What is a niche?
A niche is a specially designed recess that can perform both decorative and practical functions (depending on the size), and allows you to make the interior of the room more original. If your apartment does not initially have such a recess, you can make it yourself. But how can you make a niche not just a place for a vase, but a harmonious space for realizing your own design ideas?
Many niches in the living room - design photo
Interior designers offer two ways to design a wall niche - in a contrasting color or close to the main one. You should not choose dark shades of colors for the recess, as it will look like a black hole. Give preference to calm, warm tones.
Light niche on a yellow wall
Pay attention to the shape of the niche if you are going to make one. A horizontal recess is suitable for rooms with low furniture - a sofa or cabinet. It visually lengthens the wall in which it is located. A vertical niche looks good next to a window, cabinet or door. A wall niche does not have to be rectangular in shape - it can be round, arched, oval, and so on.
Ideas for niches in the bathroom
How can you use mirrors in the interior?
A classic option for using a reflective surface in the interior is a mirror in a baguette or frame. You can buy ready-made ones, but it is better to order a frame from a special workshop. There you can choose a baguette from dozens of options, exactly the one that suits and pleases you.
Mirrors in frames can be hung one at a time on the wall, or you can decorate one surface with several at once, and different sizes, shapes and designs are allowed. This option is well suited for decorating a living room.
The mirror in the bathroom is a separate issue. It can also be made to order. Reflective surfaces are hung not only above the sink (although this is still considered a classic of the genre), they are used to make partitions in the shower and decorate entire walls in the bathroom.
There is still a lot of debate about whether a mirror is needed in the bedroom. Some people believe that such a surface takes away the energy of a sleeping person. Do you believe it? No question - you just shouldn’t place a reflective element opposite the bed. But the mirror at the dressing table of the owner of the bedroom is a sacred thing! An ideal option for such a reflective interior element is a backlit mirror. You definitely can’t do this yourself; it’s better to order it.
Ideas for any room
There are a number of universal ideas that can be applied to almost any room.
Storage system
Regardless of location, a storage system is never superfluous. If the niche is shallow and small in size, it can become a functional replacement for a wall shelf. Larger ones will serve as a showcase, shelving or, for example, a sideboard.
Niche storage system
What is stored in wall niches? Commemorative figurines or vases are usually placed in recesses of small depth and size; small bookshelves can be placed in them. Larger niches can accommodate a TV or a picture.
Decorative composition
Mini niches are an ideal place for placing a wide variety of decorative compositions: from backlit paintings to complex displays made from a large number of components.
Advice. Most often, it is the decor that becomes the answer to the question of how to beautifully decorate a small niche in the wall.
Decorative compositions in a niche
Light source
Light in a wall recess can be either an auxiliary element (illumination of a decorative composition or storage system) or an independent design idea (a lamp or a candle lantern).
Houseplants
An abundance of indoor plants is a current trend. If you're not sure where to place them, consider recessed niches. With their help, you can organize even an entire home mini-kindergarten in a compact and unusual way.
Advice. Living greenery is one of the most trendy answers to the question of how to decorate a niche in the wall. Even the most daring design ideas often lose out to ordinary indoor flowers.
Indoor plants in a niche
Mini office
It is not always possible to allocate a separate room for a home mini-office. But it can be installed in a recess in the wall - in the bedroom, living room, or even in the hallway. Are you wondering how to decorate a niche in the wall? Take a look at the photo below.
Mini office in a niche
Wardrobe
A wardrobe for clothes can also be placed in an alcove, even if it is not the deepest one (even a depth of 30-45 cm will be enough). Such a replacement for wardrobes will look natural in the bedroom, in the children's room, in the living room, and will also be the answer to the question of how to design a niche in the corridor for clothes.
home library
The more popular e-books become, the more luxury home libraries are considered. They add individuality, bohemianism, and intelligence to the interior. And you can arrange such a stylish library, for example, in a wall recess.
Home library in a niche
Mini recreation area
Alcove niche in the wall: how to decorate it both beautifully and usefully? A neat, compact area for relaxing and reading can be located in any room, in the hallway, or even on the balcony.
Advice. The idea is especially relevant if the main living room is combined indoors with other functional areas (living room-bedroom, kitchen-living room). And also in situations where the living room is extremely small or completely absent.
Radiator in a mini niche
An unusual and effective way to place a radiator in the interior is to recess it into a mini-niche in the wall.
Radiator in a niche
Using the backlight
Due to the lighting inside the decorative recess, a special atmosphere is created in the room. In addition to the fact that lighting focuses attention on objects located in niches, it participates in shaping the level of illumination.
Symmetrical arrangement of decorative recesses in the hallway
Additional lighting in the hallway, corridor or on the flight of internal stairs, where there are no sources of natural light, will not be superfluous.
Find out how to make lighting in the kitchen under the cabinets, and also read the planning rules, which lamps to choose and the color of lighting, in a special article on our portal.
Bright decor in the hallway
Note! When choosing a built-in light source, take into account its power - it should not be too high.
Prices for various types of recessed lamps
Recessed luminaires
Ideas for the hallway, corridor
A few tips on how to decorate a niche in a wall in a corridor or hallway in a stylish and impressive way.
Replacing a traditional headset
A small alcove in the hallway can take on the role of a familiar set. How to decorate such a niche in the wall? Complete it with a wall-mounted coat rack, a shelf and a bench or pouf - and a cozy, compact functional area is ready.
For correspondence
Don’t know where to carefully put letters, papers, receipts so that you don’t forget about them? Take a look at the photo below: a compact and cute solution to the problem.
Niche for correspondence
Niche key holder
The placement of keys can also be organized in a mini-recess on the wall: this is both convenient and aesthetically pleasing.
Shoe storage
Do you have an impressive shoe collection? Or, for example, bags, hats and other accessories? A niche rack will help organize such storage conveniently and neatly.
Instead of a chest of drawers
If you don’t need capacious storage from your chest of drawers, but still need a surface where you can put gloves, keys and other things at the entrance, the same recessed area in the wall will help out. It will provide a place for small things - and at the same time it will not take up much space.
Niche instead of a chest of drawers in the hallway
Mini laundry
An alcove in the hallway or corridor makes it possible to arrange a mini-laundry room. This idea is also suitable for niches in the bathroom or kitchen.
Mini laundry in a niche
Kitchen ideas
Tips for kitchen alcoves of different sizes and shapes.
For spices
A mini-recess in the wall, designed for spices and sauces, will save space on the work surface and add zest to the kitchen and decorate it.
Technique
Larger alcove niches are used to place equipment (including partial).
Advice. It happens that a refrigerator absolutely does not fit in a tiny kitchen, and if you manage to squeeze it in, the ergonomics are immediately disrupted and it becomes inconvenient to move around in the space. In such cases, the unit can be partially recessed into a wall alcove - and gain precious centimeters.
Niche-storage
If your kitchen does not have a pantry, and even a balcony cannot be used for these purposes, wall recesses will again come to the rescue. Alcoves - even the smallest and shallowest - can turn into a spacious place for cereals, pasta and other shelf-stable products.
By the way, this move would also be appropriate in other rooms - for example, ideas on how to decorate a niche in the corridor for a storage room are found in designer interiors no less often than kitchen mini-warehouses.
Advice. The storage niche can be left open, or you can provide doors or a fabric curtain.
Advantages of glass products and mirrors
Beautiful view
Glass is a malleable material from which you can create products of various shades, sizes and shapes. The presented elements look especially impressive in rooms with small dimensions, visually increasing the space.
If the selected glass specimen or mirror is equipped with lighting, a unique magical effect is created. Products can differ in a variety of surfaces: matte, mirror, identical to natural stone, any shades, with different patterns. Therefore, you can easily order a model that is ideal for a specific interior.
Easy and hygienic cleaning
If you want to equip your kitchen, it means that there are different types of contaminants. But don’t worry, because this material is resistant to dirt, it doesn’t absorb dirt, and all you need for cleaning is a simple damp cloth. The use becomes doubly profitable due to the fact that glass is an unfavorable surface for the development of mold and fungi.
Environmental Safety
Due to the fact that the presented material is of natural origin, it is safe and does not emit harmful substances, which is very important for daily use. In addition to the environmental side of the issue, triplex glass is safe if accidentally broken, as it breaks into small, non-sharp parts.
Niche in the living room
Useful and relevant ideas on how to decorate a niche in the wall in the hall, in the living room.
Niche as the central element of the composition
Who said that a wall alcove is necessarily an auxiliary element? Wondering how to decorate a niche in the living room? Take a look at this photo: here the niche shelves acted as the center of the composition and became the main feature of the interior.
Niche as the central element of the composition
Advice. As for large niches, sofas or wardrobes are usually placed in them - this is a space-saving and stylish interior solution.
Fireplace
A recessed alcove in the living room can turn into a cozy fireplace.
Advice. By the way, the idea is relevant not only for a country residence or country house, but also for a city apartment - for example, in Moscow.
Drovnitsa
Continuing the theme with a fireplace in the living room is this stylish, original firewood rack in the wall recess.
Firewood in a niche
Behind the sofa
A decorative wall niche behind the sofa will draw attention to the area, allow you to place the necessary little things or a decorative display, and place emphasis on one of the walls.
Niche behind the sofa
shelves in niches in the living room interior:
In the West, according to tradition, shelves most often appear on both sides of the fireplace, i.e. two symmetrical niches are used at once. In a reality closer to us, niches can be formed if you combine 2 rooms or remove part of the partition, after which support columns or communication boxes (shafts) remain.
On the shelves in the niches of the living room you can place everything that is part of your family interests: books or magazines, collections or pleasant little things. If you want to find a place for a home office in the living room, place it in a niche (table or countertop + shelves). If the living room is combined with the dining room, you can place a chest of drawers in a niche, and shelves above it. And, of course, shelves can appear in the niche where the TV is located, but since this is usually the decorative center of the room, the functional use of this area can be very conditional.
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Niche in the bedroom
Useful tips on how to beautifully design and decorate a niche in the bedroom - a room for sleeping and relaxing.
Alcove bed
A sleeping place in an alcove is a design move that makes the atmosphere even more cozy and enveloping. This technique is also one of the best ways to isolate the bedroom area in a studio or room with several functions (for example, in a bedroom-living room).
Bed in a niche
Instead of a bedside table
Arranging a niche in the wall is a real boon for owners of a tiny bedroom. Such a functional element can replace a bedside table or even an entire shelving unit - and at the same time it will not actually take up space or disrupt the ergonomics of the space.
Niche instead of a bedside table
Dressing table
It seems that such a secluded place as an alcove in the bedroom was literally created to accommodate a dressing table. The main thing is to provide high-quality lighting.
For bed linen
How to decorate a niche in the wall in the bedroom? A winning move could be to turn it into a storage system for bed linen, bedspreads, decorative pillows and other textiles.
Types of niches in the wall
There are several varieties:
- Functional. They differ not only in their decorative functions, but also become a real tool in creating a convenient and thoughtful design, which is especially important in rooms with a small area.
- Decorative. They become an excellent corrective element when it is necessary to hide some planning flaws.
These recesses undoubtedly give the interior of the room additional coziness and comfort. They can simply decorate the environment or perform a specific function, for example, you can equip a niche even instead of a window, thereby creating a cozy corner for relaxing or reading.
Ideas for the nursery
Ideas for the youngest family members.
For books and toys
A recess in the wall at the height of a child is a convenient place for books, toys, children's small items and mini-collections.
Advice. Several of these mini-niches can successfully replace a shelving unit in a children's room.
Niche for books in the wall
Functional niche instead of shelving in the nursery
Demonstration of achievements
A recess in the wall with an exhibition display of a child's achievements can be a way to give the room personality and personalize the space. What can be placed in such a mini-niche:
- cups;
- photos from competitions;
- medals;
- certificates and diplomas within;
- crafts, drawings.
Sports section
An alcove (including a through one) can accommodate a sports corner: for example, a wall bars, a home climbing wall or a hammock for aerial yoga.
Ideas for the bathroom
The ideal place for a small recess in the wall is the bathroom. In addition to decorative scented candles, you can place personal items there so as not to clutter the sink. Small spaces are especially in need of extra storage and decor.
Niche for decoration in the bathroom
For bath accessories
The most common use of wall recesses in the bathroom is to place cosmetics, personal hygiene items and bath accessories. Such mini-niches are most often placed:
- in the bathroom and/or shower area;
- at the sink;
- near the toilet area;
- at the dressing table in the bathroom.
For household chemicals
Often, a storage system for household chemicals is provided in the bathroom. It can also fit in an alcove.
Bathroom textiles
Bath sheets, towels, replacement shower curtains and bath mats—larger recesses can provide convenient storage for textiles.
Niche for bath accessories in the bathroom
Where is it usually located?
Several accommodation options:
- Under the window. Most often, this arrangement is used to disguise and play up an unsightly heating radiator or to organize the necessary storage system.
- Corner. With the help of a corner structure in the wall, you can adjust the visual perception of space, giving it liveliness and at the same time practicality.
- In a false wall. This placement allows you to effectively diversify the design of the room and give it individuality.
- Above the sofa. Non-through openings of rectangular or square shape located above the sofa favorably emphasize the geometric nature of the room and give it discipline.
Various options for symmetrical or asymmetrical placement allow you to diversify a standard and boring interior and add dynamics and some liveliness to it.
The photo shows a bedroom with decorative niches placed in the partition.
Bonus: 4 original ways to arrange an alcove niche
Most often, alcoves are either features of the space configuration, or are provided for at the rough stage of renovation. But there are several more design ways to get this functional interior detail.
Between the top and bottom cabinets
Take a look at the photo: this recessed niche appeared thanks to the distance left between the upper and lower cabinets in the hallway. This helped to make the most of the space, organize storage vertically, and at the same time leave a little visual lightness and air.
Niche between cabinets in the hallway
Between the wall and the closet
This alcove is also equipped without any “wet” work: it was formed thanks to the gap between the wall and the storage system.
Advice . In the same way, you can use, for example, the space between two cabinets or shelving.
Niche between wall and cabinet
Around the window
An interesting move is to visually separate the space around the window and create a kind of niche area.
Advice. It is not necessary to address the physical arrangement of the alcove (changing floor and ceiling levels and other additional cost items). You can limit yourself to highlighting the area with color, finishing materials or textile curtains.
Niche around the window
