I have two Ginger baskets in the wall of my niche, sort of combining the best of both worlds. I love the baskets. They are solid and great-looking.

I like the wire baskets but also was worried about the same thing. We ended up getting the rotate-and-lock stainless suction baskets. I think they look great in our showers with subway walls and hex tile floors. I would do built-in if someone else always did the cleaning:-). Good luck!

I've never seen those rotate and lock baskets before!

What a great idea, and much better than drilling a hole in your tile. Much less expensive than the ginger baskets too. Unfortunately for me, they work on ceramic tile but not on porcelain. Unfortunately for you, I suspect they're a more modern look than you're going for.

Well, bottles of conditioner are not exactly a period look anyway . . . :-)
I actually have no clue what is period. Would folks in the 10s and 20s typically just have had the wall mount ceramic soap dish?
Bet the marble ledge would look pretty sharp too.

I think people in the teens used metal type soap baskets with the ceramic starting to come in during the 20s and 30s. Today's huge shower niches for all our products just weren't thought of then.

I like the Ginger because some of them do look really appropriate. I just wish those rotate and lock (great idea) weren't so contemporary looking.

I doubt people in 1910-20 washed their hair as often as we do. Forget about conditioner. My stylish, socially active mom had a weekly appt. at the hairdresser's and never washed her own hair. She'd even go in for a mid-week comb-out.

I think those little wire baskets look nice if you need to retrofit the space. Nicer than bottles lining the ledge of the tub. For a new build, I don't understand not considering a niche, as long as you don't go overboard in number and size. The spray in my shower doesn't reach mine. It doesn't really get wet inside. Once a week I wipe the bottom in case there's a drip of shampoo I missed. My bathroom isn't particularly contemporary (it's a style I actually avoid) and my niche doesn't add to it.

Rather than a corner marble shelf I would consider one maybe 6" deep and the width of the tub minus the depth needed for the shower curtain on the short back wall of the tub/shower surround.

I agree with linelle in that a niche would look appropriate in a period-look shower. I've seen all sorts of little niches and cubbies built into the walls of older homes in California.

I have two niches built into the back wall of my shower and one built into the back wall of my tub surround. A linelle points out, the spray doesn't reach back there so moisture doesn't collect there. Cleaning is not really an issue, just an occasional wipe with a wet sponge is all that's needed.

Now I think I have actually found a photo of a niche that I think I could live with and that would enhance my bathroom look.

You could also consider using a piece of marble slab on the bottom of the niche (no grout joints) and using bullnose tiles around the edges.