Niche in the bathroom: design how to make a gypsum boardboard niche with your own hands

The niche is an architectural element that is a deepening in the wall. In the interior of living quarters niches have been used for a very long time - since the days of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Initially, this constructive element adorned the walls of the temples and served to store objects of religious worship, for example, sculptures of pagan gods and other relics. Later, niches appeared in the walls of the palaces. In the rich houses in the niches were placed valuable things and works of art - vases, figurines, etc.

In a modern interior, the purpose of the niche is more practical. Increasingly, when designing housing for a niche in the wall fixed certain functions. So, it can serve as a kind of locker for storing household items. If we are talking about the interior of the bathroom, the wall niche is usually used for towels, hygienic supplies, household chemicals, toilet paper and so on. If you carefully think about the location of niches in the room, you can get a universal storage system and, thus, do without lockers, chests and shelves, cluttering the bathroom.

In addition to its main purpose, a niche in the wall can be used for organizing spotlighting, since it is convenient to mount the built-in lights.

• The main function of a wall niche is the storage of all kinds of things. Depending on the size and location, it can be used as a rack or shelf. But, unlike these pieces of furniture, the niche in the wall looks fresh and original, recalling the stylistics of antiquity and classicism.
• The niche makes it possible to usefully use the space that usually remains unused: for example, above the bathroom or above the toilet. In the event that the room has installed plumbing fixtures, all the connectors to which are hidden behind the wall of plasterboard, the wall niche is an excellent solution saving space in a small bathroom.
• If there are a lot of communications on the walls in the bathroom that spoil the appearance of the room, it's easy to cope with this problem by hiding everything behind the false wall of plasterboard. And that the useful space is not wasted, in the wall should be organized one or more niches. Even if you do not need additional storage space, niches can be used to decorate the interior, for example, place candles or plants in pots in them.

• For inexperienced masters the arrangement of a niche in the wall can turn into a real test. To do this, in general, is not so difficult, but for this it is necessary to make some calculations correctly. In addition, you will need to go to the building store to purchase the necessary materials and tools. However, if there is no time or desire to tinker with repairs, the construction of a niche can always be entrusted to a professional - an experienced master will easily cope with such a task.
• Compared with traditional solutions for storage in the bathroom, wall niches have limited functionality. First, they do not protect things from dust and water splashes. Secondly, niches can rarely be made deep enough for large items to be placed in them. And, finally, things in niches always remain in sight so storing personal hygiene items in them is extremely inconvenient.
• Another disadvantage of the niche in the wall is that if you want to get rid of this architectural element, you will have to do the dismantling work. Therefore, when planning a niche in the bathroom, you need to be sure that in the next few years you will not want to get rid of it.

As we said above, it's quite easy to make a gypsum boardboard niche with your own hands, so if you have at least a minimal building experience, you can safely get down to business.

Let's consider the stages of work on the manufacture of such a niche.

Since we are talking about the bathroom, the plasterboard must necessarily be moisture resistant. It is easy to recognize by a special coating of blue or green hue. This drywall is resistant to moisture, so it does not appear mold and signs of rot. In addition, you need to purchase a metal profile, which will go to the construction of the frame structure. The profile must be of two types - a guide and a rack.

Depending on the material of walls in the bathroom, you will need dowels or nails. Self-cutters of a different size need to be purchased for plating profiles with sheets of plasterboard. In addition, prepare a screwdriver, a cutter for gypsum board work, a drill or a perforator, a hammer, a tape measure, a corner ruler, a construction level and scissors for working on metal.

You do not need any special drawing skills. Simply draw a sketch, carefully measure everything and again make a drawing of the future design already showing all the dimensions.

First of all, it is necessary to prepare a working surface. The section of the wall on which the niche will be located should be freed from residues of construction materials and contamination. Then, armed with a building level and a tape measure, draw a marking on the wall for fasteners and guides. If desired, use the laser level - it will help to make everything perfect.

In accordance with the marking, the guide profile must be fixed to the wall. Make sure that the guides do not bend, otherwise the structure warps. The profile is attached to the wall using screws or dowels. Then, a profile profile with a step of no more than 60 cm is installed in the guiding profile. The smaller the distance between the sections of the rack profile, the stronger the final construction will be.

If the wall niche will serve, including, for hiding pipes or wires, then after assembling the frame it is necessary to take care of communications, as in the next stage access to them will be closed.

After the frame is completed, most of the work is left behind. Pencil or marker on the sheets of drywall is applied a kind of "pattern", on which the sharp cutter cuts the necessary parts. Then attach the parts to the metal profile on the screws. The optimal distance between the screws is 10-15 cm. Gently join the sheets on the corners to make the design look presentable.

On the following photos you can see the whole process sequence.

At the final stage of the resulting design you need to give a neat appearance. To do this, the surface should be puttied, eliminating all the imperfections of the material and flaws in the work. On top of the plaster, paint is applied or ceramic tiles are glued.

There are an infinite number of options for decorating a wall niche. If you prefer that this element does not stand out, you need to execute it in the same tones or using the same finishing materials as the entire bathroom. If your goal is to draw attention to a niche, you can distinguish it with the help of a contrasting color scale and textured material. Experts do not advise making dark niches on a light background, as this creates the effect of holes in the walls.

To pay attention to objects located in a niche, it is possible, having organized illumination - an LED tape or built-in spotlights.

Thinking about the appearance of a niche, you need to take into account many important points - its size, shape and depth. The niche can be rectangular or with a round top resembling an arch vault. Sometimes it is more expedient to make two narrow niches instead of one wide. Space in long niches can be divided by transparent glass shelves - it looks very impressive.

• If a niche is located in close proximity to a water source, for example, above a bathtub or inside a shower enclosure, then it is better to design it at an angle so that water flows freely from the bottom and from the shelves. So in the niche will not be formed puddles.
• For shelves in the niche, you need to choose a special tempered glass, which is highly resistant and resistant to aggressive detergents. If you do not want the glass to be a greenish tint, ask the sellers for the glass with the minimum iron content in the composition.
• In a house where there are small children, shelves in niches are best made of a more durable and less hazardous material than glass. For example, securely fixed shelves made of artificial stone can survive, even if your baby decides to use a wall niche as a staircase. In addition, such shelves look unusually beautiful.