Shower niche for shampoo bottles - has anyone got one?

[ThisCatCanHop]

Has anyone got a little shelf built into their shower for bottles of shampoo, etc? If so, would you recommend it or is it easier to stick with a tray? We are currently mid loft conversion and apparently the shower room is plasterboarded now so would be much more work to put one in - trying to work out if it’s worthwhile. We would have to have it on one of the two walls inside the quadrant shower, with the other being for the shower itself.

We have one, was there when we bought the house. I like it, but I'm not sure it does anything a shelf doesn't- if I was building one and it was going to be loads of faff I don't know if I'd bother.

Hate the niches but wanted a ledge, eventually convinced our plumber to do this - think it's a block attached to the wall then tiled. It's at a height to put your foot up on to. We've also got a multi tier tray in the other corner that we got from IKEA.

Yes & love it. SO much better than those hanging things or shelves!

mine is in the wall with the shower as that has a deep cavity for the shower workings anyway.

We’ve got a niche with a little light in. It’s great.

the fact that it is plaster-boarded does not make it too late - multi-tool to cut open a rectangle bigger than the niche (back to both sets of supports) - build framework - plasterboard. It is a bit fiddly to do and to tile, which might explain reluctance - but they can work perfectly.

We had one built in to our en-suite - tall enough to include the bulk size bottles of bodywash / shampoo as they have pump tops which makes life much easier...
make sure that it is fractionally slanted so that water drains out of it forwards...

love ours

We have one of those too and it looks really good.

Would recommend @ThisCatCanHop

Yes, niche with light. Love it.

Just make sure the bottom part is tilted ever so slightly towards the shower tray to stop water pooling.

Yes, it’s great, but it was DH’s one non-negotiable when we were building a new bathroom — as a pp said, if you’re doing one, make sure the tiles at the bottom are tiled slightly so water doesn’t pool there, and that it’s tall enough for the largest bottles you use regularly.

We got one and it wasn't correctly installed as pp have said it wasn't slightly tilted just flat. Water pooled and started to leak. We no longer live there but it's put me off!

Yes, love it. It looks so much nicer than all those awful caddies.

We have one on the wall furthest from the shower to lessen the likelihood of water splashing into it as often water can collect in them and leak down behind the tiles. The tiles should be angled to prevent this but often aren’t.

I love mine.

Can I ask, do people find they get mouldy easily?

We have quite a damp bathroom (hoping to fix this when we get it done with a better extractor fan, but realistically it's a small room), and wondering if a niche will just invite mould build-up.

I like the idea but I wouldn't know how big to make it. What if you find later that you have more bottles than will fit in?

I'd rather have smooth tiles or panels that you can put suction trays and baskets on.

No mine hasn't got mouldy at all. Water doesn't pool in it either. A good bathroom fitter will know how to install one properly.

Thank you, this is super helpful. I do really like the idea but the wall in question is an external wall and apparently that can complicate things too. Who knew these things were so complex?! Might park it for when we do the bathroom…..

I don't in mine.

We’ve got one in the teenagers bathroom - it’s fine but under the shower end and collects moisture and gets the sealant mouldy at the drop of a hat. Next renovation we would still have one, but would try hard to position on a ‘dryer’ wall.

Always slimey with soap when cleaning.
I prefer the other bathroom which just has a removable wire hanging shelf.
Friend has two diagonal wire shelves in corner which she likes.

I like the look of the built out tiled block posted above.

I feel as though it must make the whole shower enclosure smaller, unless it sticks out on the other side of the wall.

We have two with lights in. But we had a void space at the end of the bath so it was easy to build them in.
if you do get them, they need to be tilted so the water runs off. Don’t have any issue with mold but we are quite diligent and wipe down the shower and bath after a shower, use the extractor fan and open the windows.

Have had before. Loved it so having two lit recesses built into the shower in our retirement flat at the moment. Tiles along with the walls, really convenient and easier to clean. Look nice, too.

I have one but water pools in it so it's quite annoying

I have a niche. I love it.

It was the tiler's idea. I hadn't even thought about it before but it immediately felt right.

We have one the full length of the wall between shower and bath. It's lit with led strip. As is underneath the sink unit. We have 2 light switches. One does the led and the other does the ceiling spots. Means you can shower or bath in lowered lighting if you want. I'd definitely have one again. No mould or pooling issues. Ours has a different tile in the niche to the walls like a feature wall.

It holds shower gel and shampoo bottles, but of course the real reason was somewhere to rest your foot when shaving your legs! :D