Try Preformed Ready for Tile Shower Niches and Benches on Suncoast View

If you're looking to remodel your bathroom, try preformed ready for tile shower niches and benches, not to mention soap shelves. That's what Tile Outlets' Kate Spencer discussed on Suncoast View.

A bathroom may be a purely functional space in your home, but in Southwest Florida's hot housing market, a bathroom remodel can bring a 100% return on investment in the home value. That's according to real estate experts.

Kate Spencer joined the Suncoast View co-hosts on Thursday, January 10 to discuss how niches, benches and soap shelves can transform a bathroom, with samples in hand.

Sarasota's Suncoast View

Suncoast View is the locally produced hour-long Talk Show airing at 4 p.m. EST on ABC 7 WWSB in the Sarasota, Florida area. The program’s format is inspired by the ABC Network’s popular, long-running talk show, “The View”.

Kate has been a regular there and enjoys talking tile with co-hosts Stephanie Roberts, the popular Co-Anchor of ABC 7’s Good Morning Suncoast, ABC 7’s beloved veteran Reporter Linda Carson and Joey Panek, Senior Producer.

In the photo below, you see Linda Carson on the far left, Kate, Joey and Stephanie Roberts. Notice the preformed shower niches and the soap shelves. (The benches were too big to bring along.)

What Makes Preformed Ready for Tile Shower Benches and Niches Ideal for Florida Homes?

As practical as a bathroom space is, it's also one that calls for personal touches such as niches for storing shampoos, benches for sitting on and shelves for soap. Add tile to the mix, and you can create personalized gems that make a bathroom truly relaxing and talk-worthy.

You might think that benches and niches and soap shelves, too, add expensive complexity to a bathroom. However, preformed tile ready niches and benches make adding such custom touches to your bathroom easy.

These preformed products are made of waterproof plastic or marine grade styrofoam and come in many different sizes. They can be installed in minutes without penetrations of the niche and they are designed to allow standard size tile to be installed without cutting.

Preformed Ready for Tile Niches and Benches at Tile Outlets of America

In the image below, you see Jean Snell who recently conducted a product knowledge session about niches and other products. (See Grouting Glass Tile: An Interview With Jean Snell Of The Tile Doctor.)

Jean is holding one of these preformed forms. From the photo, you can see how lightweight it is.

Tile Outlets carries niche products from Quickshelf, The Noble Company and Schluter. You'll find sizes ranging from 12x12, 13x13, 9x13 and 13x20, some with an arch, to more custom sizes and shapes with adjustable shelves. We can easily special order different sizes and shapes if you don't find what you need.

For benches, you can choose from triangular shapes, rectangular and curved shapes.

The beauty of preformed niches and benches is that you or your installation professional can install them in minutes and easily tile over them.

In this article, I'll show you examples of

• Niches – Single & multiple
• Customizing bathroom niches
• Benches
• Soap shelves

Single Preformed Niches

As you look at these examples of single niche ready for tile inserts, notice the variations possible in tile size, trims, and placement.

The image below features a rectangular wall tile; the niche is placed below sink-level. Notice the pencil liner trim around the niche.

This next image features white subway tile with the niche centrally positioned.

The image below shows you rectangular wall tile placed vertically to echo the vertically placed subway tile band and centrally located niche.

Double Preformed Ready for Tile Niches

If one niche is wonderful, imagine how much better two niches are!

In the image below, you see two single preformed niches placed just so for a double niche effect, adding more storage space and visual interest.

In this next image, the preformed niche includes three sections. Don't you love the effect of the decorative tile around the niches?

The image below features an interesting installation of a large size niche placed horizontally.

How to Customize Bathroom Niches

This is where adding these preformed niches to your bathroom remodel becomes really fun: customizing the tile work with decorative mosaics!

Below, notice how Zen-like the nature-inspired palette of the brick-shaped mosaic band that has enveloped this niche.

The image below features glass mosaic tile as the background of the niche and the decorative band above it.

The example below takes the same concept yet places the decorative elements vertically on the walls.

In the image below, notice the strong focal design made of mosaics with a pencil-lined niche placed strategically within.

Here's a closeup of that niche.

In the example below, the decorative horizontal glass mosaic band appears underneath the niche. Talk about making that white glossy wall tile pop!

In this last example, I love the vertical placement of the mosaic tile. It adds just the right touch of visual interest.

Customizing Your Shower with Benches

In addition to niches, you can also use preformed benches to customize your bathroom shower.

The examples below highlight triangular benches. However, you can also create rectangular ones.

This first image is particularly fun in that it includes a niche and a non-traditionally shaped bench.

Benches can be high or low. They can be more about sitting or simply a place for a leg while shaving. Regardless, they add visual interest, practicality and look great tiled.

The bench in the image below looks particularly dramatic with the red towel on it.

Here's one more example.

You'll find that some benches will feature decorative elements including mosaics on top.

You can also create more customized benches using waterproof panels as we describe in Build a Waterproof Shower Enclosure with Schluter Products.

Soap Shelves and Dishes

Ultimately, bath and shower spaces are practical spaces. The custom touches you add need to perform a purpose, including hold your soap. For that reason, don't forget to add a soap shelf or dish. It's a great way to further customize your shower or bath.

Here's an example of two Travertine soap shelves which can hold shampoos and other items in addition to soap.

Or, perhaps you prefer a more traditional plain white soap dish. Look how beautifully this one works, not just for the soap, but also as a counterpoint to the pebble border.

What's Your Reaction to these Preformed Ready for Tile Shower Niches, Benches, and Soap Shelves?

We'd love to hear!

When you visit Tile Outlets of America, you'll find not only the perfect tile selection to create your dream bathroom and shower with, but also the right accessories to enable you or your tile installation professional to customize it with useful features such as niches, recessed tile shelves, and benches, not to mention soap dishes and even towel bars.

Thanks for watching and learning about how to use inserts to customize your bathroom with us. Let us know of any questions.

Kate