When planning a bathroom renovation on the Sunshine Coast, one of the most overlooked- but incredibly functional- features you can add is a shower niche, also known as a shower recess. This simple design upgrade not only adds practicality to your shower space but also creates a contemporary touch that complements any home renovation style.

As an experienced renovation builder on the Sunshine Coast, we always recommend integrating a shower niche for both form and function. So, what is a shower niche? A shower niche is a recessed shelf built directly into your shower wall. It’s used for storing essentials like shampoo, conditioner, and soap – without the need for bulky shower caddies or corner shelves. A well-designed niche keeps your space clutter-free and stylish. Read on for our top tips on why we love to incorporate them into our bathroom design, and how to make your shower niche a success.

Why Include a Shower Niche in Your Bathroom Renovation?

1. Versatile Design

A shower niche sits flush with the wall, creating a clean, contemporary look. Whether you’re going for a coastal, traditional, Mediterranean or contemporary style, a niche complements almost any aesthetic. We love the layered effect they can produce, and they work with just about any design style you are trying to achieve.

2. Customisation

From tile choices, size, shape and lighting, your niche can be fully customised to suit your bathroom’s style and requirements. Arches, long horizontal niches or a small niche are all possibilities. The main limitation you’ll have will be if it’s in a unit renovation, as block walls are unable to be recessed. In these cases we can create a wall in front of the block, however this encroaches into the available floor space of a small unit bathroom so may not be the best solution.

3. Increased Functionality

It’s not just about looks — a niche is a functional solution to an everyday problem. No more bottles collecting grime on the shower floor or bulky caddies on the wall.

4. Space Saving

Especially in smaller bathrooms (more common in Sunshine Coast units), every bit of space counts. A recessed shelf maximises usable room in your shower.

A simple shower niche features in our Happy Valley project. Our Caloundra unit renovation also utilized a back- to wall bath for a clever space-saving solution.

Interior Design Considerations for a Shower Niche or Shower Recess

When planning your bathroom renovation, the interior design of a shower niche (or recess) should be just as intentional as the layout or fixtures. A well-designed niche can serve as both a functional storage solution and a visual focal point that ties your whole bathroom aesthetic together.

Here’s what to consider from an interior design perspective:

1. Tile Selection & Styling

Your tile choice inside the niche can create contrast, depth, or continuity. For example:

• Using the same tile as your shower wall creates a subtle, seamless look. This offers a clean, contemporary aesthetic and works best when the tiled edges are mitered. You can read more about mitred edges and why they matter in this blog post.

• Choose a contrasting or patterned tile or stone will turn the niche into a feature element. This can work particularly well when natural stone is inset into the niche, it works beautifully in a traditional or classic style.

• Styling your niche can be as simple as decanting your shampoo and conditioner into matching bottles. Less is always more, so keep your niche accessories to the bare minimum, and only display beautiful items.

2. Colour Palette Harmony

Ensure your niche works within your overall bathroom colour scheme. Soft neutrals can enhance a calming, spa-like feel, while deeper, richer colours add depth and drama. Consider coordinating the niche by repeating your stone benchtop material or floor tile in your niche for a visual link and continuity.

3. Integrated Lighting

Adding LED lighting within the niche not only highlights the design elements of your niche but also improves functionality. LED lighting within a shower niche is perfect for late night showering or trips to the toilet and can be kept on all night. When using lighting in wet areas or alfresco areas, always use IP65 or higher.

4. Size & Placement

The size and placement of your niche can make or break it. Nothing is more unattractive than a spacious walk in shower with a teeny tiny box of a shower niche! As a general rule of thumb, the ideal height of a shower niche is 1200mm from the floor, and approximately half the length of your shower wall. As for internal height, at least 300mm high- this gives you enough height for most pump bottles. We believe the longer a niche, the better- some full length niches running right across a bathroom wall to wall look and function beautifully and also provide the perfect point to differentiate your tiles when combining multiple tiles.

Now that we’ve discussed the Why and the How of shower niches, we hope you’ll understand why they’re such a handy and clever design solution that we love to incorporate into our projects.

If you’re planning a home renovation or bathroom upgrade, talk to a local renovation builder who knows how to bring your vision to life. With a custom-built shower niche or recess, your bathroom will be more beautiful and functional than ever.

Contact Coco Interiors today to book a free consultation for your Sunshine Coast home renovation.