Calacatta Shower Niche with Hex Accent in Deerfield
This shower detail in a Deerfield home shows the field tile — large-format Calacatta marble-look porcelain — transitioning into a recessed niche tiled with white hexagon mosaic. Using a different tile format inside the niche is a clean way to differentiate the storage shelf from the surrounding wall without adding color or pattern complexity. The niche walls and floor use the same hexagon mosaic, and the exterior niche edges are mitered for a shadow-free transition back to the field tile.
The niche was framed between studs during the rough-in phase, waterproofed independently, and then tiled from the interior outward before the field tile was set. Getting the niche edges truly flush with the surrounding wall tile requires careful planning at the framing stage — we set the depth of the niche box to account for the thickness of the field tile so the finished niche edges land exactly at face plane.
Project Details
| Service | Bathroom & Shower Tile |
|---|---|
| Area | Deerfield, IL |
| Materials | Large-format Calacatta porcelain (field), white hexagon mosaic (niche interior), white unsanded grout |
| Scope | Residential — shower wall with built-in niche, Deerfield home |
| Timeline | Multi-day install |
What We Did
- Niche framing: Set niche box depth to exact field tile thickness so edges land flush at face plane.
- Waterproofing: Waterproofed niche interior and all shower walls independently; taped all transitions.
- Niche tile: Set hexagon mosaic inside niche first; mitered exterior niche edges.
- Field tile: Set large-format Calacatta field tile around niche; white thinset throughout.
Planning a shower with a built-in niche in your Deerfield home?
