The niche in the room is the modern embodiment of the long-known small architectural forms (115 photos)

Well-known arched or lancet niches are considered classics. Modern designs have acquired more intricate forms and have become not only decorative, but also functional. A niche in a room is a recess in a wall (deep or surface), which is used primarily for decorative purposes.

Niche Design Options

Thanks to the appearance of a variety of building materials, it is no longer difficult to create a niche in the wall of a strict or refined form. If there is a plating of gypsum plasterboard surfaces, then to form a depression, it is enough to cut a piece of the wall of the desired shape and arrange the slopes.

Specially making niches in concrete walls is an ungrateful occupation. If desired, the design can be designed by constructing a special frame from a metal profile and plating it with sheets of drywall or plywood. In this case, you can specify any depth of the niche - the main thing is that the design blends seamlessly into the interior of the room.

In the houses of the old layout or "Khrushchev" some rooms were equipped with large niches. If you take into account the size of the recesses, then in the apartment a room with a niche can be equipped with an extra bed or office.

According to the methods of opening openings, two types of niches can be distinguished:

• open recesses can be used as room decor (for placing figurines, souvenirs, media equipment or a fireplace) or as full-fledged storage places (library, shelves in the bathroom, niche in the head of the bed);
• closed niches are complemented by full-fledged doors (hinged or sliding), decorative fabric curtains or curtains. Such recesses can be used to store things and wardrobe items.

Niche is an interesting and stylish design element. Before deciding on the design option for an existing structure or creating a new one, you need to know its purpose exactly. Even if the built-in shelves are needed only as a decor, it is important to choose their shape, finish, location.

How to use niches in the interior

Sometimes the creation of recesses in the premises is planned at the stages of project development. If a niche is formed at the stage of repair, then its purpose and shape should already be determined.

When arranging such small architectural forms, as a rule, the style of the interior of the room is taken into account and the niche acquires the appropriate shape and finish:

• arched and lancet forms are inherent in the design of the Arabic or Asian styles. When decorating the surfaces of walls and niches, close shades or a suitable contrasting scale are chosen. Lamps are placed in the recesses;
• in the luxurious interiors of the Baroque, Rococo styles, stucco molding, patterned contour are used to decorate niches. Exquisite figurines installed in the recesses perfectly complement the rich decoration of the room;
• in modern styles, niches favorably emphasize minimalism, simple forms of furniture. This is an amazing case when the decor is present in the interior of the room, but presented unobtrusively and elegantly.A group of several shallow niches is quite capable of replacing book racks.

In one-room apartments, it is advisable to use such decorating techniques in corridors and halls.

Design Element with Exhibition Feature

Many owners collect small works of art or keep memorable awards, souvenirs. You don’t always want to hide memorable or expensive things in cabinets. It is through niches that you can arrange a beautiful exhibition to demonstrate unique things. When creating and decorating built-in structures, hidden wiring is necessarily mounted for additional lighting of objects. If several levels are supposed to be located in niches, then the shelves are made “deaf” or glass. An interesting visual effect arises when using transparent glass to decorate shelves.

Such an exhibition can become the main focus of the design of the room. It is desirable to equip such decorative recesses in living rooms, libraries, halls, and nurseries.

Media Niches in Living Rooms

Similar designs are used to place the TV, various music and video equipment. The use of these small architectural forms is appropriate in interiors made in modern styles: minimalism, loft, high-tech. A special advantage of such structures is that all communications and wiring are hidden and the wires do not visually spoil the interior of the room.

An interesting decoration technique is the use of a niche for the location of an electric fireplace. Thanks to artificial fire, the room acquires a special cosiness; an atmosphere of comfort and tranquility is created.

Niche as a design for the head of the bed

Not everyone likes to install beds with monumental headboards in the bedroom or place traditional bedside tables on the sides of the bed. However, many people like to sit comfortably in bed in the evening before going to bed and read a book in soft cozy lighting. The built-in niche in which the small fixtures are located will be an excellent alternative to bedside furniture. Such recesses can also be used to store small items.

Laconic niche-racks in the bathroom

A very popular option is the creation of stylish built-in shelves in the bathroom or toilet. The best material for creating decorative niches is brick. For decorative decoration of masonry, as a rule, ceramic tiles or mosaics are used. Neat niche windows look very stylish, especially when installing additional lighting on each shelf. Such structures are not afraid of moisture and can be equipped directly in the "wet zone". On the shelves you can put cosmetics and skin and hair care products.

Built-in furniture design

The built-in niche of solid size is quite capable of playing the role of a closet or a small dressing room. It is especially advisable to equip storage systems in niches located in the bedroom or nursery.

In new buildings, special designs are created for furniture. Such niches do not have special functional significance. Such buildings are more likely to help designers create a unique apartment interior with a niche or change the geometry of the room. Reception with niches is especially in demand when zoning one-room studio apartments. Thanks to the designs, you can interestingly beat the arrangement of a kitchen set or a soft sitting area. Naturally, the creation of additional niches is justified only in large rooms.

Design Recommendations

If niches are an important element in the design of a room, then their interior decoration should have a contrasting color scheme relative to the walls. However, you should not choose very dark colors, so that the niche does not just become a “hole” in the wall. The interior finish made from the mirror looks very original - unusual effects of deepening and reflection are manifested.

If a niche is used as an exposition for valuables, then all surfaces are finished with the same materials, in a single color scheme. Then, when using the additional built-in backlight, it will be exhibition objects that will attract attention.

If you plan to arrange several niches on one wall, then you should arrange them symmetrically from any main subject. Moreover, the shape of the recesses should duplicate the shape of any objects in the room (furniture, suspended ceilings).

It is important to carefully consider the arrangement of built-in structures, their location, because the shape of the niche, its decoration can visually change the geometry of the room.