Storage is an essential function in space, so when designers mention storage. The first thing that must be associated with is cabinets, shelves, and so on, but there is another form of storage that is very popular in current interior design, which is the niche A niche is a reserved hole in the wall that is recessed to accommodate items. It has excellent extensibility and practicality and often serves as a magical finishing touch in residential settings. A good niche not only satisfies storage needs but also greatly enhances the level and aesthetic atmosphere of the space.
1. Characteristics of stone niches
01. Not occupying space, fully utilizing space
For non-load-bearing walls or newly built walls in the space, designers can fully utilize the thickness space of the wall with sufficient thickness. After all, niches are recessed inside the wall, unlike cabinets or shelves placed against the wall. Therefore, the biggest storage advantage of niches is that they do not occupy space and greatly improve space utilization.
02 Visual extension and amplification
The concave shape structure of a niche gives people a sense of extension and amplification in both visual and psychological aspects. Designers who have drawn renderings know that squeezing the surface inward into the concave creates a sense of advancement. The design of a niche is also the same, alleviating the visual pressure brought by the original overall wall.
03 More possibilities for creating a sense of design
There are many possibilities for designing niches, but their shape and shape are not fixed and uniform. They can be set arbitrarily in terms of square, circle, length, and width. The material selection can use glass, metal, ceramic tiles, and so on. Lighting layout design can also be carried out inside the niche.
Generally, hidden light strips are used for wall-washing lighting. On the one hand, they illuminate the objects inside the niche, and on the other hand, they create a sense of mystery. The openings of the niche can also be arranged according to a certain composition, order, proportion, and combination, and then holes can be made in the wall. The openings themselves can also play a very good role in aesthetic decoration.
2. Which places are suitable for making niches
Niches can only be renovated on non-load-bearing walls or newly built walls, and load-bearing walls cannot be moved, otherwise, the load-bearing structure of the space will be damaged. In addition, niches have corresponding requirements for the thickness of the wall. Generally, niches have a thickness of 150mm-200mm. If the wall thickness is less than 250mm, niches cannot be made, nor can they ensure aesthetics and practicality. Especially when niches are set up in the bathroom, if the wall thickness is not enough, making niches can cause moisture to the room wall on the other side of the wall.
Make a niche in the management office
Usually, after wrapping the drainage standpipe at the shower or sink drainage pipe in the bathroom, an equivalent column is built on the opposite side to maintain consistency with the horizontal plane of the wrapping pipe, so that the space between the wrapping pipe and the newly built column can be made into a niche. Different types of partition materials can be used in the middle, mainly for storing bathroom supplies and other storage functions. The conventional niche thickness is controlled between 150mm-200mm to facilitate the storage and placement of items. This scale is just right.
Wall excavation
Before excavation, the designer needs to undergo a series of precise and careful measurements and calculations. The actual size of the excavation should be greater than the predetermined niche size, with at least 50 to 100 remaining， And the size of the tiles should be coordinated with the size of the niches. For example, in guest dining rooms, bedrooms, study rooms, and other spaces, this method can be used to create niches to meet the storage functions required by the current space. The usual thickness of niches is around 150-200mm, and the thickness of excavated walls is at least 250mm, in order to better meet the storage and aesthetic effects.
To create a niche with gaps
This approach is a typical example of turning disadvantages into advantages. If some walls in the space have irregular shapes, either knock off the excess walls to restore them to a regular state. Alternatively, it can be utilized to meet the storage function of this space. For example, in areas with gaps in the space, partitions can be set up to transform this gap area into niches, which can be fully utilized.
