Looking for bathroom storage ideas to herald in a loo refresh? Whether it’s a full renovation or just some new catchall storage containers, AD has talked to interior designers and professional organizers to help you find just the right place to store towels, tuck away toiletries, optimize your countertop space, and even display art. After all, not every bathroom boasts ample square footage.
For small bathroom storage ideas, we turned to Manhattan-based interior designer Nick Olsen and New York-based professional organizer Ashley La Fond. Olsen is known for imbuing small spaces with grandeur, wit, and the kind of high-end design once reserved for those with serious square footage, like in his Brooklyn brownstone. La Fond, meanwhile, founded home-organizing company Of Space + Mind and has worked on more than 300 homes and businesses to design and optimize their spaces to be perfect rooms for creativity, productivity, relaxation, and wellness.
Petite powder room or your only bath, there’s no reason to let square footage stand in the way of style. Cue: our best bathroom storage ideas—from floating shelves to a bath accessories bar. See how you can repurpose furnishings commonly found in the living room or study, or find nifty ways to optimize wall space and get the most out of the cabinet below the bathroom sink. All you need are the right pieces to take advantage of the space you do have.
How Do I Add Storage to my Small Bathroom?
All you need are the right organization ideas to declutter your room. That means taking a closer look at your wall space and deciding whether floating shelves are an option for extra storage. These are a perfect spot for a small army of canisters that hide bobby pins and other accessories. Adding darling wicker baskets or wire baskets to the floor space can help manage hand towels, washcloths, and extra toilet paper rolls.
La Fond recommends using all of the wall space as the ultimate bathroom storage solution. “Wall cabinets are critical for bathroom storage, and if yours doesn’t have any—add them,” she says. “Whether it’s a mirrored medicine cabinet or a pretty wall bathroom cabinet, it doesn’t have to be installed over a vanity or bathroom sink. You can buy a medicine cabinet online and install it on any open wall: above the toilet, behind a door—anywhere you have wall space.”
.jpeg)
Lean a ladder against the wall of a small bathroom. It makes a subtle design statement and doubles as a towel rack. What’s more, including a vertical element will give the area dimension and storage potential, especially if you don’t have a linen closet nearby.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
While tiered kitchen carts are usually relegated to rooms for entertainment, a bar cart can also work wonders in a small bathroom lacking countertop space. Move the cart around to give yourself easy access to neatly lined storage containers that contain all the necessities, like razors and cotton balls.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
How Can I Organize My Bathroom Without Cabinets?
When you can’t rely on a bathroom vanity for organization needs, consider bringing in freestanding furniture pieces, as well as floating shelves, étagères, and stools. If you’re extra handy, built-in shelves can be a game changer. For a quick DIY, sew a curtain to surround a sink sans cabinets, then add storage containers, which are now out of sight.
“If your bathroom doesn’t have cabinets or has a pedestal sink, then a great option is to add storage anywhere you have floor space,” says La Fond. “This could be beside, across, or even above your toilet!”
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
“There are great freestanding storage pieces, like linen cabinets, that are easy to build, cost-effective, and don’t require installation,” says La Fond. This is a great opportunity to repurpose those old IKEA furniture pieces. Go bold and paint them in wild colors, or add whimsical details via peel-and-stick wallpaper on cabinet doors.
.jpeg)
Choose “a nice wastebasket, hamper, or étagère” to keep the floor space orderly, Olsen says. Since it’s a bathroom, you can easily take advantage of having decorative hampers as a storage space that is out in the open.
.jpeg)
Use every nook and cranny under the sink for full under-sink storage, then hide it all behind a fashionable sink skirt. If you decide to sew your own, look for a fabric that reflects the overall style of the bathroom. If you already have busy wallpaper, stick to solid colors.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
Instead of leaving wicker under the sink, hang baskets on the wall. This allows opens up the floors while optimizing the walls. Even small hanging baskets (as opposed to metallic towel bars) can hold guest towels or serve as decorative accents. If you’re into biophilic design, adding humidity-loving plants can give the baskets a more natural aesthetic.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
How Do You Store Bathroom Items?
Bathrooms are prime territory for grooming, so it is important to make sure that the space doesn’t look like the beauty clearance aisle at Target. For a more styled approach, add a live-edge bath caddy for a functional piece with some flair. Given that you likely have small toiletries and lotions to corral, look into drawer organizers and hidden storage options for anything that you don’t use on a regular basis.
“When you’re dealing with a small space, there’s no room for the ugly stuff—get it out now,” Olsen says. A toilet brush and toilet brush holder do not need to have the spotlight—move behind the toilet. Alternatively, consolidate with a minimalist piece that focuses on design.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
Another way to organize your toiletries is to add in a decorative tray to collect perfume bottles and sprays. Place bobby pins into mini canisters for a more organized countertop. For bigger bottles such as leave-in conditioner and skin care products, invest in a long tray you can place along the wall.
.jpeg)
Like built-in shelves, these help optimize a small bathroom with bonus space to keep it all clutter-free. Select stunning ornamental racks as statement pieces, just like you would a stylish towel rack or select a minimal piece to keep things simple and streamlined.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
How Can I Make More Room in My Bathroom?
The obvious answer: Purge. While you may want to keep everything, making room in a small bathroom is key to good storage solutions and easy access to everything from toothpaste to towels. Get rid of almost-empty lotion bottles, faded towels, and old toiletries that add to clutter. “You’ll be amazed at how much space you’ll discover on your shelves and in the cabinets once you make the purge,” Olsen says.
For toiletries you will absolutely need but don’t use on a daily basis, like extra razors or a bag of cotton balls, place them in stackable drawers under the sink. “If you can’t stand to get rid of [your toiletries], store the extras elsewhere and swap them in later,” Olsen says. If jars and bottle are taking over your countertops, relocate them to drawers and create a dedicate space for extra toothbrushes and bobby pins. Add drawer organizers to work as dividers that separate everything into categories: hair products, skin care, and makeup.
.jpeg)
To fool the eye into thinking that the shower is larger than it is, a simple DIY can do the trick. “You don’t want to see over a curtain into a tiny shower,” Olsen says. “Instead, create the impression that there could be something much bigger behind there by raising your shower rod as high as you can and getting a curtain that goes all the way to the floor.”
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
“I love bringing non-bathroom furniture into the room,” Olsen says. “It doesn’t have that same overly sanitary feel and makes everything cozier.” And because it’s small, you don’t have to worry about it taking up too much space either.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
