The Perfect Shower Niche
Have you ever wondered what size niche to build to fit all of your shampoo and soap bottles? We did the homework for you, continue reading to find out.
A well-designed shower niche can help clear the clutter and make your shower experience more luxurious. It is a great addition to any bathroom as it provides a convenient storage space for all your shower essentials. The perfect size is 15 inches wide and 19 inches tall (plus the thickness of your center shelf). That way it will fit your liter bottles, soap bars, and other shower items comfortably. Read on to see more bathroom dimensions, like towel bar heights.
Perfect height for a shower niche: Your eye should be level with the top of your niche. For someone who is 5'5" tall, that would be approximately 40" high (from the floor to the bottom of the niche). In order to fit liter shampoo bottles and other large bottles, your lower shelf should be 11 inches tall. That's after the tile is installed. The upper shelf is perfect at 8 inches high. You'll be able to fit all of your your face washes, scrubs and even your razor.
Shower bars & robe hooks:
The ideal height for towel bars is 40-48" above the floor. If you are stacking one on top of the other, the lower bar should be 40" above the floor, and the higher bar should be 70" above the floor (also known as AFF - above finished floor). Robe hooks should be not be lower than 60" high. If you have stacked towel bars, the robe hook should line up with the upper towel bar at 70" high.
Shower control and tub spout heights:
For every project we specify the same height for all shower fixtures, but also consider the height of the client. We don't want you to risk hitting your head. The best height for a shower head (the shower arm) is 78" above the floor (AFF). And the shower door or curtain should be the same height as well. The control valve of the shower should be 45" high. This height will be adjusted on site if you have thermostatic controls or other valves that need to be installed.
The tub spout in a bathroom with a built in tub or shower/tub combo should be around 5" above the top of the tub if it is wall mounted. The control valve should be 18" above the top of the tub. If you have family members of different heights, or children that will grow with the shower, consider having your shower head mounted on a bar. That way the shower head can be lowered when they are young and raised as they grow taller. This provides plenty of flexibility for all family members and guests.
