NICHES: FUNCTIONALITY MEETS AESTHETIC
WHERE AND HOW TO INCORPORATE THIS DESIGN ELEMENT IN YOUR HOME
In Italy you can often see niches in older and heritage buildings where the walls were a lot thicker.
They can be transformed and restored to become a real architectural feature in the home, and turned into an aesthetically curated element that can be purely decorative or used for storage and shelving.
In newer and more modern houses, and after structural considerations they can be created within the perimeter walls, or they can be built from scratches using false walls made of plaster to suit the new dimensions and positioning
IN LIVING OR DINING ROOMS
To transform entire walls into a seamless shelfing system, adding character and personality to the spaces.
Shapes can change from geometrical square, rectangular to more rounded and softer lines and spotlights or decorative sconces can be added to highlight each pocket or the entire structure, depending on the space
BATHROOMS
A great way to incorporate a space for bottles, shampoos, and the products for our daily care routine.
It can be tiled or it can be sealed and finished with specific paint products or plaster including venetian plaster
It’s often located in the shower or near the bath, but depending on the size of the room it can be positioned on other walls to display decorative items such as vases, candles and also used for storage purposes
BEDSIDES
Seamless and elegant, it can be done and designed in different sizes and shapes. With a depth between 20 and 30cm can contain a small table lamp together with other small items, alternately you can use LED lights or decorative wall lights and sconces to be externally wall mounted to create an even more decorative nook
CONCEAL SPLIT SYSTEMS
What about hiding the ‘not so pretty’ air con split system?
The splits can be positioned on the top pocket and they can then be concealed behind a grid to match the aesthetic of the niche
ARCHED NICHES AND ORGANIC SHAPES
I love arches for their organic and soft lines. The visual impact is extremely effective while keeping the design minimalistic and neat
As always textures play a great part in the show so if your aesthetic is simple and you are a fan of solid colours, you can chose to apply raw finishes to complete the design and add character to the space - i.e. concrete, limestone, venetian plaster etc.
Sarah Sherman Samuel photographed by Stoffer Photography interiors
As with most things there are very little limits to imagination especially when it comes to the use of materials
Skills, knowledge and creativity can lead to incredible results
