Rachel, I'm glad you're happy w/your tile job. it's nice tile. However, I don't want someone looking on here for advice and thinking that is the correct way to do a niche.
I'm not saying this to be mean, but your tile setter didn't lay out this tile around the niche in a proper manner. Sorry.
With a busier, larger tile like you have, and the mosaic insert, he should have done a better job of lining up the niche within the larger tiles, AND doing a diff type of edge. What he did, cutting the larger tiles into smaller rectangles, is not the way it should have been done.
Let me show you similar tiles with a niche done w/proper outside edging.
All he had to do was measure your tiles and place your niche so that it would fall in between full tiles. (this doesn't have the mosaic inset, but you can see how easily it would work and fit.
Silimar tiles. you see how he used the actual tiles for the edging instead of cutting it up to go around the top? (this one isn't perfect, as far as placement goes, but it's better than yours)
here's one w/a mosaic inset. see how much nicer it looks w/this type of eding around the niche?
This type of edging on the outside of the niche would have looked better.
I have no idea why he did what he did.
So this one did it somewhat like your tile guy did, only it's symmetrical all the way around.
the border edging he did on yours only goes on 3 sides. he didn't even do the bottom. And see the arrow how it's pointing at the tiles he used? not even the same color or graining as the one above it. completely unneccessary to do it this way.
I know why he did it, but it still looks off.
Also, this back wall isn't laid out properly. look at your full tiles in the pic above.
On the left side he has a full tile, while the right side he has a partially cut tile.
This is a poor layout. Both sides should be equal. he should have started in the middle and worked his way out.
See how this layout is done? look at the tiles on the left and right side. they match. that's because he started dead center and worked outward.
Here's another similar niche. While not the best, at least his wall tile layout is symmetrical.
I think the niche and the bench are poorly done. again, no dry layout was done here.
So, here's another niche lined w/tiles like your guy was trying to do. Again, not necessary, but at least he has the niche placed perfectly within the full tiles above nad below. The edging cuts go all the way around the niche, not just 3 sides. and the solid, dark inset border tiles keeps it from looking too busy w/the mosaic.
Now this niche below, was properly done. look at the niche placement. all the lines match up, the placement is perfect between full tiles, no weird cuts. The mosaic was done beautifully.
This niche is beautifully done too. placed in between full tiles. even the tiles on the wall are perfectly matched up on the sides.
But this type of tiling job takes a good tile guy.
Your guy should have done a dry lay-out so that he got properly cut tiles, and no "sliver" cuts anywhere.
A good tile setter would also measure the tiles, the walls and the niche ahead of time, do a dry lay-out, so that he can do proper placement of the niche so that it doesn't end up like yours.
You see how both of these niches fall perfectly within the tile borders? no weird cuts, no tiny cut tile or thin cut tiles in the corners, or mismatched around the niche.
look at your placement:
see this one? how it falls within the tile borders? looks great, right?
And there is no busy cut tile surround to add to the business of the tile pattern.
These next two photos are both with busier looking tiles similar to yours. See how the edgeing was done? just the tiles itself, and not smaller cut pieces to go around the niche.
This one was placed within the full space of a tile. top/bottom, no cuts.
Look at the tile layout on this back wall. see how the cut tiles on both corners all match up perfectly? they are both 1/2 cut tiles. (the niche could have been made a tad longer on the left side, but it's ok)
This placement is ok. At least the tiles in the niche match each other. and the niche is placed directly in the center of the 4 tiles all around it. It's well done for what he did.
This niche is gorgeous. so subtle, but well planned between full tiles. (I don't like the asymmetrical tiles on the other wall, but it's not too bad)
I bet your tile guy put grout in your vertical corners, yes? and the floor/wall joint space?
And around your bench?
All of that should be silicone caulk.
Sorry to bombard you. I just don't want someone else to think this is ok.
If you ever redo a shower in the future, you'll know what NOT to do
Q
sconces in mirror
Q