Modern interior: niche in the wall

Today we will talk about such an element of interior design as a niche. It is increasingly used in our country and is gaining more and more popularity.

Although more recently this device was considered completely unnecessary and even inappropriate. Today, this element of interior design is available to almost every owner of a home or premises. Why is the niche becoming so relevant and attractive to install? No wonder, because this detail allows you to create a unique space, as well as a manifestation of the individuality of the owner.

Many specifically leave space for a niche at the time of design. It would seem, what can an ordinary hole serve as, which has not previously caused such conflicting and such hot feelings of designers? It's all about fashion trends, excellent functionality and ease of installation. If you can afford it, then why not! In this article, the question will be considered up and down: what is a niche in the wall, what opportunities does it open up, how to make the most of it?

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What is a niche in the wall?

A small recess in the wall is called a wall niche. It can be anything: large, small, deep, shallow, perform some function or just please the eye. In addition, horizontal niches visually increase the length of the wall, which is very useful for small spaces. Especially often they can be seen in narrow hallways, where they act as guardians of umbrellas, gloves and other small outdoor accessories.

Niches are divided into two types: functional and decorative.

The first serve specific purposes, for example, to install a variety of shelves. You can place absolutely everything on them: from your favorite books to kitchen utensils and dishes. For what you would like to use your niche, you need to think in advance, since its main parameters will depend on this. size, width, height and so on. Another excellent use case would be a built-in wardrobe or sideboard.

The second - to create certain external effects. For example, in such a niche, you can lead a picture or photograph that is expensive in price or according to memories. Put indoor plants or just decorate with a decorative element. In this case, there is no need to worry about the initial manufacture of the niche and its dimensions.

It is noteworthy that interior designs increasingly include a niche in the wall, which, after installation, is skillfully used by designers, trying to satisfy the needs of the client. If a niche is not provided, you can do it yourself, but you must take into account certain rules and restrictions, otherwise you will have to redo the work many times.

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A look into history

Niches, as an interior element, were used as early as the second century AD. This was done by ancient architects, creating recesses in religious buildings, temples and places where believers in mystical teachings and cults gathered. As a rule, they played the role of recesses in the walls, open to the eyes of people. They contained various attributes of faith: statues, vases, fonts.

Ancient Roman architects used niches both in interior decoration and in exterior walls, similar to the famous temple of Diana in Nîmes. Niches were used to surprise people and thus make the place of worship even more special. The architect seemed to be demonstrating that the room transforms by magic, that this place is special, capable of arousing admiration and worship among believers.

There are many examples of the use of niches in Gothic buildings, such as Wells Cathedral. And although the era has changed, the impact on people's feelings has not gone away. The Renaissance also used this element of architecture in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. At that time, any place to install an object of art was valued, and numerous niches in the houses of the rich had exactly this function - they kept paintings, sculptures and other great creations of the creators of that time.

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How to use a niche in the wall

There are many opportunities to use such a convenient part of the room. Here is just a small list, although the flight of fancy here is unlimited:

– Specially selected built-in furniture.

– Stylishly designed home library.

- TV, audio equipment and other home appliances.

- Closed linen closet, comfortable and suitable for the interior.

– Mini-exhibition of photographs, certificates or valuable objects of art.

This is a small list of possibilities, limited only by your imagination. It is worth noting that even an unused niche expands the space, especially if you have a small apartment. Extra space in such a room will never hurt, but quite the opposite - a niche can accommodate anything and does not require space for this. Moreover, you can place it in absolutely any room, and even on the balcony.

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Varieties of niche structures

1. Bathrooms, shelving

Different spaces require a different approach from the architect. In bathrooms, niches are designed using high-quality brickwork: small “windows” with a recess are made in the walls, which act as shelves, and later all this is tiled. Comfortable and pleasing to the eye surfaces. The safety aspect is also important: if a person accidentally loses his balance and slips in the bathroom, he will try to grab onto such a shelf - and it will definitely not let you down, because the shelves “drowned” in the wall are much stronger than usual ones.

The absence of sharp corners is an equally important thing for safety. If we are talking about a large bathroom, it is possible to install lighting that creates an atmosphere of relaxation. Each trip to such a bathroom is a ritual of relaxation and an opportunity to replenish strength after a busy day. The main thing is to follow all the rules for its installation. For example, choose non-slip surfaces and materials that will withstand temperature changes and constant moisture for many years. Color fastness will also become an important aspect, so you should choose only high-quality tiles or other types of cladding.

2. Niche as an element of wall decor

It is known that in large rooms it is more difficult to create an atmosphere of comfort. Spacious halls, long corridors, high ceilings - the wall area is huge. We feel lonely among high walls and echoing rooms.It's like walking in a huge castle. Anyone can feel it, it is not necessary to be a professional designer. You can get out of the situation in different ways. For example, use paintings, lamps, lamps. Put them all around. But in the end we will get the decor of the same type, which will catch the eye again, because of the size of the room. An abundance of paintings will turn the house into a gallery, and excessive use of light will create a semblance of a wide illuminated tunnel. The way out is in a combination of different decorative elements. It is here that a niche in the wall is needed; it will correct the geometry of the walls, using natural protrusions and recesses. This will make it possible to avoid pronounced monotony and harmonize a large space.

The feeling of “infinity of walls” will disappear if niches with the same finish are “rhythmically” arranged. You can alternate them evenly, or you can create the effect of scattered recesses - this will be especially clearly observed with different sizes of multiple niches.

3. Niches and built-in furniture

For furniture, “natural niches” already laid down by the designer are used. Therefore, built-in furniture will have the desired effect only if you have no problems with square meters, otherwise you risk not achieving the desired result. Furniture should be selected with a margin of size; that is, the furniture should be much smaller. At the same time, it’s good to imagine how a person will sit on it, whether it will be convenient for his head, legs, arms. Considering the color and material of the furniture is also not superfluous. Everything must match.

You can equip a large niche in which even a folding bed will fit. This option is also suitable for a small apartment - the space savings will be simply amazing. But to implement this idea, you will need additional equipment, one of which is reliable fasteners and a bed transformation mechanism.

4. Niches at the head of the bed

The wall next to the wide double bed often needs a special approach.

When decorating, they rely on panels of various materials, posters and mirrors. Niche design is another common design method. Shelves can be placed in it, in which things you need in the bedroom are stored - bed and underwear, cosmetic accessories and much more.

5. Niches and built-in appliances

This kind of niche even has its own name - “media niches”, that is, devices into which a variety of equipment is built in: an electric fireplace, a music or video library. This use is most often present in spacious living rooms created in the style of contemporary or technical minimalism. The combination of functionality and convenience is especially noticeable here.

When you look at such a wall, you get the feeling that “everything is in its place”. And what a pleasure you will get from watching a movie with your family! If you install an audio system in a niche and throughout the room, you get a very lively sound, similar to that which is obtained in a movie theater.

6. Niche exposure

Each of us has special things that we do not want to hide from the eyes of guests. On the contrary, we strive to demonstrate them in the most favorable light: in a beautiful place, well-lit and in harmony with the exhibited items. Be it memorable souvenirs, photos dear to our hearts, collectibles lovingly kept. All of this is exposition. And for it it is necessary to create suitable visual conditions. It is very easy to ruin beautiful things by the imperfection of the place of exposition.

And here the niches fit great! You can equip transparent shelves in them, make them deaf, set up competent lighting - and now the place for a beautiful, attention-grabbing exposition is ready. These "special" things will look here in an original and appropriate way, while not overloading the space, as showcases or shelving, indistinct fixtures or inappropriate "slides" would do.

7. Niches, interior, style

Arched and lancet niches are characteristic of the countries of the Middle East and Asia. They are designed and oriented, in accordance with the color of the main wall, and complemented by lamps. An indispensable element of the Rococo, Classicism, Baroque styles are arched niche structures with complex stucco molding, decorated with suitable small figurines. Such an interior will be just perfect - both in appearance and by design standards.

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How to make a niche in the wall: tips, rules

If the niche was not pre-designed, it can be created after the fact. Most often, the well-known drywall is used for this purpose. Easy to use material, very flexible for different ideas, and even very inexpensive. That is, almost everyone can create a man-made niche. The benefit of information on the manufacture of this element is a great many. You can read special literature, or visit a thematic Internet resource. And it is best to entrust this matter to professionals, as they know all the subtleties for sure, and have done this business more than once.

Creating a niche starts with designing a plan if it's done by a professional. It is important to remember that when creating a niche in the wall on your own, you must at least make a number of sketches with a pencil, since without this nothing good will come of it. The plan notes such nuances as: wall parameters, furniture arrangement, sockets, heating. The more accurately you make measurements, the less likely it is to redo the work.

The plan must take into account the thickness of the profile; remember that the household appliances that you want to put in a niche take up a certain place, calculate it with a margin, because the appliances require cooling and / or communications. Also, do not forget about such a parameter as strength. The larger the profile, the greater the strength of the structure being created.

If your plans include the installation of lighting devices - consider the necessary safety rules, any lighting can get very hot.

After making the drawing, the most detailed projection should be transferred to the wall itself, indicating the markings of all the metal parts of the frame. If there are noticeable irregularities on the wall, use a polyurethane foam tape, it will allow you to achieve the maximum tightness of the metal profiles. And it would be even better to align the niche installation area in advance - so many troubles can be avoided. In addition, plaster is a reliable way to strengthen the wall, as well as the future niche.

Based on the markup, a metal frame is assembled, after which drywall is mounted. The next steps are puttying and painting. If the plan was thought out in detail and the place was used with a margin, further problems should not arise. Take the time to do this, because it's better than reworking later. But it is better, of course, to entrust this matter to specialists.

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Color solution

The most common way is to paint the same color as the wall, although sometimes lighter colors are used. Many begin to experiment with colors, falling into the trap: dark tones create the impression of a “hole” on a light wall.Designers recommend sticking to light shades of paint, and look for your own color scheme, avoiding overly dark colors. A small niche is best painted a few tones lighter than the wall. Then the items in it will look more refined and elegant.

A niche for television equipment or an aquarium requires the same color as the wall as a whole. Fortunately, the reflection, which will be inevitable, will allow the niche to play with new colors.

If you have a desire to decorate the kitchen with niche shelves, try making them as picture frames. It will look very impressive, but at the same time warm and cozy. For the kitchen, you should also make a more durable structure, as the hostess may need a place for heavy kitchen utensils: frying pans, goose dishes, pots, and so on.

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dangers

You can not get around the topic of errors and security. If the markup was carried out ineptly and unprofessionally, then at the output we will have a frame that looks ugly and does not live up to expectations.

• The wrong color will create a visual hole that the eye will cling to.
• Sloppy layout will not reduce a large space, but will only fragment it, creating a skewed appearance.

But these mistakes can be corrected if the wall niche is redone, taking into account previous experience.

It is much worse if safety precautions are not observed. If there is video and audio equipment in a niche, if it is filled with lighting fixtures, if there is a gas stove or other appliances in it, you can severely regret that there was a neglect of safety precautions and elementary rules for using household appliances. All this should be taken into account even before creating a plan on paper. It should be taken seriously, because the consequences can be catastrophic. This is especially true for housing in apartment buildings. It should be remembered that not only you, but also the neighbors can suffer from poor-quality work.

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Conclusions - Proper Creation and Use

Of course, niche structures in the wall are now experiencing a rebirth. And this is not surprising. Thanks to new functional and affordable materials, anyone can use a niche for special places in their home.

Whether it's places that obviously lose to the overall interior, "empty places" or, on the contrary, requiring special treatment.

A niche will correct the geometric inaccuracies of the layout, highlight and decorate the desired space.

Properly used, wall niches complete a range of effective tools for architects, designers and interior savvy people.

Knowing all the little tricks and aspects of creating the perfect niche, you can increase the functionality and look of absolutely any room and space. A niche can also be installed in the office - it will be a great helper and help you place a lot of things that are usually stored in bulky cabinets.

Only a niche can make a room more spacious or, conversely, filled. This feature of this part of the interior is very rare, so you must use your opportunity.

Put your dreams and desires into a new niche and enjoy a great result.

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Photo gallery - a niche in the wall

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Video

 

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