How to Install an LED Lighted Shower Niche with Waterproof Lighting
- Isaac Ostrom
- 7 days ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
If you’ve looked at even five shower photos on Pinterest or Instagram, you already know the deal: everybody’s got a niche now. And honestly, I get it. A niche is super practical. It’s that recessed little cubby in the shower where you throw your shampoo, soap, loofah, candles, whatever you want to put in that bad boy. But it’s also become a design focal point. Designers love using accent tile back there, like a glass mosaic, a hexagon tile, something that pops. It’s basically artwork built into the shower wall.
So here’s the upgrade that takes it from “nice niche” to “whoa… what is that?” We’ve been putting dimmable, waterproof LED lighting in the back of the niche so it lights up the whole feature wall. Bright accent light during the day, and then you can dim it way down at night like a night light. It’s clean, it’s modern, and it sets your work apart in a way most guys still aren’t doing.
And before you overthink it: the concept is simple. We’re keeping the line voltage stuff (the 120-volt side) out of the wet area, and we’re only bringing low-voltage (12V) to the niche. If you’re a tile installer and you don’t want to mess with electrical, totally fair. Show this to your electrician. They can source the parts and handle the wiring. I’m still going to walk you through how the system works and how we install it so you can plan it right and coordinate it like a pro.
Key Takeaways for Homeowners & Pros [TLDR Version]
A niche is already a focal point. Adding a dimmable LED strip behind it makes it a legit feature wall.
Use a magnetic dimmable driver to convert 120V power to 12V low voltage. Keep the driver somewhere accessible like an attic or crawl space.
Run simple 16-gauge, two-conductor speaker wire (16-2) from the driver to the LED strip in the niche.
Make sure the LED strip is IP65-rated (wet area rated). Don’t skip this.
The Schluter SG Deco profile is a killer way to house the strip and help create a clean, waterproof install. The strip fits snug in it.
Leave slack in your wire and notch your tile so the wire can move during install. If the wire gets bound up in the wall, you’re going to hate your life later.
Soldering is the cleanest way to connect to the strip. Pre-tin the terminals and pre-tin the wire ends first.
After everything is in and tested, seal the wire entry and corners with 100% silicone to keep it watertight.
Tools Required (and Materials)
Here’s what I’m using for this setup:
IP65 LED strip light (cuttable at the copper terminals)
Magnetic dimmable driver (120V in, 12V DC out)
16-gauge, two-conductor wire (16-2 speaker wire works great)
Schluter SG Deco profile (for the LED strip channel/housing)
Soldering iron and solder
Wire strippers
Electrical tape (or heat shrink if you want to be extra clean)
Tape to hold the wire/profile in position while setting tile (simple but super helpful)
100% silicone (we used a translucent/milky white that blends with a lot of finishes)
Your normal tile tools for building and tiling the niche (trowels, spacers, level, saw, etc.)
Step 1: Know What You’re Building (and Why Lighting Works So Well)
A niche is a recessed cubby in the shower wall. That part’s obvious. What people don’t always think about is that niches naturally become a visual target. Your eyes go right to them. That’s why designers load them up with accents like mosaics and patterns. It’s a feature.
So when you add light behind it, you’re basically putting gallery lighting on your own tile work. You’re not changing the niche function at all. You’re just making it look expensive.
The other reason I like it is practical: dim it way down and it becomes a night light. Customers love that. Especially in a master bath when you don’t want to nuke your retinas at 2 a.m.
Step 2: Understand the LED System (Keep It Simple)
This whole thing comes down to a few parts working together.
The LED Strip
The strip itself has copper terminals spaced along it, and those are your cut points. That’s how you customize the length. The strip might come in a long roll (like 16 feet), but for a niche you’re usually only using a foot or two.
The Driver (Transformer)
The magnetic dimmable driver is what converts your house power (120 volts) down to 12 volt DC low voltage. That conversion is the whole reason this can be done cleanly and safely in a shower niche.
The Wire
Once you’re on the low-voltage side, you don’t need anything crazy. Regular 16-gauge, two-conductor speaker wire works great. That runs from the driver to the LED strip in the niche.
The Secret Sauce: Schluter SG Deco Profile
This is the part I’m weirdly proud of because it’s such a clean solution. The LED strip fits really nicely into Schluter’s SG Deco profile. It sits snug and creates a protected, waterproof place for the strip to live. It’s a legit channel for the light, not some hacked-together nonsense.
And when you do it this way, the finished look is sharp. The light is tucked in, housed, and it just looks intentional.
Step 3: Rough-In Planning (This Is Where Most People Blow It)
Before you’re even thinking about soldering or sticking lights in anything, you’ve got to plan for the wire.
When I get to the point where the back tile and side tile are installed in the niche, I stop and deal with the wire and the profile. That’s intentional.
Leave Slack in the Wire
I poke the 16-2 wire through, and I make a little notch in the tile so the wire can go in and out freely. The goal is simple: don’t let the wire get bound up inside the wall. If it’s stuck in there, soldering and final positioning becomes ten times harder. Having a little play makes everything easier.
This is one of those small details that separates “looks good on Instagram” from “works in real life on a jobsite.”
Step 4: Set the SG Deco Profile in the Niche
Once I’ve got the slack I want, I’m setting the SG profile where the strip is going to live. I’ll literally rest the wire in there and get the profile placed, but I still want that wire to have movement even after the profile’s in. And it does. That’s the whole point of the notch and leaving slack.
Tape Helps Here
Sometimes the wire wants to pop up on you while you’re working. Tape is your friend. It’s not fancy, but it keeps things from fighting you while you’re trying to get clean placement.
Then we get that last piece of tile in, tight and clean, with the SG profile sitting where it needs to be.
Step 5: Cut the LED Strip and Prep for Soldering
Now we’re getting into the part that scares guys who “don’t do electrical.” Relax. This is low voltage. You’re basically doing neat, clean connections.
On the strip, you’ve got positive and negative terminals. That’s where your wire attaches. And remember: you can cut the strip at the junctions where the copper terminals are. That’s how you size it perfectly for your niche.
Pre-Tin Everything
This is a big deal. We put a little solder on the strip terminals first. It makes it way easier to attach the wires. Then we do the same thing to the ends of the wires. Pre-solder both ends, then join them. It’s cleaner, faster, and you get a solid connection.
If you skip the pre-tin step, you’re going to be sitting there cooking the strip, cooking the wire, and getting frustrated. Don’t do that.
Step 6: Mount the Strip into the SG Profile
Most LED strips have double-sided sticky tape on the back. That’s what we use to attach it into the profile. Once it’s soldered, it slides right up into that SG profile and fits in there really nicely. It’s one of those moments on a job where you go, “Yep. That’s clean.”
Now the wire is poking out, the strip is housed, and the niche is basically ready for hookup.
Step 7: Hook Up the Driver and Test the Dimmer
Next step is connecting the 16-2 wire to the low-voltage side of the transformer (driver). That driver is what converts your house power down to the 12V DC the strip needs.
For demonstration/testing, we had it running through a switch that’s plugged into an electrical cord. In the real world, on an actual install, this would be a piece of Romex coming out of the wall feeding the driver, and you’re going to handle that part the right way (usually with your electrician).
Where We Put Drivers
Typically we put these drivers somewhere accessible but out of sight, like up in the attic or down in the crawl space. The key is: you want access later if something ever needs service. Don’t bury it in a wall and forget about it.
Once it’s powered, test the dimmer. Crank it up, dim it down. This is where homeowners get excited because they can use it as bright accent lighting or turn it down at night.
Step 8: Waterproof It Like You Mean It
This is the shower. So we’re not doing “good enough.” We’re doing watertight.
We take 100% silicone and cover up the wire entry spot and seal the corners. We used a translucent white (kind of a milky white) because it blends with a lot of finishes and doesn’t scream at you. The whole goal here is 100% watertight.
Use the Right LED Strip: IP65
This part is not optional. The LED strip needs to be IP65 rated. That’s the rating we’re looking for so it’s weatherproof and can be used in wet areas. When you talk to your electrical supplier, tell them you want IP65 specifically for a shower application.
Common Mistakes I See (and How to Avoid Them)
Binding the Wire in the Wall
If you don’t leave slack and you don’t notch the tile, you can end up with a wire that’s stuck. Then you’re fighting it while soldering, fighting it while placing the profile, and it just turns into a mess. Leave play in the wire. You’ll thank yourself.
Using the Wrong Strip
If the strip isn’t wet-rated (IP65), you’re asking for failure. It’s a shower. Moisture is not “maybe.” It’s guaranteed.
Not Thinking About Serviceability
Drivers fail. Dimmers fail. Stuff happens. Put the driver somewhere accessible like an attic or crawl. Don’t bury it behind tile.
Skipping Clean Waterproofing
The profile helps, but you still seal the entry points and corners. Use 100% silicone and actually make it watertight.
Why This Upgrade Matters (Homeowners and Pros)
For homeowners, this is one of those “small detail, big impact” features. The niche is already there. The light makes it feel high-end. It’s that hotel bathroom vibe without doing something ridiculous.
For pros, I’m just going to say it straight: this helps set you apart from your competitors. When you can build stuff like this into your installs, you’re not competing with the guy who’s slapping tile up for the cheapest square-foot price. You’re offering a feature that most people don’t even know exists until they see it. And yes, when you set yourself apart, you can make more money.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q. Can I use any LED strip in a shower niche?
No. Use an IP65-rated LED strip so it’s appropriate for wet areas like a shower.
Q. What does the driver do?
The driver converts 120-volt house power into 12-volt DC low voltage that the LED strip needs.
Q. Where should the driver be installed?
Somewhere accessible like an attic or crawl space, not buried behind tile.
Q. What wire do you run from the driver to the niche?
A 16-gauge two-conductor wire works great. Regular speaker wire (16-2) is what I used.
Q. Do I have to solder the LED strip connections?
You don’t have to, but it’s a clean, reliable way to do it. Pre-tin the strip terminals and the wire ends first, then solder them together.
Q. What is the Schluter SG Deco profile doing in this setup?
It acts like a clean housing/channel that the LED strip fits into snug, helping protect it and making the install look intentional and professional.
Q. How do you keep the niche watertight with a wire going into it?
Leave slack so the wire isn’t stressed, notch the tile so it can move, and then seal the wire entry and corners with 100% silicone.
Q. Can the niche lighting be dimmed for nighttime use?
Yes. That’s one of the best parts. With the dimmer, you can turn it up bright or dim it down so it acts like a night light.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a homeowner and you want a shower that feels custom, this is one of the coolest upgrades you can do without going totally overboard. And if you’re a tile installer, this is exactly the kind of detail that helps you stand out. Most people don’t even know they can have this until you show them, and once they see it, they want it.
If you want to be around other installers who are trying to level up and do work that actually lasts, consider subscribing to the Tile Coach Forum. And if you want more step-by-step stuff like this, subscribe to the newsletter so you don’t miss the next one.