Niches in the interior help create an unusual room design. The history of their appearance lies in the rustic interior. But before the emergence of this style, niches in the homes of Roman emperors and medieval barons were not uncommon. They just did not betray such great importance.
The horizontal niche is most often used in a classic style. Its application extends to a variety of areas, and the functionality is very great.
A wide recess can visually lengthen the room. The use of this element of decor can be found in living rooms and halls.The niche located above eye level solves the problem of a low ceiling, as if lifting it a few centimeters.
These recesses are combined with low furniture. It is this version of the furniture ensemble that best emphasizes the advantages of horizontal niches.
Niches elongated in width are used in small rooms. They are made homogeneous, or divided into several sectors, creating a gallery effect. With this arrangement, the horizontal recesses may be located one above the other, or extend along the wall.
Any horizontal depression can add a little more coziness and comfort to the overall interior of the room. The recesses in the wall look a bit mysterious and non-trivial, giving the space around a light fleur of puzzles.
Vertical niche
Vertical recesses in the wall are used to visually increase the space in height. Such niches are placed next to a window, doorway or where it is supposed to put a minimal set of furniture.
By the way, furniture with a high back next to a vertical niche looks best. These recesses with elongated lines can be decorated with the same decorative elements on the sides. For example, for this design use chairs or floor flowerpots.
Niches elongated vertically work like bookcases, dressing rooms, shelves for figurines and even key holders. Their application is extensive, and the design can be any.
How can I use it in the interior?
The practical use of the recess depends on the room where it will be used, as well as the designer's flight of thought. Consider the most common use cases for niches:
Bookshelf. This option saves space, looks stylish and relevant, helps to functionally store books and magazines;
Cupboard. Here the purpose of the cabinet can be any. Open cabinets display photographs, collections of interior items, vases and candles.They also install closed modules for storing shoes or bedding;
Space for household appliances. Extremely useful thing in the kitchen. A dishwasher is built into the large arch, and coffee makers and microwave ovens are installed in small niches;
Area for a bed. A sofa or bed placed in a recess looks organically. This method saves the area in the room, makes the overall interior composition more complex and harmonious;
Place for bath accessories. The bathroom is a corner of comfort where the decorative cave looks perfect. Piles of elegant towels, candles, oils and any other items are placed in it;
Greenhouse. Shade-loving plants in a niche will feel just fine. And if we are talking about living things, then the house for the cat can also be arranged in the recess.
In addition to the functional purpose, the recesses in the wall are divided into forms and types. The table below contains information on the relationship between the type of niche and its location.
Recess Type
Use case
Horizontal
Living room, bedroom, hallway, bathroom.
Vertical
Study, living room, hallway, nursery, kitchen.
Non-standard
Children's room, living room, loggia, bathroom, common hall in the house.
The composition of the recesses
In any room.
These options are not a design axiom, they are given in order to make it easier to choose a place for a certain type of niche.
A non-standard niche is understood as recesses in the form of fruits, waves, circles. In general, everything that does not fit into the framework of vertical and horizontal lines refers to this concept.
A niche is not only a beautiful element of decor, but also a fully functional architectural detail. When choosing the type of niche, it is worth considering its harmonious combination with the furniture in the room. If the furniture decor is studded with monograms, curls and carved elements, the recess lines should be rounded or broken.The standard rectangular version is combined with minimalist furniture.
Cupboard
Which of the recesses is the closet? In addition to being unusual, it also saves the area of the room. Down with boring cabinet options, a niche will cope with this purpose much better. For example, a book niche can be decorated with columns. Then the books on the shelves will become more visible and significant. Wardrobe recess complement hangers for clothes, cupboards for shoes. A cabinet from a niche for crafts and jewelry can be equipped with transparent shelves so that the beauty of the contents is maximally visible to others.
In the bedroom in the niche they put not only a bed, but also an old chest for bedding. In the living room, the grandmother’s sideboard for dishes can be successfully replaced by an elegant recess in the wall.
For household appliances
In the kitchen, the recesses in the wall are most needed. All home appliances harmoniously fit into them. Not without reason, among household appliances there are so many built-in analogues.
In small recesses, you can place original jars with spices, also there are good looking pots, pans and a variety of pot holders with an interesting design.
An extractor hood or a kitchen fireplace will also occupy a worthy place under the arch. Want to set up a small wine cellar in the kitchen? Make it a niche.
Workplace
The idea of a workplace in a living room recess is good because it creates an unusual image without overloading the space with unnecessary details. A niche can serve as a desk or a shelf for working tools.
Its use in this embodiment is appropriate where compact location is an urgent need.
When the ceiling is sloped in the room, and if the room is an attic, the natural recess can be used to organize the workspace.
Backlight
The LED spotlight in the recess or exed looks luxurious.The scattered light softens the space in the recess, exposing the decor in the most favorable light.
The practical purpose of the lighting here is that with the help of additional lighting it is easiest to find the right things in the kitchen or in the wardrobe.
What to put in a wall niche?
What can fill this way of decorating space? The answer depends on the purpose of the niche. Almost everything looks appropriate in it: old armchairs, expensive amphoras, books and CDs, sculptures, a sofa, perfumes, toys and sports trophies.
Sometimes they place absolutely incredible things. For example, a sculpture of the owner of a house in full growth, an anatomical skeleton or a stuffed animal.
Making a niche with our own hands - a step-by-step master class
Dreaming of creating a decorative grotto in the hallway? Or want to have your own alcove in the bedroom? Then this master class will help you translate the idea into reality. To decorate a niche wall, follow a simple algorithm:
Draw a drawing of the future recess;
From a tree or metal profile, create a niche frame against the wall;
Sew in drywall the entire frame of the niche;
Coat the joints with a building primer or putty;
Color the product in the desired color.
A recess that cuts directly into the wall is best left to professionals. It is they who know which walls are suitable for this work, and which are load-bearing and cannot be transformed.
Do-it-yourself niche lighting is best thought out in advance. Since in the process, spotlights are difficult to install.
Niche Design
The modern design of the niche where the sofa is planned to be installed will differ from the design where it is necessary to place many small elements.
Niches near the furniture are decorated with photo wallpaper, paintings, bright color accents and lighting. They are shaded with decorative plaster, wallpaper and drawings. Decorated with columns, doorposts and stucco molding.
The recesses for placing the decor make the same color as the entire color scheme of the wall. Sometimes consonant shades of colors are used. But all color transitions here should be smooth.
The space in the recesses does not obscure too much. Dark spots in the wall create the effect of a “black hole”, they look inharmonious.
Depending on the style, the recess can be decorated with stone, brick and even newspaper clippings. Particularly creative niches are decorated with decoupage or mosaic.
Using the lights in the wall, you can create a stained-glass window, as well as a fake window that is fashionable today. It all depends on the design of the room and the relevance of this technique.
In small rooms, alcoves are not made too deep, but large spaces with significant recesses look harmonious.
In the living room
In the hall, this decor element is combined with a TV shelf. Use as an element zoning space. Empty walls are filled in this way.
In the living room, the protruding space by the fireplace is supplemented with niches throughout the wall. There are books, pillows and more.
The idea of the recess in front of the window allows you to make the most of natural light for the recreation area created there.
A simple couch looks good in exed. On it you can lie and enjoy the music, like the Romans or Greeks.
In a one-room apartment, there can be only one niche, but its size is determined by free space.
The designer may advise making a niche in the living room in the form of a place for firewood or a cabinet for many books and magazines. But you can create a recess for anything, for example, for wine bottles.
In the bedroom
A common option for a niche in the bedroom is a recess for positioning the bed. Modern technologies allow not only to establish a berth in a niche, but also contribute to the creation of such structures when the bed is completely tucked into a recess during daylight hours.
The shapes of the niches in the bedrooms can be any.Most often, they look like oriental domes, arches, rectangular shelves, standard recesses. Several options for this decor in the bedroom look great.
In the nursery
In the nursery, hollows are made out in the form of trees, ships, apples and houses.
They are used to create play spaces, bookshelves, sleeping places and dressing rooms.
The bright design of the niche in the nursery looks more appropriate than in another room.
Children really like these recesses. With them, the room looks cute and extraordinary. A niche in a nursery is an excellent solution for storing a child’s toys and sports equipment.
In bathroom
The bathroom, decorated with recesses, becomes comfortable, romantic and functional. There will always be objects that will occupy a worthy place in the recess.
A washing machine, a laundry basket and bathrobes - all this can be hidden in a niche from prying eyes.
Even a shower cabin or a water tank in a niche look more harmonious.
In the kitchen
In the kitchen, this decor has many functions. And these functions depend on the style of the kitchen space:
Rustic style. It implies the presence of shelves on which all the necessary household items are installed;
Country. Here, the recess carries a decorative load;
Classic style. In this direction, in the niche you can see the hood;
Retro. Deepening in retro is used to highlight still lifes and wall photographs;
Modern style. It does not imply restrictions on the use of a niche. The most creative options, explosive colors and crazy decor elements in a modern style are used everywhere.
All of these options can be designed as contrasting spots on the wall of the kitchen, or can be made out as an integral continuation of a single interior idea.
To decorate the arch in the kitchen, you can use stones, mosaics, tiles, wall panels, wood and glass. The main thing is that these elements are easy to maintain, and also fit into the overall concept.
In the hall
The corridor, which has such a decoration as a niche, always wins against a room with solid walls. Here, soft lights, key baskets and little things, hat hooks and coats are used.
The decor of a hallway with a recess depends on the height of the ceiling. Too high walls can be visually landed by niches located slightly below eye level. A corridor with a low ceiling can be visually pulled out with recesses located under the ceiling or above the middle of the wall.
The use of lighting in the corridor is most appropriate, as an addition to the main lighting. The space at the entrance has no windows, so the light there is never superfluous. It is also possible to use a mirror to enhance the lighting effect.
Conclusion
Niches can be seen not only in residential buildings, but also in temples, cathedrals, castles and estates. Their history is as old as the world, and their forms are striking in diversity. The prototype of a niche in the interior can be considered primitive caves, where people hid from rain, wind, cold and wild animals. That is why such an interior solution inspires confidence, arouses a sense of security and comfort.
Dark depressions, in contrast, produce the opposite effect. They are not recommended to be created in the interior, as people were always afraid of dark wells, damp holes and mysterious dips in the ground. To disperse this effect, backlighting is also used, as well as coloring in bright colors.
Any interior with a niche looks much more expensive and solemn than without it. Therefore, the recess in the wall is an indispensable attribute of some styles in the interior.
Niches in the interior help create an unusual room design. The history of their appearance lies in the rustic interior. But before the emergence of this style, niches in the homes of Roman emperors and medieval barons were not uncommon. They just did not betray such great importance.
Content
Horizontal niche
The horizontal niche is most often used in a classic style. Its application extends to a variety of areas, and the functionality is very great.
A wide recess can visually lengthen the room. The use of this element of decor can be found in living rooms and halls.The niche located above eye level solves the problem of a low ceiling, as if lifting it a few centimeters.
These recesses are combined with low furniture. It is this version of the furniture ensemble that best emphasizes the advantages of horizontal niches.
Niches elongated in width are used in small rooms. They are made homogeneous, or divided into several sectors, creating a gallery effect. With this arrangement, the horizontal recesses may be located one above the other, or extend along the wall.
Any horizontal depression can add a little more coziness and comfort to the overall interior of the room. The recesses in the wall look a bit mysterious and non-trivial, giving the space around a light fleur of puzzles.
Vertical niche
Vertical recesses in the wall are used to visually increase the space in height. Such niches are placed next to a window, doorway or where it is supposed to put a minimal set of furniture.
By the way, furniture with a high back next to a vertical niche looks best. These recesses with elongated lines can be decorated with the same decorative elements on the sides. For example, for this design use chairs or floor flowerpots.
Niches elongated vertically work like bookcases, dressing rooms, shelves for figurines and even key holders. Their application is extensive, and the design can be any.
How can I use it in the interior?
The practical use of the recess depends on the room where it will be used, as well as the designer's flight of thought. Consider the most common use cases for niches:
In addition to the functional purpose, the recesses in the wall are divided into forms and types. The table below contains information on the relationship between the type of niche and its location.
These options are not a design axiom, they are given in order to make it easier to choose a place for a certain type of niche.
A niche is not only a beautiful element of decor, but also a fully functional architectural detail. When choosing the type of niche, it is worth considering its harmonious combination with the furniture in the room. If the furniture decor is studded with monograms, curls and carved elements, the recess lines should be rounded or broken.The standard rectangular version is combined with minimalist furniture.
Cupboard
Which of the recesses is the closet? In addition to being unusual, it also saves the area of the room. Down with boring cabinet options, a niche will cope with this purpose much better. For example, a book niche can be decorated with columns. Then the books on the shelves will become more visible and significant. Wardrobe recess complement hangers for clothes, cupboards for shoes. A cabinet from a niche for crafts and jewelry can be equipped with transparent shelves so that the beauty of the contents is maximally visible to others.
In the bedroom in the niche they put not only a bed, but also an old chest for bedding. In the living room, the grandmother’s sideboard for dishes can be successfully replaced by an elegant recess in the wall.
For household appliances
In the kitchen, the recesses in the wall are most needed. All home appliances harmoniously fit into them. Not without reason, among household appliances there are so many built-in analogues.
In small recesses, you can place original jars with spices, also there are good looking pots, pans and a variety of pot holders with an interesting design.
An extractor hood or a kitchen fireplace will also occupy a worthy place under the arch. Want to set up a small wine cellar in the kitchen? Make it a niche.
Workplace
The idea of a workplace in a living room recess is good because it creates an unusual image without overloading the space with unnecessary details. A niche can serve as a desk or a shelf for working tools.
Its use in this embodiment is appropriate where compact location is an urgent need.
When the ceiling is sloped in the room, and if the room is an attic, the natural recess can be used to organize the workspace.
Backlight
The LED spotlight in the recess or exed looks luxurious.The scattered light softens the space in the recess, exposing the decor in the most favorable light.
The practical purpose of the lighting here is that with the help of additional lighting it is easiest to find the right things in the kitchen or in the wardrobe.
What to put in a wall niche?
What can fill this way of decorating space? The answer depends on the purpose of the niche. Almost everything looks appropriate in it: old armchairs, expensive amphoras, books and CDs, sculptures, a sofa, perfumes, toys and sports trophies.
Sometimes they place absolutely incredible things. For example, a sculpture of the owner of a house in full growth, an anatomical skeleton or a stuffed animal.
Making a niche with our own hands - a step-by-step master class
Dreaming of creating a decorative grotto in the hallway? Or want to have your own alcove in the bedroom? Then this master class will help you translate the idea into reality. To decorate a niche wall, follow a simple algorithm:
A recess that cuts directly into the wall is best left to professionals. It is they who know which walls are suitable for this work, and which are load-bearing and cannot be transformed.
Do-it-yourself niche lighting is best thought out in advance. Since in the process, spotlights are difficult to install.
Niche Design
The modern design of the niche where the sofa is planned to be installed will differ from the design where it is necessary to place many small elements.
Niches near the furniture are decorated with photo wallpaper, paintings, bright color accents and lighting. They are shaded with decorative plaster, wallpaper and drawings. Decorated with columns, doorposts and stucco molding.
The recesses for placing the decor make the same color as the entire color scheme of the wall. Sometimes consonant shades of colors are used. But all color transitions here should be smooth.
Depending on the style, the recess can be decorated with stone, brick and even newspaper clippings. Particularly creative niches are decorated with decoupage or mosaic.
Using the lights in the wall, you can create a stained-glass window, as well as a fake window that is fashionable today. It all depends on the design of the room and the relevance of this technique.
In small rooms, alcoves are not made too deep, but large spaces with significant recesses look harmonious.
In the living room
In the hall, this decor element is combined with a TV shelf. Use as an element zoning space. Empty walls are filled in this way.
In the living room, the protruding space by the fireplace is supplemented with niches throughout the wall. There are books, pillows and more.
The idea of the recess in front of the window allows you to make the most of natural light for the recreation area created there.
A simple couch looks good in exed. On it you can lie and enjoy the music, like the Romans or Greeks.
In a one-room apartment, there can be only one niche, but its size is determined by free space.
The designer may advise making a niche in the living room in the form of a place for firewood or a cabinet for many books and magazines. But you can create a recess for anything, for example, for wine bottles.
In the bedroom
A common option for a niche in the bedroom is a recess for positioning the bed. Modern technologies allow not only to establish a berth in a niche, but also contribute to the creation of such structures when the bed is completely tucked into a recess during daylight hours.
The shapes of the niches in the bedrooms can be any.Most often, they look like oriental domes, arches, rectangular shelves, standard recesses. Several options for this decor in the bedroom look great.
In the nursery
In the nursery, hollows are made out in the form of trees, ships, apples and houses.
They are used to create play spaces, bookshelves, sleeping places and dressing rooms.
The bright design of the niche in the nursery looks more appropriate than in another room.
Children really like these recesses. With them, the room looks cute and extraordinary. A niche in a nursery is an excellent solution for storing a child’s toys and sports equipment.
In bathroom
The bathroom, decorated with recesses, becomes comfortable, romantic and functional.
There will always be objects that will occupy a worthy place in the recess.
A washing machine, a laundry basket and bathrobes - all this can be hidden in a niche from prying eyes.
Even a shower cabin or a water tank in a niche look more harmonious.
In the kitchen
In the kitchen, this decor has many functions. And these functions depend on the style of the kitchen space:
All of these options can be designed as contrasting spots on the wall of the kitchen, or can be made out as an integral continuation of a single interior idea.
To decorate the arch in the kitchen, you can use stones, mosaics, tiles, wall panels, wood and glass. The main thing is that these elements are easy to maintain, and also fit into the overall concept.
In the hall
The corridor, which has such a decoration as a niche, always wins against a room with solid walls. Here, soft lights, key baskets and little things, hat hooks and coats are used.
The decor of a hallway with a recess depends on the height of the ceiling. Too high walls can be visually landed by niches located slightly below eye level. A corridor with a low ceiling can be visually pulled out with recesses located under the ceiling or above the middle of the wall.
The use of lighting in the corridor is most appropriate, as an addition to the main lighting. The space at the entrance has no windows, so the light there is never superfluous. It is also possible to use a mirror to enhance the lighting effect.
Conclusion
Niches can be seen not only in residential buildings, but also in temples, cathedrals, castles and estates. Their history is as old as the world, and their forms are striking in diversity. The prototype of a niche in the interior can be considered primitive caves, where people hid from rain, wind, cold and wild animals. That is why such an interior solution inspires confidence, arouses a sense of security and comfort.
Dark depressions, in contrast, produce the opposite effect. They are not recommended to be created in the interior, as people were always afraid of dark wells, damp holes and mysterious dips in the ground. To disperse this effect, backlighting is also used, as well as coloring in bright colors.
Any interior with a niche looks much more expensive and solemn than without it. Therefore, the recess in the wall is an indispensable attribute of some styles in the interior.