Niches and benches are the parts of a shower people use every single day and think about for about ten minutes during planning. They are also effectively permanent, because both are built into the wall structure and waterproofed as part of it.
Worth ten more minutes, then.
Where a niche should go
Two rules, and the second matters more than people expect.
Reachable without moving. Roughly chest height for whoever uses the shower most, on the wall you naturally face. A niche placed for the tile layout rather than for the person is a daily small irritation.
Out of the spray line. This is the one that gets missed. A niche positioned where the shower stream hits it collects water on the shelf, and standing water means soap residue and, in our humidity, growth in the corners. The side wall is usually better than the wall opposite the head.
Structure constrains both. A niche sits between studs, so its width is largely determined by the framing, and the wall behind it needs to be free of plumbing and any electrical. Where the ideal position conflicts with a stud, that is solvable while the wall is open and impossible afterwards.
How a niche is waterproofed
A niche is a hole cut into the wall you have just waterproofed, which is why it deserves attention.
The membrane has to be carried into the opening and around every internal corner, not stopped at the edge. The shelf should slope very slightly forward, so water runs out into the shower rather than pooling at the back. And the interior corners get flexible sealant rather than grout, because they are junctions between planes that move independently.
Done properly, a niche is no more of a risk than the rest of the wall. Done as an afterthought, it is the first place a shower leaks.
Sizing it for what you actually own
A common regret is a niche that looks elegant and does not fit a shampoo bottle standing up.
Measure the tallest thing you want in there before the framing is set. If two people use the shower and both have opinions, two smaller niches or one with a shelf divider is worth more than one large empty rectangle.
A horizontal niche running between studs is a different look — a long low slot rather than a box — and it suits a contemporary bathroom well. It also spreads storage across the width rather than stacking it.
Benches
A bench turns a shower into something usable for shaving, for sitting, and for anyone who may need to sit in future. It is one of the more genuinely useful things you can build into a bathroom and one people rarely regret.
Slope it. A flat bench holds water. It needs a slight fall toward the drain, enough to shed water and not enough to feel like a slide.
Surface. A single slab of solid surface or stone has no grout lines and is the easiest thing to keep clean. Tile matches the shower and costs less. Both are fine; the slab is less maintenance.
Type. A full bench spans the shower and gives the most seating. A corner bench takes far less floor area and suits a smaller shower. A floating bench, cantilevered off the wall with clear floor beneath, makes a small shower feel considerably larger and keeps the floor easy to clean.
Curbless showers, briefly
If you are considering a bench because of mobility, it is worth considering a curbless entry at the same time. The two together make a bathroom that works for a lot longer, and both are structural decisions best made at the same moment. Our curbless shower guide covers what that involves.
Decide these early
Niche position, niche size, bench type and bench height all have to be settled before framing and waterproofing. They are cheap decisions at that stage and expensive ones afterwards.
When we plan a shower we walk through each of them with you, including which side you actually face when you shower — which sounds trivial and determines where the niche goes. Our shower remodelling page covers the full scope, and our custom shower guide walks through the wider build.
