Make the most of your bathroom, no matter how small
Even in the biggest of bathrooms, there never seems to be quite enough storage for all those toothbrushes, face creams, and toiletries. Don’t start tearing down walls and planning an expansion just yet. You can maximize the storage space in your bathroom with a few simple DIY bathroom storage ideas, from decluttering drawers with dividers to using unconventional items, like a bar cart, to hold towels and toilet paper.
Lazy Susans, or the round trays that swivel, are convenient for storing spices and canned goods in the kitchen. But professional organizer Laura demonstrates how this storage device also works well in bathrooms for storing personal care items.
They can hold perfumes, skincare products, body lotions, and more. Just give one a spin to find the item you need. This is also a great option for kids’ bathrooms, so they can easily access their bath toys or soaps.
Bathroom sinks can pose a challenge because the pipes below can take up an awkward amount of space. Fortunately, you can stack drawers to maximize cabinet space in a small bathroom. Add cleaners, washcloths, or personal care items in drawers below the sink. This trick also works for kitchens and other sinks, too.
“Stackable drawers are a great, versatile way to maximize storage space in your bathroom,” says Jamie Hord, founder of Horderly. “These fit great in low cabinets or under the sink where people usually need to maneuver around plumbing and piping. These stackable drawers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, allowing you to mix and match to fit whatever items you're looking to contain.”
Many bathrooms have a medicine cabinet inside the mirror. Whether you do or not, you need somewhere to store cough syrup and allergy pills. When you feel a sore throat coming on, you don’t want to spend time sorting through makeup brushes and old face creams to get to the throat lozenges.
Use bins and labels to store and organize medications and keep them in a safe space that kids or pets can’t reach. Another tip: go through medications and skin care products every few months to remove expired items taking up valuable space.
“Many bathroom products come with an expiration date,” Hord says. “To keep your bathroom neat and tidy, check expiration dates once per month and toss any expired items. If you need to replace something, add it to a list to grab the next time you go shopping.”
An old stool, bar cart, or bench can provide more surfaces for storing your bathroom items, like in this bathroom thoughtfully designed by Maria Shaw. Keep a stool next to the bathtub to keep a rolled towel, candle, or glass of wine handy to enjoy during a soak. To save money during a bathroom remodel, thrift stools or bar carts, or take them from a room where they aren’t used to their full potential.
If you don’t have much space in your bathroom, you simply need to think vertically. Take advantage of open walls and install floating shelves for a timeless bathroom design. Floating shelves will add more storage space for baskets, jars, or rolled towels without making the bathroom look more cluttered. In comparison, shelves are usually simple to install on your own; if you’re concerned about electrical wires or plumbing behind the walls, consider hiring a local handyperson to help you.
The top of the toilet is open real estate that many people forget. In a small bathroom—like in this one designed by Rebekah Perry Clark of Decorating Den Interiors—you can keep a reed scent diffuser, jars of cotton balls and cotton swabs, or a basket of extra toilet paper in this spot. If you decide to use this space for storage, just be sure that you can easily remove the items to get to the toilet tank if necessary.
Some items are best kept on the counter, but boxes of cotton swabs and plastic bags full of cotton balls can create visual chaos and take up precious space on your bathroom countertop. Instead, place items in a series of matching jars (mason jars work well), then round up those jars on a sleek tray—like in this example from Bri Van Lierop, owner of NEAT Method. Now, there’s a place for everything. There’s no clutter, but you still have quick access to your essentials.
Lavender Organizes shares how to corral unwieldy heaps of towels and washcloths into wicker baskets for a cohesive look. These will store neatly inside a vanity cabinet or on shelves in a linen closet. Wicker baskets also hide away extra shampoos, bottles of body wash, and rolls of toilet paper for quick and easy storage that looks like you spent all day organizing.
Drawers are a great storage element on their own, but they can quickly accumulate mounds of junk, making it harder to reach your eyelash curler or tweezers in the morning. Sara Capland of Cool & Collected uses dividers to improve bathroom storage keep clutter at bay, and create a home for essential items. If you’re low on drawers, the cost to install a bathroom cabinet depends on the size of your bathroom.
Decanting bath products into matching pump containers can eliminate visual clutter, like in this gorgeous example from Donna. Then, label everything to ensure you don’t accidentally wash your hair with body lotion. It’s also smart to label your Lazy Susans or storage drawers, which will come in handy during spring cleaning or when the in-laws visit.
