sometimes it's just so convenient to have that niche handy...even if it's not used very often.

I love having a niche or two. But, I tend to like them as a feature (larger, or centered or multiples) or hidden from outside the shower.

Yes, but at the end of the shower, if safe to reach without slipping. Practical because shower spray won't sog your soap & stuff. Plus you don't see gaudy shampoo bottles, razor etc. as much. Ugly visual clutter. (Then again, if you went with a closer niche you could transfer the contents to pretty unbreakable dispensers/containers, if you don't mind the fuss.)

If you put it/them on the shower side of the yellow wall your stuff won't be visible the minute you walk into the room. However, if you want niche to display some pretty item or some unique tile work the spot indicated should work fine.

We just redid 2 showers and purposely did not put niches. I'm glad we left them out, as I prefer the uninterrupted look of the tile. Unless the niche is very large, it doesn't fit everything I need it to anyhow. In the master, we put the shampoo, etc. on the built in bench and in the kids shower/tub combo, their shampoo, etc. goes on the rim of the tub.

David, the photo in your idea book titled "shower dimension" (third from last) shows two very utilitarian niches where you can stash shampoo, soap, etc. which is what I was suggesting for the back of your yellow wall. However, the white niches on the solid colored tile walls of the first few photos look very cool. Maybe you can do both. Niches are almost free space as they go between studs. So keep that in mind when planning yours.

Handy to keep shampoo in them .

we love the niches...but I try not to put them where they will be seen from anywhere if possible...as they may be beautifully tiled and decorative tiles etc. they always get filled with the clients. stuff. and that's never something people want to see.

We always have niches...

Don't have niches, but as someone else said, they wouldn't hold everything (yet, I can see they can be handy). We each have a plastic basket and place it on the shower bench -- this makes it easy to lift up the soaps/shampoos to clean the bench.

Thanks everyone who chimed in. I decided to skip the niche just because it will not quite fit in with what I'm trying to do visually. And I'll still have a shelf by the pony wall and on the window sill.

David, good luck with your project!