Making a niche in the wall (61 photos): options for decorating the interior. How to arrange a niche in the living room? Non-standard and functional solutions in the interior (70 photos) What to put in a niche

The original design of a niche in the wall is one of the most favorite design techniques. Recently, there has been a tendency to abandon bulky cabinet furniture, but no one has canceled functional shelves yet. A recess in the wall is an additional horizontal plane that serves as a shelf. You can put and put anything in a niche - from the most necessary things to interior decor. Experts will share their secrets on how to design a niche space aesthetically and practically.

Secret beautiful design lies in the unusual and elegant design of the niche, which you immediately pay attention to

Niches were not invented by our contemporaries, they are found by architects during the excavation of ancient artifacts of lost civilizations of different times. Before you think over the design of a niche in the wall, it is better to first understand its purpose.

A niche may well be the centerpiece of a design composition.

The main classification of wall recesses:

Decorative.
Functional.
Architectural.
Technical niches.

A convenient place to store firewood if the house has a fireplace or stove

Fashionable and rational decision for modern rooms - folding bed that hides in a niche and looks like a wardrobe

Some wall openings are the result of an architectural design - otherwise it won't work. Further, the design depends on the functionality of the room, which has a ready-made recess. Often it looks like a box near a ventilation shaft, in which you can place shelves for dishes, household appliances, and other useful items.

Wall recesses are a great way to hide a secret door, a safe, and anything else that shouldn't be visible to outsiders. But they do not need decoration, rather they require careful disguise.

It is important that the design of the niche matches the style of the room in which it is located.

In decorative niches, decorated with mirrors, glass and lighting, you can sit with cosmetics. Women have a need for good lighting in the mornings when they clean themselves up, but there is not always a suitable place. But this design of a niche in the wall is also suitable for other purposes, if used for illuminated shelves.

A false niche is a purely decorative technique when they want to complement the interior with a believably drawn door or window.

The basic rule is that the niche should fit into the interior of the room, and not overload it.

Tip: Before decorating a niche in a room, decide on its functionality - what will be in it permanently and temporarily. Souvenirs and handmade, antiques and books, art and modern photos- they all require a different approach to design.

The shape and size of niches depends on your courage and creativity

When they combine a living room with a kitchen, a bar is often placed on the border of two squares. It is appropriate to design the niche next to it as a bar for strong collection drinks. This in itself looks like a dignified decor for a modern living room.

It has already become clear that any recess in the wall should have not only a decorative, but also a practical function. The design of the niche and the method of its construction depend on this. Multilevel shelves on the accent wall can also be designed as niches, sheathed with drywall sheets. The structure itself needs reliable supports so that the shelves do not collapse with all the contents that have a decent weight. Especially when there is expensive equipment or dishes made of fragile glass.

A narrow niche along the entire bathroom wall serves as a decorative element and is very convenient for placing everything you need

Niche space types

All niches are divided, depending on their purpose, into the following types:

1.	Niche library	There is enough depth for the format of books, several shelves, you can close them with glass doors.
2.	Shelf in the wall recess, partition	Small dimensions, dimensions depend on the size of the items displayed in it.
3.	Small cabinet in an architectural niche	Great way to place seasonal clothes, dresses, suits (shoulder width).
4.	Niche exposition	Drawn up for exhibition items, the number of shelves - as needed.
5.	Isolated place for equipment with a socket	A great way to hide wires, protect from running children and animals playing with them.
6.	Niche stash	The deepening is of a hidden type, without decoration.
7.	Replacement of built-in furniture	Full-fledged reinforced shelves, designed as a shelving unit
8.	Decorative niche	Interior decoration.
9.	False niche	An image of a depression (window, door, collapsed wall).
10.	Technical niche	Gouging recess in a reinforced concrete wall - The best way hide pipes.

Convenient and functional shelves by the bed

What can a niche replace?

Let's consider in detail for what purposes you can use different types recesses in the wall. Volumetric decorative niches often replace cabinet furniture - built-in shelves can be easily adapted for homogeneous items or collectible souvenirs.

In the kitchen, niches can replace cupboards

Actually, a false window is also made in a niche of rooms devoid of natural light. You can place photo wallpapers with imitation of a beautiful panorama of the city in them, and the soft light of fluorescent lamps and LED strips will create the illusion of sunlight.

A collection niche is a great solution in any room. It can store rare tomes as part of the inherited library. The opening in the wall of the children's room, filled with an exhibition of Barbie dolls or exact copies of rare cars, looks no less interesting. Knitted amigurumi toys are a modern trend in needlework, they also need a decent exposition niche.

Niche as a place to place collectibles

In some styles, a large number of cabinet furniture is not expected. Many people know from Turkish TV shows that several centuries ago, niches in the wall were used very widely, for example, for lighting and hiding places. The same trend continues today in interiors decorated in the Arabian East.

Another type of niche is applicable in the interior of the living room in the style of minimalism. With the "ascetic" organization of space, replacing cabinets with practical niches gives its advantages:

noticeable savings in free space;
forming your own place for all sorts of little things that should always be at hand (glasses, mobile phone, Charger, wallet, tablet);
convenient placement of small equipment and equipment (you can also bring an electric cable here, build in sockets);
substantial savings on bulky cabinets, a great idea for lightweight built-in furniture that resembles a shelving unit.

Niche space is filled with ordinary and transparent glass shelves. They perfectly transmit light if there is a diode tape, light bulbs or decorative lighting in the opening to be made.

Drawn decorative false niche in a frame made of polyurethane moldings

Niche decoration in the bedroom

Sometimes the doorway of the passage room after the redevelopment is not walled up, but redesigned. Here you can make a small dressing room, and make the doorway in another place. This is a completely affordable DIY niche design in the wall.

In the recess on the accent wall, you can install a large plasma panel, a spacious aquarium or an imitation fireplace. Spreading an island upholstered furniture so that the seated ones are facing this object, it is easy to arrange the guest area without additional costs for interior design.

Interesting solution for bookshelves and TV

In general, there are many great ideas on how to adapt a niche, it all depends on the functionality of the room, the needs and lifestyle of the owners.

Benefits of organizing space with a niche

It is impossible not to mention a number of other advantages that functionally designed niches provide. But even if they do not have a special purpose, this is an excellent decorative technique that will modernize any interior.

Functional niches will provide:

replacement of oversized furniture and unaesthetic shelves;
visually expand the wall;
will become a design accent for audio and video equipment;
help to collect homogeneous objects in one place (a great solution for those who throw things everywhere and cannot find something they need).
a closed niche will hide communications.

Arrangement in a niche for a rest area

Important! An interesting design technique will be not just the decor of parallel niches in the wall of the same format, but some kind of multi-level structure. Open storage is more popular today than placement in bulky cabinet furniture, which creates a feeling of clutter and tastelessness.

Niche instead of hanging shelves In bathroom

When the recess is structurally and functionally consistent with the interior design, it is also an opportunity to highlight the excellent taste of the owners of the house.

How to position a niche

There are not many ways, but there are options:

symmetrical;
asymmetrical;
vertically and horizontally;
parallel and symmetrical;
parallel to the shift to the side;
2-3 identical niches with “floors” with different or the same filling;
of different sizes, but with the beginning at the same distance from the vertical line of the interior (doors, windows, furniture walls);
chaotic arrangement;
in the form of a geometric pattern - for a dynamic interior, as in the photo of decorative niches.

Narrow vertical niches will visually increase the height of the room

It is also possible to place them on an empty wall or a small free space. You can also vary for openings of the same shape:

backlight;
external frames;
interior design and content.

A room with a high ceiling will become much more comfortable if niches in warm colors are made upstairs.

Do I need lighting in the recesses of the wall

Good interior design assumes that all areas are illuminated without dark corners. At the same time, with the help of additional lighting, it is easy to focus on an interesting object or to arrange a niche in the wall of a hall or living room. Competent lighting design creates the atmosphere, hides the flaws in the layout. For example, when in a long narrow room the wall opposite to the window is darkened, especially on the north side of the house, it is like a counter light.

If there is a niche in the wall, it is important to know how to decorate it beautifully with an additional light source. Any recess itself looks darker than the rest of the room, if no rays fall into it.

Illuminated niche for storing a small collection of figurines

Important! IN daytime you can do without accenting with artificial light, in the evening it is simply necessary!

Mirror niche adds light and warmth to the room

In rooms without windows, a backlit niche is a must. A corridor, hallway, bathroom or toilet can be left without general lighting when bright light is not needed, but to create a kind of mystical glow from a niche space. This is not only a special design technique, but also a completely functional solution, as in the photo.

Effective illumination of white niches against the background of black walls

For functional lighting and decoration of a niche in the wall, the following elements are applicable:

LED Strip Light.
Fluorescent lamps.
Flexible luminous tubes (for advertisements, inscriptions and design objects on the wall).
Point diodes.
Small spotlights (such as spotlights and spotlights) with rotating projectors.

Lamps in which you can change the color of the illumination, which are switched on and off gradually, and also cast a patterned shadow, have a special charm.

Built-in lighting gives the niche additional volume and serves as an illumination of the general background of the room

Backlighting focuses on the content of the niche

Instead of sconces and bedside lamps, illuminated niches look good in the bedroom, which can be equipped with economical light sources. It is not worth reading in such lighting, but it is quite possible to view messages on a tablet, laptop or phone before going to bed.

An important condition is that niche lighting should organically fit into the style of the interior and be in harmony with the main and local lighting. Experts recommend diffused light and universal fluorescent lamps. It is more convenient to read with the "warm" light of economical lamps, combined with an incandescent lamp. In the bathroom and other relaxation rooms, sources of the "cold" spectrum, giving a white, blue, green or violet glow, will be appropriate.

Spot illumination looks luxurious in the recess

Diffused lighting softens the niche space and exposes the decor in a favorable light

Summing up, let us recall that this design element can be decorated in a practical and aesthetic way. How to decorate a niche in the wall, design ideas and inspiring examples are carefully selected for our photo gallery.

Video: how to make a drywall niche

A niche in the wall is an elegant and functional element of room design. They have always been appreciated and used for a wide variety of purposes. Nowadays, niches have not lost their popularity either. With the help of a niche it is possible to create an original architectural composition, which will become a highlight of any interior.

Niche as a design tool

Concept modern interior implies the transformation of space and its adaptation to the functional needs of residents. There are various design techniques for this, one of which is to create a niche in the wall.

IN modern design interiors are increasingly using special niches in the wall, which give the room a special appeal and individuality

At its core, a niche is an opening or recess in a wall. Niches can be large or small, deep or narrow, open or closed, functional or decorative. They can serve as a rack or cabinet, hide planning errors, hide technical communications and even act as a fireplace. Niche design styles can also be varied - Asian style (niches have arched or lancet forms), Baroque and Empire (with stucco and patterns), as well as minimalist. There are a lot of options for using and decorating.

Using a niche in an apartment

There are quite a few options for using a niche. The main ones are:

Bookcase. This is a widespread use case for a niche. It is better to plan it before the start of the renovation. This design can be easily equipped on its own and perfectly replaces the wardrobe. You only need shelves from any material and fasteners for them. It's better to think about the backlighting. less and carry out the wiring before the beginning of work.
The shape of the shelves depends only on your creativity and courage - you need to give free rein to your imagination
Cupboard for dishes. This niche is most often made in the kitchen or dining room, but it may not be as deep as a niche for books, and the shelves can be made of glass.
A niche in the kitchen is an opportunity not only to use the available space to the maximum, but also to bring variety and creativity to the kitchen design.
Decorative niche for accessories and all sorts of little things. Such niches are usually decorated in a special way - they are painted in a color that differs from the main decoration of the walls, they are finished with mosaics or mirrored glass. Backlighting will add elegance to the decorative niche.
A niche in the wall can be decorated in any style, the main thing is that this design matches the style of the room in which it is located
Niche at the head of the bed. In the bedroom, both narrow niches on the sides of the bed and one wide one, into which the head of the bed is recessed, is appropriate. Both are decorated with spotlights - they will allow you to read in bed or highlight the decor. If the large bedside niche is wider than the bed, then plasterboard shelves can be placed in it, replacing the bedside tables. The wall of the bedside niche can be contrasting or covered with wallpaper with a pattern. One large painting or several reproductions can serve as decoration.
A niche in the bedroom will perfectly complement the interior and will make the room more functional.
Niches in the bathroom. Openings often remain between wired communications, which are used for storage. detergents, towels or decor. Such openings are decorated with contrasting tiles, decorative mosaics or stone.
In the bathroom, any compartment can be used as additional shelves for storing toiletries or as a decorative element of the interior, where scented candles, plants and other accessories are installed.
Niches for decorative lighting and space expansion. It is convenient to hang TVs, pictures or equip false fireplaces in these niches. Illuminated niches are used as a source of subdued lighting.
To make the firebox of the conditional false fireplace seem larger, the walls of the niche can be decorated with mirror tiles.
Niches as shoe racks in the hallway.
Arrangement of a niche in the hallway is a great alternative to huge wardrobes

The number of grooves in the wall should be not only logical, but also moderate, so as not to turn the room into a continuous rack with dusty shelves.
The location of the niches can be asymmetrical or symmetrical. Asymmetrically, niches are placed on free walls or on one of the wall sections. Identical niches are placed symmetrically, for example, on the sides of a door or bed. A single niche is called stationary, and one after another is called rhythmic.
For very small rooms, false niches are used, made with moldings. There are also overhead polyurethane niches.

Photo gallery: beautiful niches in the interior of rooms

In the bathroom, niches are used for decorating and storing towels. A wall decorated with niches looks laconic and stylish. Niche design should overlap with the interior. original decoration any interior Niches in the kitchen can serve as coasters for bottles A room with high ceilings is perfect for creating decorative niches Niches can serve as a platform for decor Interesting design solution- small square niches A niche can serve as a rack and replace furniture Niches located nearby, it is better to design in the same style Interesting effects in niches can be created using painting and lighting different colors Narrow and bright niches will complicate and decorate the walls in the bathroom A niche decorated in a different color will serve as a bright, eye-catching accent In the Provence style, niches of different sizes are often used, combined into a single composition Several niches of the same size with different decor serve as an excellent interior decoration In a niche can be placed not only bookshelves, but also a comfortable sofa for reading them Niches can be of any size and shape Organizing an aquarium in a niche is a rather complicated and costly task

Creating a niche in the wall with your own hands

Most often, niches are created at the design stage, but if there is a desire to decorate a room with a niche, then anyone can build it. The main thing is to make sure that the thickness of the wall and the size of the room allow this.

Niche in a brick or concrete wall

Shtrobing a wall is possible only if it is deep enough and not load-bearing. The weakening of the load-bearing wall can be the impetus for the destruction of the entire building. IN brick wall you can make a niche to a depth of 0.5 bricks or 1-2 bricks with a sufficient wall thickness.

The best tool for punching out a niche is a punch

Tools you will need to create a niche in a brick or concrete wall:

a chisel or hammer drill with a victorious drill;
grinder with diamond discs;
a hammer.

Stages of decorating a niche in a concrete or brick wall:

Layout of the structure, determination of the shape of the future niche. We add another 5% of the space for finishing to the calculations..
Strobing. It is better to dismantle in small areas. First, perforation or drilling of holes is performed along the contour of the future niche. Then, the holes are combined with a grinder. Further, with the help of a chisel, separate pieces of the wall are knocked out.
Niche reinforcement. A large niche needs to be reinforced. After that, finishing work is carried out.

Diamond blades are used to cut granite, concrete, brick, tile or marble

Carve out a niche in load-bearing wall difficult, as well as hammering it in a brick partition. In such cases, drywall is used. This is the most popular material for arranging false structures, because with the help of drywall, you can create both straight and curved samples. In addition to experience with drywall, you will need a detailed plan-diagram, building materials and tools.

Drywall - best material to create niches

Necessary materials and tools:

drywall;
aluminum profile - guide and rack;
self-tapping screws for metal and gypsum board 3.9x9.5;
level;
perforated corners;
scissors for metal or a cutter knife;
putty;
spatula, pencil, tape measure;
reinforcing and polyurethane tape;
drill and screwdriver;
thicknessing cutter;
dowels.

A step-by-step guide to creating a drywall niche:

We determine a place for a niche, draw it using a level and an angular ruler. If there is a drawing, then we transfer it to the wall in compliance with the dimensions, taking into account the thickness of the drywall and profiles. If the niche is intended for a TV or other equipment, then we leave free space for air circulation.
The markup is performed using a level
We calculate the amount of materials (with a margin) and purchase everything you need for work.
We mark on the wall the place where the frame will be attached. For this we use a level and a tape measure. Determine where the wires will go. The markup should be as detailed as possible.
Putting the frame together. First of all, we attach the main guides to the dowels. We cut the profile to size using scissors or a grinder and form a frame. If the wall is uneven, we glue the polyurethane tape under the guides.

The frame is fixed with dowels
We sheathe the frame with plasterboard. To do this, we cut the sheets according to measurements and fasten them with self-tapping screws. First we fix the verticals, then the horizontal. We attach the GKL sheet to the front side last. We recessed the caps of the self-tapping screws no deeper than 2 mm.
The final stage is finishing. First of all, apply a primer in two layers. Each layer should dry well. Then we put putty on the joints and corners, on which we glue the reinforcing tape and put perforated corners. Then we apply a finishing layer of putty and rub to a perfect condition.
Seams are sealed with putty using reinforcing tape
We paint or finish the niche with finishing materials.
The niche is painted in the desired color
We install LED strip or spotlights.

Video: creating a backlit plasterboard niche

Niche finishing

The most popular finish is painting the niche to match the rest of the surfaces. decorative plaster... It will require special skill, since the plaster is applied in several layers. A budget option is to decorate the niche with self-adhesive film or photo wallpaper. Also used are paintable wallpaper, bamboo and fabric coverings, 3D panels or wallpaper.

Photo wallpaper can help to visually expand any room or, conversely, reduce its volume - it all depends on the choice of pattern for printing

Even an aquarium can be simulated with 3D wallpaper. Niche trim with mirrors looks beautiful. Designers do not recommend painting the inner surface of a niche in dark colors as it will remind black hole... But the use of glass shelves will visually facilitate the interior.

By illuminating the 3D wallpaper with the image of fish, you can create the complete impression that you are looking at the seabed or an aquarium

You should not make the niche contrasting if the rest of the finish is soft and calm, as it will attract attention and shift the center of the interior. If there are contrasting accents in the room setting, then the niche can also be bright.

Juicy colors in the design of niches will delight the eye and cheer up

Niche lighting

The main options for lighting niches are spotlights and LED strip. Wire routing for spotlights requires costs and complex technical manipulations, it is better to do it at the initial stage of repair. An easier solution would be to use an LED strip. It is mounted when the niche is already completely ready. It's simple enough. Usually, the LED strip is mounted on the inner wall of the niche, but if you want the light to be directed inward, then a special side is needed. It is made from a profile and a strip of plasterboard. Outside, the side is finished with the same materials as the rest of the niche. A piece of the required size is carefully cut from the coil of the LED strip, so as not to damage the contacts. Then the tape is connected to the power supply and glued to the desired location.

The best and simplest lighting option is LED strips

How to hide an unnecessary niche

Not every open niche fits into the interior, so sometimes it becomes necessary to hide it with a partition or door. Most often, niches in the bathroom are closed, especially if there are communications there. For this, plumbing shutters, roller shutters or plastic doors are used.
If the niche is large, it can be hidden in different ways.

Sliding doors, like a wardrobe. Such doors require free space on the sides of the niche.
Ordinary swing doors. Wooden shutters can be used. If the niche is small, then it can be closed with a furniture facade in size.
Roller blinds (fabric, bamboo, plastic). Choose something that matches the style of the room.
Thick curtains.
A small niche can be masked with a painting.
Alteration of a niche into a rack with doors. Such a niche can replace a wardrobe.

You can radically get rid of an unnecessary niche by sealing it. The easiest way is to cover the niche with a sheet of drywall. To do this, metal guides are attached to the wall, floor and ceiling, between them are stiffening ribs, on which drywall is attached. If the niche is shallow, then it can be covered up cement mortar... A very deep opening is filled with bricks or tongue-and-groove slabs.

Niches allow you to make the space of an apartment interesting and complex. But it is important to show a sense of proportion - too a large number of niches breaks up the interior and makes it fragmented.

Let's look at such a question as a niche in the wall in the living room.

What's the best way to design a niche? The question is "sensitive" for those who have a very small room.

How is a niche created?

The design of such a structure is one of the best options replace furniture walls, and in addition, this is a great option for decorating, because it is possible to add dynamics and harmony to the interior of the room.

All connoisseurs of freedom will appreciate the niche. Alternatively, a niche for a TV in the living room - a TV, even the thinnest, will not be in sight, but will be, as it were, recessed, and all the wires will be hidden.

In addition, the design of a niche is an opportunity to once and for all abandon oversized furniture, because special shelves for storing a library, frames with photographs can be decorated in it.

Actually, therefore, more and more often you can find the option of converting an ordinary wall into a niche in the living room.

To highlight a niche, it is worth considering the lighting around its perimeter - the lamps that are installed inside the structure complement the interior.

Make a niche yourself

All actions that are in one way or another related to modeling a recess in the wall should begin with marking on the wall.

The width of the structure, its height and depth are determined depending on what its further purpose is. The plates become the framework for the future profile. Next, the profile is fixed.

After the frame has been completed, you can begin to plaster it with plasterboard. The structure is puttyed, sanded, and finished.

Niche purpose

There are people who are extremely negative towards dressers, towards cabinets, and therefore, as an option, you can create a niche instead of one wall.

This option is nothing more than saving space in the room, replacing furniture, the ability to hide equipment.

Plasterboard niches in the living room can be supplemented with shelves made of glass or wood, and then the created structure will look just like a shelving unit.

If you plan to design a niche, then there is no need to adhere to geometry and make a huge depression in the wall. Let your fantasy run wild.

A niche in the living room as a decor item emphasizes the taste of the home owners, visually allowing you to expand the room. Drywall is a plastic material, and therefore any even complex design option can be created.

The style of the construction should not be out of touch with the design of the room as a whole, so that it looks like a decoration for the structure, otherwise, it simply will not "fit" into the interior and spoil the whole impression.

The design is very simple to create, but the process is time consuming, because you need to calculate everything accurately.

Niche in the kitchen

A niche is an excellent solution for a kitchen space, because it is not just a "highlight" in style, but also a disguise for the imperfections of the walls.

Do-it-yourself niche creation: project development, then markup on the wall and after installation of the frame, as well as plasterboard cladding.

The master does not need any design documentation, but nevertheless, not having a drawing in his hands, it is not easy to make the necessary calculations and get a good result.

You can use a small drawing with basic data - the size of the kitchen, the location of the battery, sockets and switches.

Designers believe that it is best to place a TV in a niche, which in this way, as it were, is protected from dust, moisture, and grease.

If the illumination is organized inside the created recess, then in this case the lamps should not be powerful so that a fire does not occur.

At the stage of the markup, you need to transfer the drawing to the wall. The markup is clear. If the wall is curved, then you need to use a special tape, due to which the profile will closely press against the wall.

The niche installation algorithm is not complicated. If the niche is horizontally oriented, then the width of the kitchen can thus be expanded, and if vertically, it allows you to emphasize the height.

Often they use a niche to install a washing machine, PMM, refrigerator, microwave oven. If a desire arises, then the niche is decorated with a door, a curtain.

The purpose of a functional niche is to build in furniture, appliances, and a decorative niche is used to accommodate accessories and souvenirs.

Today, even the most intricate design of a niche in the living room is possible. The main trend is a niche in the floor for TV or flowers. This design is mobile, and this is its big plus.

When designing a niche, they often use both the tone of the walls and the emphasis on the niche. Do not make the design too contrasting, because the perception of the design will deteriorate.

There are a lot of options for a photo of a niche in the living room on the Internet, there are many master classes on how to make a niche in a house with your own hands, and therefore, if you have something like this in mind, then look for options, study, and then embody everything conceived in your interior.

Photo of the design of a niche in the living room

Many standard kitchens find a niche during renovation, for example, in the wall under the window or near the sink, which becomes an obstacle to the comfortable placement of furniture. To close it yourself, it is necessary to assess the feasibility of this type of reconstruction and outline an algorithm for its implementation.

At the sink

If it becomes necessary to close up the niche that has become inconvenient, located in the wall where the sink for washing is located, you need to prepare a sheet of chipboard, drywall, thick plywood or fiberboard. The sequence of actions is not complicated, therefore, it is available to the home master.

Measure each side of the niche opening.
Draw a contour on drywall and cut carefully.
Measure around the outer perimeter metal profiles and cut them off.
Drill holes in the horizontal sections of the profiles. Attach them to the opening, mark the locations of the holes on the wall and drill them with a drill.
Drive plastic dowels into the prepared holes.
Fasten the horizontal posts by screwing the screws into the dowels.
Install vertical guides in a similar way.
Using self-tapping screws, fix the prepared piece of drywall on the resulting frame and seal the joints and grooves with construction putty in the places where the screws were screwed in.

Finishing usually involves using the same materials as the entire wall. This technique allows you to completely hide the location of the former niche.

It should be remembered that any reconstruction work associated with a change in the configuration and dimensions of the premises must be approved by the relevant authorities.

Under the window

Many apartments are surprised by the presence of a niche in the wall under the window in the kitchen, which, in its functional role, is an additional space for storing all kinds of items, and in winter it becomes a refrigerator. To fulfill the second purpose, the builders left a small thickness of the rear outer wall with a ventilation hole. This circumstance, in conditions of rather harsh winters, caused the freezing of the wall surface, which led to the constant presence of condensate, and then the settlement of almost the entire plane outer wall fungus.

Many owners quickly come to the conclusion that such a niche needs to be repaired or at least insulated in order to achieve comfortable conditions. The solution to the second problem will allow you to save useful space inside the built-in cabinet, provided that the heat is preserved and there are no wet spots on the wall. If the area near the outer wall is supposed to be included in the general layout in order to put a sink, stove, cabinet or equip the window sill as a bar counter by expanding it, then you will need to completely close the existing niche. In some cases, a small recess remains, where the radiator can be conveniently placed, transferred from the side wall.

The main task while maintaining the niche of the refrigerator function is to replace the old door with a metal-plastic product. The wide profile allows you to make just one sash with simple fittings. The door is fastened using anchors, the seams are sealed with polyurethane foam. It is enough to cover the inner surfaces with plastic or moisture-resistant plasterboard, putting first a heat insulator - porilex. A gap of 1 cm must be provided between the insulating layer and the drywall. You can plaster the inner planes with the addition of an anti-fungus agent. The ventilation hole is covered with mineral wool, but it does not need to be sealed.

If it seems convenient to give a niche in the wall under the window of the storage space, then the wall is insulated with expanded polystyrene plates or mineral wool, a vapor barrier and sheets of moisture-resistant drywall or plastic are attached on top. The ventilation hole in this situation loses its relevance, so it is closed polyurethane foam hermetically sealed.

Having made the decision to completely close up the niche that has become unnecessary, it is necessary to dismantle the doors, remove the shelves and the existing trim inside. The hole is foamed, a vapor barrier is attached and a brick is laid out over the entire volume. The facade surface must be sewn up flush with the wall with drywall, putty the joints. After that, the entire surface is finished in accordance with the project for the upcoming repair. Now you can put a wardrobe or a dining group here, creating a practical and comfortable interior.

Alternative niche use cases

With a competent approach to the layout of the kitchen, you can not completely remove the niche, but try to organically include it in the overall image of the room. A lot of options are offered from installing a cabinet or refrigerator in it to arranging a hidden home safe. If such a cache is needed, then the facade is finished. ceramic tiles... One of them is made removable, serving as a door, and a hook with a suction cup is adapted to open it.

If a decision is made to install it in a cabinet niche, then it will have to be made to order, since the width of the tabletop will exceed the standard dimensions. This use of space adds a useful working area, allowing you to conveniently place household appliances such as a microwave oven.

Niches have long and tightly entered our life. Of course in Soviet times in small apartments it was simply not possible to single out an entire wall for such a luxury as a niche. Niches occupy an important place in modern interior design, both from the functional side and from the aesthetic side.

Niches are not just an opening in the wall, they can often serve as a closet or rack, visually expand the space, hide imperfections in the layout of a room or technical elements (pipes, batteries), or simply store things that are necessary every day.

Niches make it possible to create additional free space in small spaces. This is especially true for small, narrow rooms. Niches can also be created in spacious apartments with long free walls; in such cases, niches will become wonderful decorative elements of the entire interior. Now let's take a look at the main ways to use niches in conventional apartments.

1. Wall-mounted bookcase

It's traditional and good known way use of niches in the house. Of course, the easiest way is to design a niche in advance, its depth and the number of shelves. But this can also be easily done with small repair work... The advantages are obvious - for as many books as in the photo, a rather big cabinet would be needed, and so - a niche perfectly accommodates the entire library, and also decorates an empty wall.

To design such a niche, you will need wooden shelves, which are sold in hardware stores. If you want to further highlight such a built-in rack, think about it even at the repair stage, because the wiring is laid even before finishing works... Otherwise, you will have to install the floor lamp in close proximity to the niches.

2. Niche as a sideboard for dishes

This way of using a niche is not particularly different from the previous one. The only difference is that such a niche for dishes will look especially appropriate in the kitchen, in the dining room or in the combined dining room with the living room. Although there are several peculiarities here - niches for dishes can be much smaller, not as deep as for books, and shelves in niches can be made of glass.

Idea

A great combination - several shelves, finished with a wooden frame, set aside for dishes, and one for candles. Practical and decorative function combined.

3. Niche as a decorative structure

If you have high enough ceilings and do not want to hang trivial shelves, then built-in niches are ideal for storing various little things, memorabilia and photographs. When a niche becomes a decorative element, you can already think about complex design our own and about unusual materials for its design. For example, you can paint the niche wall itself in a color different from the rest of the walls, lay out a mosaic, or insert a mirror on the back surface. Then, thanks to the visual effect, the niche will seem even deeper.

4. Niche near the bed in the bedroom

This is a very fun way to save space. As a rule, it is 20-30 cm., But sometimes you can "sink" the bed into the wall, even half a meter. We all are also familiar, especially from old French films, folding beds, which were placed in a niche and closed by a door that looked like a wardrobe. This is a great idea for a small apartment, or a storage option for a guest sofa.

Several spotlights will fit very well into such a niche, which will give you the opportunity to comfortably read books while lying in bed. If you make a niche a little wider than the bed itself, then even small shelves can be placed in it to replace the bedside table, or bedside tables.

The back wall in the lower one should be accentuated - glue the wallpaper with a bright pattern, paint it with paint that differs by several tones from that used on the adjacent walls, hang pictures or a composition of photographs on this wall.

5. Niches in the bathroom

Niches in the bathroom serve as interesting decorative elements, as well as a place for storing bath accessories and hygiene products. Such niches are placed in any suitable places - above the bathroom, above the washbasin, in the wall near the window (if the bathroom has a window). Niches decorated with contrasting materials look especially stylish: stone and tiles, mosaics of different contrasting colors, waterproof paint in dark shades.

It is convenient to store clean towels in such niches, then they will always be at hand. In addition to hygiene products, small potted plants or sets of decorative vessels will look great in niches.

For a romantic setting, place a few lighted candles in the niche.

6. Niches for placing additional lighting and visual expansion of space

As we said earlier, a niche is not just a shelf built into the wall, it is also an important element in the design of the room as a whole. So, with their help, you can hide a TV or a picture, add a few additional lamps, or sconces.

An interesting combination of different-sized niches - in the photo below, a TV and a built-in fireplace are hidden in two large niches, and shelves with photographs in two smaller ones. The designer chose a natural stone as the main material for finishing the structure, which hides a fireplace with a chimney.

As we know, a mirror opposite the bathroom doors helps to visually enlarge the space. And especially it works in tandem with a niche with additional light.

A mirror recessed into a niche, which is also finished with a different material, already serves as a decorative element. But to expand the space in the photo below, another interesting trick was used - a mirror that is not the size of the entire wall, but a little smaller, as if a picture is in a passport, and it is due to this that the niche visually deepens the wall.

To summarize, a niche is a versatile way to decorate an empty wall or small sections of walls. It can perform a functional role - shelves for storing books and dishes, or be a decorative item, provided beautiful design the niche itself and the use of unusual materials for its decoration.