Australian Bathroom Planning Guide

What Size Shower Niche Do You Need in Australia? A Practical Guide to Width, Height and Placement

For many Australian bathrooms, a shower niche around 600mm wide, about 300mm high, with a finished depth around 80 to 100mm is a practical starting point. In many layouts, placing the base of the niche around 900 to 1100mm above the finished floor gives easy day-to-day reach without making the shower feel crowded.

That said, there is no single best niche size for every renovation. The right choice depends on your bottle sizes, who uses the shower, whether you want a neat feature wall, and how your tile layout and wall framing work together before waterproofing begins.

Quick answer: what size works for most bathrooms?

Bathroom situation	A practical starting size	Why it works
Compact ensuite	300 to 400mm wide x 300mm high	Keeps storage useful without visually taking over a smaller shower wall.
Standard family shower	600mm wide x 300 to 350mm high	Usually gives enough room for daily shampoo, conditioner, body wash and soap without feeling oversized.
Feature wall or shared shower	900 to 1200mm wide x 200 to 300mm high	Works when you want a more architectural look and more storage across one wall.
Shower over bath	Keep the niche lower than a standard shower position	Products stay easier to reach when the bath is used by children or seated bathers.

If you only want one rule to remember, start with a niche sized for the bottles you actually buy, not the ones shown in display homes.

How to choose the right width, height and depth

Width

Width is the first decision most people notice, but it should follow the shower layout. A narrower niche can suit a simple ensuite or guest bathroom. A wider horizontal niche makes more sense when two people share the shower or when you want the niche to read as part of the wall design rather than just a storage pocket.

Height

Height should come from the tallest product you use most often. If your everyday pump bottles are tall, a shallow-looking niche can quickly become annoying. Leave enough clearance so bottles can be lifted in and out easily, and remember that families often accumulate more products over time, not fewer.

Depth

More depth is not always better. A niche that is too deep can feel heavy on the wall and take longer to wipe dry. For many bathrooms, a finished internal depth around 80 to 100mm is enough for standard shower products while still keeping the wall clean-looking and easy to maintain.

Where should a shower niche go?

Placement matters just as much as size. A niche can be generous on paper and still feel awkward if it is too high, sits behind the mixer, or lands where the shower spray constantly hits it.

Place it where you can reach it naturally without stretching or bending every morning.
Try not to centre it directly in the heaviest water stream, especially if you want bottles and soap to stay cleaner and easier to grab.
Lock it in before waterproofing and before final tile cuts are decided, because the best-looking niches usually line up cleanly with grout joints and wall features.
If you have a shower over bath, set the niche lower than you would in a standard walk-in shower so it still works for bathing as well as showering.
If you are using a glass screen or fixed panel, check sightlines early so the niche does not end up feeling hidden or off-balance.

Common mistakes to avoid

Choosing the niche late. By the time waterproofing or tiling has started, moving a niche is much harder and more expensive.
Copying a showroom size without measuring your own products. Everyday bottles, razors and refill packs are what determine whether the niche feels good to use.
Ignoring tile layout. A niche can be technically functional and still look awkward if it creates tiny tile cuts or breaks the wall rhythm.
Going too big for the room. In a compact bathroom, an oversized niche can compete with the shower screen, tapware and feature tile instead of complementing them.
Assuming one shelf suits everyone. In shared bathrooms, a double niche or a vertical layout often works better than forcing every product into one horizontal slot.

Should you choose a horizontal, vertical or double niche?

Horizontal niches are a strong fit when you want a modern feature wall and enough room for multiple products side by side.

Vertical niches work well in tighter showers because they use wall height instead of trying to stretch across the full width.

A double niche can be the best answer in busy family bathrooms, especially when you want one area for adult products and another for children, guests or backup items. In other words, the best format is the one that matches how the shower is actually used, not just how it photographs.

Final thought

A shower niche is a small detail, but it has a big effect on how finished and functional a bathroom feels. For many Australian renovations, starting with a 600mm-wide niche and then adjusting for bottle height, tile layout and household use is a sensible approach.

If you are planning tiles, shower screen, tapware and storage at the same time, choose the niche position early and treat it as part of the full wall layout. That usually leads to a better result than trying to squeeze it in at the end.