Small spaces require smart storage. That’s especially true in the bathroom – a room in your home that’s often on the diminutive side. Learn how to maximize space and make the most of even a tiny bathroom with our top bathroom organization ideas.
How do I add storage to a small bathroom?
Looking to revamp your current bathroom or completely renovate? We can help you create a practical space with plenty of storage.
You’ll need to make use of the available space, adding new spaces to store bulky items, everyday essentials, and bathroom products you can’t live without.
Install Shelves
Shelves are an easy way to double or even triple the amount of storage space in your small bathroom. Place them next to your sink, around a mirror, above the door or over the toilet to maximize wall space. You can even stack multiple floating shelves for additional storage and decor.
If you’re living in a rented space and want to avoid marking the wall, you can purchase a free-standing shelving unit, such as a decorative ladder. These ladders offer multiple shelves or rails, take up less room and create a unique interior feature.
Worried about floor space? Another way to incorporate shelves for small bathroom storage is an over-the-toilet rack. A thin, tall design will perfectly frame your toilet and can include shelves, hooks and hanging rails to hold a whole range of items.
Once you’ve fitted your shelves, it’s time to fill them. Choose the items you wish to have on show. Try matching towels, reed diffusers and your favorite perfumes. You can add extra storage baskets for spare toilet paper, extra towels and back-up bathroom toiletries too.
To make your shelves extra secure and sturdy, you can fix some inverted brackets to the ends. Store smaller items like cotton balls in glass jars. That way you can still see and access them easily, but they’ll be less likely to fall off.
Finish with a few decorative items such as candles, prints and plants. They’re a simple way to give your small bathroom a personal touch.
Get Bathroom Hooks
Hooks are an essential for your small bathroom storage. They’re extremely affordable, easy to use and come in a range of designs to suit every style.
Over-the-door hooks are a great replacement for wall-mounted towel racks, as they make better use of limited space. Purchase a few hooks for your everyday towels and bathrobes or buy a single rack with multiple hooks. Make sure you choose a design which ties in well with your bathroom and isn’t too bulky.
Homeowners might prefer fixed wall hooks, while self-adhesive hooks are a great option for renters. You can remove them when you move out. Similarly, over-the-door hooks don’t need to be fixed with screws – you can replace or change them whenever you want.
Another small bathroom storage idea is adding hooks to the side of your bathroom vanity. You can then use them for hanging your hand towels or face cloths, rather than taking up room in your cabinets.
Try a Rolling Bathroom Cart
Short on cabinet space in your small bathroom? Repurpose an old bar cart into the ultimate roll-away bathroom storage. You can choose a simple wooden one which keeps your bathroom feeling bright and airy or add a touch of personality to your bathroom with a quirky cart. Vintage-inspired carts look especially amazing on show, creating a unique design feature out of your bathroom towels and toiletries.
A bathroom cart features multiple layers for easy organization. Fill the lowest level with baskets to keep towels, washcloths and toilet paper in. You can then line the top and middle shelves with skincare, perfumes, shampoo, and soaps. Throw in a few decorative items here and there.
For those who want somewhere to keep their haircare, you could even create a styling cart. Put regular hair oils, shampoo, and conditioner along the top, then fill the baskets at the bottom with brushes, scrunchies, and hair masks.
The main benefit of a rolling bathroom cart is that it offers flexible storage. You can roll it under your sink or next to your bathroom vanity, for easy access to your everyday essentials. If your bathroom starts to feel a little cramped, you can simply wheel the cart into a closet and free up some extra space.
Buy a Shower Caddy
For bathrooms that only need a little organization boost, choose a shower caddy which hangs over your shower screen. They don’t require any installation and usually include multiple baskets to store items of various sizes.
Other shower caddies can attach on to your shower head – a great option if you have a smaller shower cubicle or sliding shower doors.
Updating a children’s bathroom? You might want to swap out a sleek shower caddy for a colorful net or storage bucket where they can keep their bath toys. Choose one which suctions to the bathtub wall, so they can use it as part of their play – an easy way to make bath time more fun.
Organize Drawers
An easy and cost-effective way to add some extra storage to your small bathroom is to optimize space inside your existing bathroom vanity.
You can go beyond reorganizing your shelves by adding a few space-saving features to the cabinet doors. From self-adhesive hooks to magnets, there are several ways you can accessorize your inside cabinet door for extra storage.
Apply a magnetic strip or board to the inside of the door to create a space for small tools like tweezers and nail clippers. You can fix small magnets to the back of your favorite lipsticks, so they’re easy to grab on your way out. Add magnetic pots to hold bobby pins and hair clips too. Just make sure they are well positioned so the door can still shut.
If you’d rather not use magnets, then adhesive stickers and hooks are a great alternative. Attach them to the inside of the door so they’re out of sight. You can hang your hairdryer and hot hair tools on the hooks, then fasten a small basket to store your loose scrunchies, clips and more.
You could even fix a magazine rack on to the inside door to keep your cleaning products tucked away. You can have space for your cleaning sprays and sponges, plus room in the cabinet for toiletries too.
For an extra touch of organization, get out your label maker and indicate where each product will live on your cabinet door.
Find Storage Near You!
Look for Mirror Storage
Mirrors are your best friend when designing a small space. They can add extra depth and dimension to a room. Small spaces feel bigger, and they make the perfect hideaway for bathroom toiletries.
When choosing the perfect mirror storage for your small bathroom, there are lots of different options. If you have high ceilings, you might want to get a full-length mirror to make the most of the extra height. Look for one which hangs over your door if you’d prefer to keep it out of the way.
You could even make your own DIY mirror storage, by fixing a wood frame and shelves to one of your bathroom walls. Make sure the shelves aren’t so deep that they crowd the room but are still deep enough to fit your bathroom essentials. You can then fix a mirror door on the front to hide the clutter and give you space to get ready in the mornings. Don’t forget that last minute outfit check before you head out.
For bathrooms with limited floor-to-ceiling wall space, you can opt for smaller mirror storage. Mirrored cabinets which sit above your bathroom vanity are a good choice. Go for the all-mirror effect for the illusion of extra space. These not only look great, they’re also super practical, as you can store your toothbrushes, healthcare and skincare inside. To get the most out of your bathroom and the space within your home, you’ll need to have a declutter. Sort out your bathroom toiletries, recycle old towels and choose your everyday essentials. You can put these into a storage unit while you’re working on the room, or store them for a later date.
