bottles.

The one I posted is essentially a grab bar. My builder put a 2x6 board between the studs to screw into. That Invisia brand has a series of grab bars that don’t look like grab bars. One is a big circle that you would mount around the shower control valve. My shower is made by Transolid, which is similar to Corian or Swanstone and I bought it after only seeing a 6”x6” square of it. And pictures.

That is one difficulty with solid surface, it is hard to find them in showrooms, even if they do sell the product. Here, Lowe’s can order Swanstone wall kits, but may have no display anywhere indicating that they do. One of the plumbing showrooms I bought parts from actually had 2 ft square samples of the newer line of Swanstone colors like “Tundra,” “Ice,” and other cloudy swirl patterns. They kept them shoved in the corner next to a display and you would never know they sold Swanstone if you did not ask. I was planning on Swanstone, but they only went to 36” deep. I found a wheelchair accessible set that was 37.75” deep from Transolid. In case I ever need a wheelchair, I wanted every inch I could get!

So, you may end up never seeing your shower in person before ordering. If you want a simple white, that won’t be so bad. Have you tried going to the Swanstone site and looking for suppliers in Canada? I bet they do have some.

I put shelves of about 4" deep along the back wall, high, out of the way of the spray in both. They are solid surface, I put a drain hole in one of them.

Aargh, just lost post. check out Kohler choreograph accessories, they have a ”barre” in several lenths that is a great grab bar and shelf, they also have an accessory shelf that mounts on pins so it can be removed for cleaning. holds quite a few bottles of shampoo, etc. https://www.us.kohler.com/us/choreograph-21-in-floating-shower-shelf/productDetail/shelving/1096452.htm?skuId=1096428&brandId=1121500

The barre https://www.us.kohler.com/us/choreograph-24-in-shower-barre/productDetail/accessories-grab-bars/1094302.htm?skuId=1094288&brandId=1121500

Thank you so much for the additional info, @Nancy in Mich. Didn't recall the Invisia products. Clever solution melding storage and support!

Transolid. Yes, now I recall, thanks. You're still super pleased with it? All their online retailers are US-based. I'll keep researching. Their site mentions installing over existing tile. Not an option I'd choose with my tiled shower but otherwise, it's directly on studs, I imagine? The Swanstone website has nothing about Cdn retailers either.

@palimpsest, thanks so much for chiming in. I recall you also planned your shower thoroughly. How long are the shelves? Is your shower tiled? Nice to see your name around here again, btw. :)

Yesterday, I found this pic on Rue magazine. Just one shelf. Simple for product storage but doesn't solve the footrest issue. And of course, I know that such shelves look best bare or good styled. My everyday will be visual clutter. :P Would low shelves on the shower fixtures side make sense?

H B, thank you for the links. If I recall correctly, Kohler is discontinuing Choreograph but perhaps the accessories will be an option for a while.

Very helpful info, @palimpsest! The coving is something I want as well. This kind of details is how you end up with an easy to maintain bathroom and not one that makes you curse every time you clean it. These details are well worth the time and effort, imo. I am redoing ours for function first. Utilitarian is exactly my goal. I know Schluter has coved metal profiles. Haven't priced them yet.

Yes, I am still loving the Transolid shower after three years. It is the easiest bathroom I have ever had for keeping clean. The worst I get is some pink mildew growth in the grooved grid on the floor, and a spritz of Scrubbing Bubbles or Force of Nature (e+ water) takes care of it. Transolid makes two kinds of walls. The regular, 1/4 solid surface sheets need to be glued to a surface, so need walls behind them. Those are the ones that you can put over old tile. They also make those walls attached to an aluminum mesh that is maybe 1/2 inch thick. It gives the walls some stiffness, I guess, and the mesh can adhere really well to a thick application of adhesive on the studs. Or maybe there are fasteners to the studs, I don't remember. This version requires that the studs be precisely placed.

I am so sorry that Swanstone does not distribute in Canada! Seems stupid. Have you tried Corian? Kohler stopped making their Choreograph and replaced it with another product. Neither are solid surface, I think. Choreograph was Lexan or Fiberglass, or other hard plastic.

Pal, I think your shelf is elegant in its simplicity and coved detail!

Yes, we have one choreograph walled alcove above a bath; I'm happy with it but wouldn't necessarily recommend it. However -- the shower "barre" is terrific and we used it and the removeable shelf in another shower. It's so solid as a grab bar if needed, and the flat 'barre' holds soap shampoo, etc. and comes in various lengths (so could be mounted at foot level or hand grab level). Here's photos from Kohler's website.

This is what we did. Haven't used the shower yet, but I think I like it, lol

@laurenn07, your picture didn't post. Would you be so kind as to try again please? I'd love to see. Thanks!

Woops, here it is!

I used corner shelves rated for grab bar use. Your contractor should be able to install them for that function. I put in two... They're not fancy, but not obnoxious either.. the bars also keep products from "walking" off the shelves. I found these at Home Depot.

I'll post a photo later... I'm not home right now.

Along the lines of what I was planning, @laurenn07. Thanks for posting. Would you be able to share dimensions of elements too? Shower size, wall tile size and shelves? Also, the space between shelves? I see your shelves are the same material as your curb. Is that marble? How are the shelves installed? (So many details in a shower!) What waterproofing system did your contractor use? Any other additional details you can share of your shower build would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance.

@tartanmeup shower is 4x5(ish), wall tile is 8x24. I'm not positive on the shelf size or material...there wasn't a range of sizes at the local tile store, but they are grouted in between the tiles. Sry not sure of the specifics as I wasn't there for installation. The curb was bought at Floor and Decor and was pretty cheap, about $40 for 2 slabs so guessing it's not real marble! Few sidenotes: I wish we would've done 8 shelves for a more proportionate look. Fiberglass was sprayed several weeks prior to tile install. Wish we would've went lighter on wall grout since it dried splotchy

Thanks so much for sharing the additional details, @laurenn07.

I wish we would've done 8 shelves for a more proportionate look. Fiberglass was sprayed several weeks prior to tile install. Wish we would've went lighter on wall grout since it dried splotchy

You mean 4 shelves on each side? Three on each is proportional and they look plenty spacious. I'm sure you'll be happy with the storage. Can you explain "fiberglass was sprayed"? I don't know what that means in a shower install. Any idea about the reason beyond the splotchy grout drying? That must be a bit disappointing.

Splotchy grout can happen for a couple of reasons, one being that it was not mixed well enough. I think it can happen if the grout is too wet, too (but not entirely sure on that one!).

@tartanmeup - checking in to see what you decided re: corner shelves or one longer shelf.

I want to add a shelf like you posted in my guest bathroom - on the wall across from the showerhead - out of the spray line (this is a tub/shower combo). If I was doing this in a larger walk-in shower, I would just have a false wall built on the lower part so it would be a ledge.

However, it’s a tub/shower combo so that’s not happening.

I decided against a niche (for a few different reasons) - decided to just add a few corner shelves since it’s a guest bathroom.

HOWEVER, after I saw this, I’ve wanted a shelf:

I was told to use Mapei Flexcolor CQ grout in order to avoid any inconsistent color issues.

@palimpsest - is your shelf just held by the tiles above/below? Was it custom made for you? Last Q - how thick is it?

@laurenn07 - your shower looks nice!

@tartanmeup - one more question - did you decide to use a Godmorgon vanity? I bought one to use in my guest bathroom but am still trying to figure out whether it will be too difficult to do the plumbing with an undermounted sink.

It's held up by the tile. It was custom made out of 1/2" material and has a coved top so is 1" thick on the back and side edge where it is set into the tile. It has a drain hole in the corner.

@dmac110 are you using the ikea top.pr your own sink top? The plumbing wasn't bad with the ikea sink as the parts are all made for each other.