Herringbone Shower Walls With a Bench and Hex Floor

Herringbone wall tile, a built in bench, and a hexagonal floor bring several patterns into one shower. The unfinished niche and bench edges make the geometry of the work visible.

The bench changes the proportions of this shower as much as the herringbone does. It takes up standing room, creates additional tile edges, and gives the pattern another surface to meet. A bench can be useful, but its size should follow the person and the shower footprint. This photo is a reason to discuss dimensions before falling in love with the pattern.

Herringbone layout takes more cutting and alignment around corners and openings than a straight grid. The bench and niche are wet area features, so their substrate, waterproofing, slope, and tile edges need a coordinated plan. The floor still has to direct water to the drain.

If you want a bench, tell the contractor who will use it and how much room you can give up. Ask for a layout drawing showing the bench, niche, controls, and drain before ordering tile.