Glass & Garapa Niche

I finally got around to floating glass shelves in the icehouse bathroom’s garapa niche this morning. And I’m plenty pleased with the result.

The phone photo in this post does no justice to the minimalist efficiency of this builtin storage space shoehorned into a tiny bathroom in a tiny building. At once dissolving into the reclaimed, upcycled wall paneling and offering an almost sculptural deviation from the floor-to-ceiling garapa, this recess provides an aesthetically pleasing yet 100% functional means of storing towels, etc. In fact, with the exception of the mechanical room, where cleaning supplies, backstock of toilet paper, paper towels, etc. will be stored, this garapa niche offers the only storage in the icehouse bathroom.

Four glass slabs divide the alcove into roughly equivalent fifths that will stow fresh towels and at least one basket for caching soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc.

This morning’s first chore was to install the floating glass slabs that were templated and beveled from the same glass we used for the shower enclosure.

I requested that Superior Glass Company (who templated, fabricated, and installed the glass shower enclosure) match the shower enclosure’s 1/2” clear tempered glass and gently beveled edges with glass shelves that we’ll be floating inside the garapa niche.

(Source: Glass Shower Enclosure Installed)

Although I’m not totally satisfied with the nickel pins and sleeves sourced to gloat the glass shelves in the garapa niche, it’ll work until I can find a similar pin with integrated silicone bushing to help ensure that the glass remains in place.

A simple geometric nook with all five interior surfaces finished identically, matching the bathroom walls. And the glass shelves, while extending the material and hue of the shower enclosure, adhere to the restrained, ultra minimalist program which unified and simplifies what might otherwise be an easily overwhelmed space.

Now, to find appropriate basket and towels…