18 Shower Niche Tile Ideas for your Bathroom
Instagram bathroom images are all well and good, but where are all the shampoo bottles and how does everyone hide the shower gel?
Enter the wonderfully practical shower niche, an attractive alcove that’s not only great looking but provides a place to keep those pesky bottles off the floor and in some kind of order.
If you’re re-modelling an existing bathroom, we strongly recommend incorporating a niche into the shower cubicle or wall next to the bath, not only is it useful, but it provides the perfect opportunity for doing something a little different with tiles.
If you’re looking for inspiration for tiling a shower niche, read on.
Image credit: @marbletileusa
Recommended Tile: Rio Blanco
What is a shower niche?
Shower niches aren’t particularly new inventions, but they are trending in the bathroom design space. Basically a hole in the wall, shower niches provide a brilliant place to store all your bathroom necessities and keep them off the floor.
The advantages of shower niches are many, shower niches are installed in the wall which is neat, clean and space-saving and negates the need for bulky shower or bath organisers.
Shower niches can be installed at whatever level you like and, depending on the positioning of the pipes, can be large or small and portrait or landscape in orientation.
What tiles should I choose for a shower niche?
You can turn a shower niche into an attractive focal point by getting creative with tiles. Try using patterned or brightly coloured tiles, use the same tiles that you have used on the bathroom floor or opt for a contrasting colour.
As shower niches are usually small, you can clad them in top-of-the-range tiles. Look for beautiful designs in marble, mother of pearl, glass and metal.
Shower niche tile ideas
If you’re ready to tile your shower nook, keep reading to discover 18 imaginative ways to do so.
Get creative with miniature mosaic tiles
A shower niche provides a space for creativity and the small surface area means you can choose more expensive and luxurious tiles.
We love how this designer has used the same tiles for the shower floor and niches, creating an attractive, cohesive look. Keeping the tile material the same but opting for contrasting tile sizes is an excellent way to add interest to a shower niche.
Image credit: @alison_giese_interiors
Recommended Tile: Waxman Ritz Diamond Carrara
Fit contrasting tiles
A small space like a shower niche is the perfect place to do something unexpected with tiles. Whether that’s adding a contrasting tile material, using tiles in a different size or introducing a bright pop of colour, have fun getting creative with this little area of your bathroom.
Design tip: If you don’t want to use tile edging strips around the shower niche, look for real stone tiles or porcelain terrazzo-effect tiles that don’t need to be edged.
Image credit: @emma.merry.styling
Recommended Tile: Emilia Steel
Create a tiled work of art
If you’re feeling creative, why not treat a shower niche like a blank canvas and unleash your inner artist?
You can create unique designs using different coloured mosaic tiles to make a subtle impact in a little bathroom nook.
Image credit: @foreverhomeproperties
Recommended Tile: Rio Marine
Use quirky penny tiles
Although a shower niche provides the perfect opportunity for creativity, it’s also a space that you might want to tie in with the rest of your bathroom design. Sticking with the same tiles that you’ve used for the surrounding walls will keep the area looking neat and united.
You can always choose different tiles for the sides of the shower niche, these could be in a contrasting colour or match the existing colour scheme, depending on the look you prefer.
Image credit: @ratiaconstruction
Accentuate a niche with hexagonal tiles
Make a statement in a wall of white metro tiles by tiling the shower niche with contrasting tiles. Tiles in different shapes, colours and sizes can work incredibly well. We love how this designer has used black hexagon tiles for the back wall of the shower niche and incorporated smart black tile edging for a crisp, neat finish.
Recommended Tile: Ava Azul Plain
Choose a contemporary vertical stack layout
How tiles are laid out can completely change the look and feel of a bathroom. If you want to create a modern vibe, vertical stack layouts are hard to beat. Use slim, rectangular metro or matchstick tiles for the best effect.
Design tip: This attractive shower design has incorporated a shelf in a contrasting material. Cut a larger tile to size to replicate this look.
Image credit: @bathrooms_of_insta
Recommended Tile: Rio Verde
Add a luxe element with marble tiles
If you want to create a bathroom that exudes elegance and luxury then marble tiles are always a good idea. This beautiful stone comes in a huge range of sizes and styles to suit your budget and style.
This shower niche has cleverly incorporated a marble tile shelf, maximising the storage space.
Image credit: @streamline_construction_inc
Recommended Tile: Canaletto Gold
Go for a colour contrast
Add interest to a neutral-coloured bathroom by lining a shower niche with tiles in your favourite shade. Blue tiles are one of the most popular colour choices for bathrooms so if you love the colour, but aren’t sure about using it on a large scale, a shower niche is the perfect place to include it. See more blue bathroom tile ideas.
Image credit: @normandyremodeling
Recommended Tile: Dorset Smooth Blanco
Light it up
So you’ve got the shower niche and lined it with the perfect tiles, why not make a feature of it and add lights to the alcove? It’s a great way to create a focal point in a smaller bathroom (and helps you to find your bath products easily too).
Image credit: @ferrariconstructions
Recommended Tile: Elements Titanium
Highlight a niche with wood effect tiles
Contrasting tiles are big news in the tile design world and a brilliant way to add interest and impact to your bathroom space.
The juxtaposition of smooth polished stone and rustic wood-effect tiles is a match made in interior design heaven. Achieve a similar look with our beautiful and practical Forest of Dean wood effect panelled tiles.
Image credit: @homeonannashvillehill
Recommended Tile: Forest of Dean Wooden Panel
Experiment with patterned tiles
Patterned tiles are ideal for breathing life into small spaces and a shower niche is no exception.
Incorporate vibrant hand-painted tiles, miniature mosaic designs or subtler, monochrome styles inside a shower niche. Starting with a small area is a great way to introduce patterns to your home, we’re pretty sure you’ll be hooked!
Image credit: @bathrooms_of_insta
Recommended Tile: Regal Negro Star Tile
Choose contemporary terrazzo tiles
Terrazzo continues to be one of the top tile trends this year for contemporary bathrooms. The speckled design of these tiles works well alongside neutral colours and they are perfect for adding interest to walls and floors.
Terrazzo effect tiles are made from porcelain and as the chips they contain run right through the tile, you don’t need to use tile edging strips. This makes them a perfect option for tiling shower alcoves and results in a neat, minimal aesthetic.
Image credit: @therenovation_at_no18
Recommended Tile: Monarch Terrazzo Pearl Matt
Add personality with mosaic tiles
If you want to personalise your shower niche we recommend creating designs using easy-to-lay mosaic tiles. Round penny tiles provide the most flexibility for creating quirky word art in your bathroom.
Image credit: @thesourceroominteriors
Create a splash with fish scale tiles
Fish scale tiles are ideal for bathrooms and there’s an impressive range of colours and materials to choose from. Whether you crave a full wall of ocean-inspired tiles or want to reserve these delicate tiles for the shower niche, they’re sure to make a splash in your bathroom.
Image credit: @marriedtomyhome
Recommended Tile: Mermaid Mist
Glam it up with metallic tiles
Choose metallic or metal-infused glass mosaic tiles to add a glamorous touch to your shower niche. These tiles work especially well when combined with plain-coloured, large-format tiles.
Image credit: @designtraderbyvantage
Recommended Tile: Elements Lava
Make a statement with feature tiles
There are many ways to tile a shower niche, but one of the most effective, if you want to make a statement, is to choose contrasting tiles.
Offset plain white tiles with beautifully detailed tiles in an opposing colour and material. This is also a clever option if you’re on a budget as you can save on inexpensive white tiles and splurge on high-end feature tiles.
Image credit: @thenicheman
Recommended Tile: Polar Matt White
Add an unexpected pop of colour
Introducing colour to your bathroom design scheme can make a big impact, but if you’re unsure about using strong colours over large areas, keeping it simple is a great place to start.
A shower niche provides a small area for creativity and allows you to try a colour or type of tile that you’ve always wanted to use.
Image credit: @saslovedesign
Recommended Tile: Emilia Papaya
Choose classic octagon and dot tiles
Be inspired by the Victorians (who knew a thing or two about tiles) and introduce a design classic to a modern bathroom design. Echoing the floor tiles in the shower niche is a clever design trick. The combination of black and white is iconic, but you can replicate this design with any colour of tile.
Image credit: @idecoliving
Recommended Tile: Waxman Shapes Octagon White and Black Dot
Shower niche tile tips
Here are our top tips for tiling the smallest spot in your bathroom:
- Combine different tile types – Tiling a shower niche with a different style of tile is a clever way to add subtle character and interest to bathroom space. Whether you opt for a bold bright, pretty pattern, dark tiles against white or smaller versions of the surrounding tiles, it’s an effective way to create a stunning focal point.
- Introduce colour – Add an unexpected splash of colour to a bathroom by choosing tiles in a statement colour for your shower niche. If you’ve got more than one shower niche, try using different shades of the same colour, go for bold rainbow brights or try gorgeous metallic tiles.
- Unleash your creative side – A shower niche is an ideal place to use tiles that you might not use across a whole wall, it could be bold handpainted tiles, tiles in a material like glass or metal or elaborate mosaic designs.
Atlas Ceramics has a huge range of tiles for shower niches. Browse our selection yourself or call one of our friendly experts for advice.