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Saturday, 16 April 2016

Nice to have Niches

Most homes have wall niches and people find them a pain to disguise or put to use. Many designers create artificial niches for the specific purpose of creating an interesting aspect in the decor, for displaying artifacts, for storage etc. So are you wondering what Niches are?

Niches are indents or shallow recesses in walls or woodwork. Wall niches which are also known as alcoves are indents in a wall which are either created with a purpose of aesthetic display, storage or as an architectural necessity - like a niche that is formed between two projecting pillars/columns in a room.

Niches can act as the focal point of any room and add the air of elegance and sophistication to your home.

Creating Niches in existing Dry-walls constructions common to countries like USA and Australia is relatively easier. 
DIY Wall Niches in DryWalls 
 
These niches can be created on existing Concrete walls under an architect's supervision, depending on the thickness of the wall (typically an external wall will be about 9" thick while an internal wall may be 6" thick). Niches in existing walls may go to a maximum depth of 3-4" and care and consideration is to be taken regarding the wall's strength before going ahead.

There are also available custom-made pre-cast wall niches that can be fitted as surface mounted or recessed niches - VISIT HERE

On the other hand creating wall-niches in wood is a much easier task. They just have to be mounted in place in case of a an entire wall or they can be made in situ in cabinetry. Cover them up with a gypsum sheet if you plan to paint it and you have a faux-niche ready!

The most important thing to consider while using niches is to pay attention to lighting, use mirrors to increase their depth and the right colors and textures in the form of paints, wall-papers or ceramic tiles.


Check out this collection of Niche ideas I have curated so you get an idea how you can use Niches to add a nice chutzpah to your homes!

1) In Washrooms: Niches work wonderfully well in bathrooms to create that extra bit of storage for your vanities or for creating visually pleasing spaces.

 Image from personal collection





2) In living-rooms: Niches can act as the focal point of the room to highlight your art and curio collection.
 Image from personal collection

Conceal a pillar behind wooden niches - Personal collection


3) In Dining-areas: Niches can be very handy to store nick-nacks or create that special look.

4) In Bedrooms: Again to create a beautiful look while giving you that much needed space for your must-haves without taking up floor-space.




5) Near entrances: To create that WOW feel as soon as one enters the home!
Image credit


6) Creating entire walls with Niches: These can be used as visual partitions for aesthetic or privacy purposes.

 

Hope you got a fair idea on how to make Niches work for you. Go ahead, create these wonderful spaces to showcase your artifacts or flaunt your art work or just cover them up to get additional storage space.



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Copyright © 2016 KALA RAVI

Comments (62)

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Hi Kala,

I think Niches are a very cute idea and really adds depth to a space. Lovely ideas!

Cheers,
Seena
#AtoZChallenge- N is for Naming the baby
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
Great examples of niches. I think they can add a lot of charm to a space.

@weekendsinmaine
Weekends in Maine
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
Thats a really good idea.. I loved the first image with the niche in the bathroom. Very doable.
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
You have a brilliant theme for the challenge. And I guess niches are most useful in bathrooms where they are sort of a necessity rather than a matter of decoration
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
Roshan Radhakrishnan's avatar

Roshan Radhakrishnan · 455 weeks ago

I have seen this most commonly as part of part of bathroom and bedroom decor. Never really thought of it though till you mentioned it
My recent post Know Your Show: New Girl #AtoZChallenge
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
Till I read this post, I used to think that there were niches only in graveyards! I didn't know about how they could be used to decorate interiors, and I haven't seen (or at least noticed them) in the places I have visited till now :D
The last picture of the wooden niches was just fabulus! :)
My recent post N for Nipponophile #AtoZChallenge
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
I was familiar with it in batroom and kitchen mostly but that too on contemporary basis. But you showed it so beautifully. Thanks for sharing.
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
What a fantabulous and aesthetic post on niches. Stop making me dream of owning my dream house and the day I do, will hire you to do my interiors:)

Superb post
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
Great tips I have two in my house I just completed renovation a month back. They look beautiful as well are good for storage.

Richa
http://richajindal.com/no-sugar-impossible/ http://jindalpackers.com/blog/customer-complaints...

My recent post No To Sugar Is It IMpossible Or A Misconception
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
you are very creative kala, love the way you have utilised the spaces, lovely may God bless you..for your generous sharing !!
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
I've always loved these niches. Sadly my present home doesnt have any. Let's see if I can actually make some according to the DIY link posted so helpfully by you. Great pics again Kala.
My recent post Nilgiris #AtoZChallenge
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
Lovely post about niches, wonderful pictures to go with it too. Love the bedroom niches pictures and want the same for my books and lamp. Am all sorted in the bathroom :)
My recent post Nothingness #AtoZChallenge
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
Great post, Kala. I think every home has niches and these are great ways of covering them up. I had recently written a blog post on creative and super cheap ideas to decorate your bedroom walls. Do check that out http://www.life360degrees.com/15-creative-ideas-f...
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
Earlier I did not find niches as much captivating but as you say they are the center of attraction of any room.
#niceobservstion .
And I litteally don't know the word for niches, now I know it.
Enjoyed, keep writing !

@dixita011 from
Cafenined words

My recent post {N} Nourish with flowers not guns ! #atozchallenge
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
I think one must really be experienced to experiment with niches or has a very good taste to select the right theme! If not done properly, one can turn it into a disaster!

Cheers
My recent post N- Naughty
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
I love this look and wish I had niches instead of actual shelves, which take up so much space. Stunning examples here.
My recent post N is for NEWFOUNDLAND | #AtoZChallenge
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
Gorgeous! Never knew about that. That's such a great idea for some uniqueness.
My recent post N for Networked Feminism #AtoZChallenge
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
I get swayed by the lovely ornaments and objects in the niches - and some of the lighting effects are lovely too. I'm not sure about the toilet with the three little mirror flowers - it would be strange for men using it - they'd have to look at themselves!
My recent post The A-Z of Positive Personality Traits - N is for Noble
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
This looks Fabulous!! I have seen it in hotels ... wonder how much it would cost.

A Whimsical Medley
Twinkle Eyed Traveller
My recent post Of Nora & Natarajasana #atozchallenge
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
That's a great insight into clever uses of niches with optimum use of lighting and mirrors to add depth and also letting them highlight the area while serving artistic purposes :)

@theerailivedin from The Era I Lived In
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
Brilliant! How I wish I could implement that!
My recent post Nail it! The NDA Visit! #AtoZChallenge
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
These are beautiful Kala. But I don't see any space in my house for creating something like that. I would actually love a niche in my bathroom but I am using a shower caddie as of now!
My recent post Nine Superfoods for a Healthy you - No Cook Day
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
Nice tips Kala. I need that ebook of yours with all your AtoZ posts.
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
These niches are certainly wow!
Sudha from
Everyday Muse
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago
This is useful! I liked the various ways to beautify Niches. I have a rather deeper Niche that I must redo and make look good. I have a lot more options to pick from. :)
Nice Post
Cheers!
My recent post Nihilism
1 reply · active 453 weeks ago

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