How to Decorate a Niche

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 25, 2021 References

Niches are small, recessed areas of a wall that add some extra space to a room. With a little bit of creativity, you can turn these spots into just about anything, ranging from a simple storage area to a gorgeous, artistic centerpiece.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Beautifying Your Niche

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Add family photos to your niche for a personal touch. Your niche can serve as a second frame for memorable or important pictures. Depending on the size of the photos, try hanging 1 large picture on the wall or multiple small pictures arranged in a column or similar pattern. If you can't alter the wall, place framed photos on the base of the niche instead.^{[1]
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- Niches are a great way to memorialize a beloved friend or family member.
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Set foliage on your niche for a more natural aesthetic. Plants, flowers, and other forms of foliage can add life to your niche, making it feel less like an artificial compartment and more like a piece of nature. Generic potted plants and flowers with muted colors, like lily whites and carnations, go well with most walls. For a more striking niche display, try flowers like roses, camellias, and dahlias.

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3
Express your own style by putting artwork inside the niche. Often, the easiest way to decorate a wall compartment is with works of art. For small niches, try showing off busts, action figures, collectibles, signed objects, and other items that are either visually striking or personally meaningful. For large niches, go with paintings, posters, statues, 3D art, and similarly stunning, grandiose objects.^{[2]
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Personalize your niche with wall letters. Wall letters are a perfect solution for those who don't want to use generic objects or who have an oddly-shaped niche. Since wall letters are customizable, you can decorate them however you wish and arrange them in any order. Some simple design ideas include:^{[3]
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- The names of your friends and family members.
- Your family motto.
- An inspirational quote.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Picking Useful Decor

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Turn your niche into a storage area. Often, the best way to use a niche is by turning it into an additional storage area, especially in small houses that don't have a lot of extra space. Though not always practical for small wall compartments, large niches provide ample room for a variety of objects. Try:^{[4]
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- Attaching hooks to the wall, creating a spot for keys, coats, and other items.
- Installing shelves in your niche, turning it into a bookshelf or something similar.
- Placing lightweight drawers in the niche, converting it into a supply area.
2
Install a mirror in your niche. To some people, niches feel incredibly cramped and flat even when there's something inside. Thankfully, a simple mirror can usually fix the problem, creating the illusion of space and depth. Mirrors go particularly well with bathroom and bedroom niches, often serving as makeup or wardrobe aids.^{[5]
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Turn bathroom niches into supply stations. Bathroom niches, especially those placed inside a shower, are not well suited for displaying art. However, they often make for perfect supply stations. Because they're typically made with tile, these wall compartments work well with soap, hand sanitizer, lotion, and similar messy substances. Some other design ideas include:^{[6]
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- Turning the niche into a towel holder.
- Using the wall compartment as a medicine container.
- Giving guests a spot to place their rings.
4
Store lumber in your niche if it's near a fireplace. In some houses, you may find a wall niche located next to the fireplace or in a nearby area. If you build fires often, the easiest way to decorate this wall compartment may be by simply filling it with lumber you intend to burn. Not only is this decor incredibly functional, but it will create a warm, natural aesthetic perfect for the winter.^{[7]
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- To avoid damaging the niche, place a sheet of cloth underneath the firewood.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Designing Niche Lighting

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Install accent lights to show off the objects inside your niche. Depending on your niche's location, it may not have access to ample lighting, meaning the objects inside will be difficult to see. If this is the case, try adding accent lights to your wall compartment. Most people install small, low-watt spotlights inside their niche's ceiling, similar to a museum display. However, you can also install accent lights by:^{[8]
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- Gluing a LED strip along the edges of the niche.
- Placing a tap light inside the niche.
- Pointing external spotlights at the niche.
2
Put in a pendant lamp for a more elegant look. Unlike accent lights, which just add luminance, pendant lamps serve as both a lighting fixture and an artistic statement. Wired via a hole in the niche's ceiling, these lamps hang down and take up a large amount of space, pulling people's eyes to the area. Depending on your desired aesthetic, try going with a sleek, modern lamp or a more elegant fixture reminiscent of a chandelier.
3
Set candles in your niche to create more natural lighting. If your wall compartment has enough light already, try adding candles for purely aesthetic reasons. Large, tall candles will create an elegant look reminiscent of religious services and holidays. Small tea lights will create a more romantic display, bathing the area in warm light.^{[9]
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