I never heard of the word shower niche, till I rebuilt my bathroom. I couldn’t spell it or say it. Just an odd word, the tile salespeople introduced me to.

It is just a nice place to put things in the shower… YOUR things. YOUR things separate from HIS things or THEIR things. Everyone needs their OWN niche in my world. (My optimal world would have everyone has their own bathroom!)

The most common width, is about 17 inches… the space between 2 wall studs… (18 inch on center… get it?) The height is variable… a foot or two…but some glamourous ones are 3 or 4 feet tall, with room for flowers, just for daily joy and glamour.

A contractor being cheap, will have just one niche, with one shelf, like this.  This is so so common.

A better contractor will have a niche with 2 shelves… for small soaps & a brush taking the small real estate below, and tall shampoo bottles occupying the shelf above.

The best contractor will have 2 niches in EVERY shower, with 2 shelves in each… doubling or quadrupling the space for your things.

This is an example of a TINY design thing that costs just an incremental more, but it hugely makes harmony in the house… A daily joy for the homeowners for the users the next 50 years it lasts….so worth it.

Good design does NOT cost more, it just takes a minute to think about it.

When trolling thru houses looking to buy, a niche tells you what kind of contractor built the house, and if he was into cheapness, or kindness, or a great job…. it is so very clear.

In building your own house, but this in the bid… and pay the tiler correctly … don’t spring this on later, as a “add on” it will just cost double or triple. (…since it does take a minute to do), but the look of great niches after the job is done, is a huge inviting eye magnet the good tiler will be proud of.