A stylish and practical design statement of any bathroom today is the niche, which is also often referred to as a recess. Once a common element of contemporary bathrooms, they have now cemented their place as a key design item across all decorating styles.
You may already have your eye on a particular design for your bathroom renovation, however it’s important to know exactly how much space you have to play with, in addition to surrounding elements, before finalising your niche.
So, to assist you in selecting the perfect niche for both your bathroom layout and lifestyle, we’ll take you through the most popular designs and top three considerations.
Niche designs:
+ seamless
+ statement
+ trim
Niche considerations:
+ space and size
+ tiles
+ waterproofing
Niche Designs
+ seamless
Seamlessly tying in with the rest of your décor, niches that use the same tiles as the rest of your bathroom provide everyday practicality and elegance within your design. This seamless design is also very popular for small spaces, as the continuity provides a sense of space.
+ statement
From incorporating your niche into a feature wall, selecting different tiles or running it along more than one wall to service multiple areas, niches provide a great opportunity to integrate a streamlined statement within your bathroom design
Niche Considerations
+ space and size
When it comes to designing your bathroom niche, a popular depth is 88.9mm and if you plan to place it within an existing wall, 304.8mm (wide) x 609.6mm (high) is the most common size. As this allows your niche to fit within your existing studs, which are typically 406.4mm apart, while also giving you the option of incorporating a glass shelf in the middle. This being said, to avoid compromising your current installation solution try to avoid sitting your niche against an outside wall.
If you’re planning on incorporating a niche within a new wall, studs, plumbing and electrical elements are much easier to adjust in order to accommodate your ideal niche.
While the most popular niche shapes are three square niches vertically aligned or one long rectangular niche, sizes are extremely adaptable, so we encourage you to think outside the box. At MW Homes, we’d love you to come to us with your ideal niche size and space, so we can collaboratively work together to make it a reality.
+ tiles
Whether seamless or statement, it’s important to keep in mind the dimensions of the tiles you’d like to use when planning your bathroom niche. As ideally you want your tiles to be symmetric around the niche, with the tile line ending right on the niche. If your tiles are ceramic or porcelain, they may need to have a bullnose edge to provide continuous tile colour.
When using tiles to create a statement niche, ensure you specify where the different tiles will be laid. For example, if you are having a mosaic niche sitting alongside large format tiles, we recommend all five walls of your niche to be mosaic.
+ waterproof
While it may seem like a given (and something we wouldn’t think twice about), it’s important to ensure your niche is waterproofed correctly to prevent leaks and allow for adequate drainage, especially if you are using mosaics.
At MW Homes, renovation experts, we’re dedicated to creating the perfect space for your lifestyle. If you’re thinking about renovating a bathroom, kitchen, laundry or a complete home renovation anywhere in Melbourne, we’d love to help you. Contact us today and let us turn your dream into a reality.
For more information on the six key bathroom renovating elements: colour, bath, shower, vanity, light, fixtures and fittings, read our Bathroom Renovating 101 Guide.
For inspiration and ideas take a look at our Bathroom Renovation Gallery.
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Hawthorn East 3123
(By Appointment)
Mail: PO BOX 449, Canterbury, VIC 3126
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