The Shower Building Mistake Too Many Homeowners Are Making

The best bathrooms are designed with convenience in mind. It's imperative that the bathroom is highly functional so every member of the family can use the space without hassle. This is especially true when it comes to the shower — no one wants to fumble around with multiple bottles and toiletries as water splashes everywhere. To simplify the process, many homeowners have chosen to include a niche within the shower that acts as an inset shower caddy. In fact, Pinterest is loving this shower design trend as it effortlessly helps to beat bathroom clutter. These in-wall cubbies are a compact and convenient way to add shower shelving by using space that would otherwise be vacant. But when installing a niche, the size needs to be just right. The mistake that many homeowners are making is installing tall vertical niches without any shelving, and this is just a waste of space that could be utilized so much better.

Shower niches are not one-size-fits-all and must be a size that is appropriate for the shower they reside in. It's easy to think that if you want a lot of storage, you should create a shower niche that's tall and wide. In actuality, the final result may just end up looking disproportioned and unnecessarily huge, unless you also add appropriate shelving.  Ultimately, niches should be placed at an area of the shower wall that's comfortably within arm's reach, not too high or too low. It's also wise to look at the number of personal care items you plan to store in the shower and analyze how much space you need to reserve for them.  

According to HGTV's Jasmine Roth, a shower niche is a practical feature that's perfect for a luxury bathroom. But in addition to being beautiful, a shower niche must be useful. The size of a niche directly impacts how it functions within the shower, as the most useful niches are those that optimize storage. To establish the right size for your niche, a good rule of thumb is to use a 2-to-1 ratio — 12 inches wide by 24 inches high, for example. That provides ample space and ensures that you can add another shelf to optimize the niche's storage capacity.  

To make the most of your shower niche, prioritize height over width so you can add panels to create more shelving as needed. This is a smart solution if you have a tall shower niche that only holds one level of toiletries and still includes a lot of unused space. Adding a panel in the middle of the niche creates an extra shelf, meaning you can store more toiletries conveniently. Put heavier, taller items like shampoos on the bottom shelf and lighter items like loofahs on the top shelf.