In a small bathroom, finding storage can be a challenge as there’s limited space for extra cabinets or dressers. But don’t throw away your essentials just yet. Look around for organization ideas that maximize every inch without sacrificing style.
01 of 20: Choose a tech-friendly medicine cabinet. A medicine cabinet with built-in outlets can be a great option for storing electric toothbrushes or razors and hiding wires.
But in a small bathroom, every inch counts. Adding shelves turns a blank wall into an extra storage spot for plants, towels, art, and toiletries. Choose minimalist shelves and pretty brackets to keep it looking sleek and simple. If you have a little more room, opt for an over-the-toilet storage unit. Move the medicine cabinet away from the sink. Installing a recessed medicine cabinet (which doesn’t need to be mirrored) on a non-sink wall has numerous benefits. It frees you to find the largest cabinet possible without worrying about sink-to-cabinet proportions. You can choose a special mirror in a beautiful frame for over the sink. And without a swinging cabinet door to worry about, install a glass shelf below the decorative mirror and above the sink faucet (which adds storage for soap dishes, apothecary jars filled with cotton swabs, and more). Use a ladder to create vertical storage. To create vertical storage while preserving precious floor real estate, lean a wooden ladder against your wall and hang wire baskets from the rungs. Jennifer Lifford used this smart storage idea in her own bathroom and documented it on her organizing blog, Clean & Scentsible. Unlike commercial ladder-style shelves, which can have a space-hogging 14-inch depth, an actual ladder can be propped at any angle (use wall anchors to stabilize it). Choose different sizes of baskets to hold toiletries, reading material, and more. Hang hand towels directly on the rungs. Move your makeup into the bedroom. Heat and humidity create a breeding ground for bacteria in your liquid foundation, powders, and lipsticks—and cause them to degrade faster. Save money and space in the short term by moving your makeup into the bedroom. Then step back and admire all that free space you just gained. Hang storage baskets. If you’ve got enough floor space for a wastebasket and little else, grab a hammer and nails and affix square-sided baskets or boxes to walls for storage. Choose ones deep enough to hold rolled or folded washcloths and hand towels, but not so deep that anyone will bang their head (6 to 8 inches is about right). Hang a shelf above eye level. When you’re looking to stash supplies like extra toilet paper rolls and tissue boxes, forget the rule about hanging shelves at eye level and instead hang them a good 6 inches higher. This way, you can tuck supplies in pretty bins or baskets and no one will be able to see inside—yet you’ll be able to easily reach for the bin when you need it. Install an over-the-door rack. Instead of hanging a flimsy pocket organizer over your door, opt for a sturdy rack that’s drilled into the door, like this one from the Elfa line at The Container Store.
Looking to optimize your bathroom space? Discover highly adjustable storage solutions that can accommodate more products. Adjust basket sizes, add or remove them, and tweak the heights to fit your needs.
For a crowded shower caddy, consider using waterproof hooks to hang items like razors, loofahs, shower caps, combs, and more on your shower tiles. This makes the most of your wall space without taking up additional floor room.
A wall-mounted towel bar with swing arms is an excellent way to hang multiple towels in a small space. It doesn’t take up bathroom footprint, and you can collapse the bars as needed to create more room.
Place a basket beneath a floating sink to utilize the space effectively. This can be a charming addition to your bathroom, as exemplified by the powder room designed by Zoë Feldman.
Maximize storage around a pedestal sink by building or buying wooden shelves that frame the sink’s base, making use of the dead space beneath the bowl.
Screw in shelves over the door to utilize vertical space. This is an alternative to hanging items on the door and can help you store more without taking up floor space.
If you have a waterfall shower head in a small bathroom and can’t hang a shower caddy, or you want additional storage, consider shower corner organizers. These can be quickly set up to incorporate more storage in your bathroom.
For those renovating a small bathroom, consider adding a recessed or niche shelf in the shower stall. This built-in solution takes up less space compared to extra pieces and can be framed to stand out, as seen in the 2021 Real Simple Home.
