The guide to bathroom storage

By now, we all know what goes on behind the closed doors of the bathroom. Washing, brushing, putting on makeup in the mornings, going through the steps of your bedtime routine in the evenings. There are plenty of products and devices necessary for the rituals of a bathroom.

But, what happens when you don’t have space to fit them all? Intelligently designed and structured bathroom storage is key to making the most of this space. Regardless of size, clever bathroom storage solutions can offer more functionality and beauty to a space.

Here’s our take on a big guide to bathroom storage

Start by decluttering

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The first step to approaching storage solutions for your bathroom is to declutter. It’s easy for products to pile up over the years and soon enough our cabinets are full of items that we’re not even using. Decluttering should involve removing everything unwanted or unused from underneath the sink, around the bathtub or tucked away and hidden behind something. Get rid of anything you haven’t used in the last three months including any duplicates of products.

Check expiry dates on everything you’re using to make sure it’s still safe. Another important note is anything you’re not using immediately should be put aside so that it can be stored and accessed at a later time. Even if your impulse is to stack as many products around the tub as possible, bathroom surfaces should be kept clear. Limit what you have on display as this will not only look better but will assist in making things easier to clean.

Buckets and baskets

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When it comes to organizing a bathroom, buckets and baskets are your friends. These multi-purpose receptacles offer plenty of possibilities when it comes to finding a crafty way to create bathroom storage. Wire baskets are a common choice for bathroom storage, either sitting beside or below the sink.

However, these can work as beautiful floating shelves that are easy to install and can be used for a variety of things. If placed above the sink or near to the toilet, they can hold toilet paper, hand towels and other light items. This is a very simple DIY project that involves a few screws. Another popular basket option is to use wicker or cloth baskets strung along aptly placed towel bars. These can be used to store bathroom products that need to be accessible.

Buckets of various sizes can also be hung to create a fun and freestanding storage that can be placed almost anywhere in your bathroom. Gather various buckets from your local dollar or hardware store, then hang the buckets using clotheslines and leave a little bit of space between them. The string of buckets can be strung from a regular hook in your bathroom. This is a great project if you have children in the home, as you can assign a different coloured bucket to each child and make sure they store their items in the respective places.

Organizing bathroom beauty products

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If long hair runs in the family, then you might know a few things about holding onto copious amounts of shampoo and conditioner or trying to find a place for hair dryers and straighteners. Of course, these items can easily be stored alongside toiletries and towels in our aforementioned section. However, in most cases, the power cables are long and winding them up and down can be a nightmare.

There are plenty of DIY projects that can allow you to hang your hairdryers and straighteners efficiently. Consider using a plank of wood and placing aluminum rings or slots that handles can easily fit into. Install this close to an outlet in order for it to be easily accessible.

Another great option for smaller items such as cotton balls, swabs, makeup and hair brushes, lotions and creams is to hang a long box with individual sections to divide the items. This will free up space from behind the mirror while making these everyday items easily accessible. In a similar fashion, a ledge that sits just beneath your bathroom sink could work to hold jars or cups containing small items.  

It’s important to think about spaces in your bathroom that are being misused or ignored. Consider your corners as an excellent place to install a wall-mounted shelf or accessory that can hold a variety of beauty products and necessities. A specially designed wall corner unit will not only make a statement, you can store jars of smaller, everyday items inside for easy access that is still fairly tucked away. There are plenty of creative solutions for keeping smaller bathroom items organized and accessible but still displayed in a way that is unique and refreshing.

Around the bath and shower

The area that surrounds the bathtub and shower is one of the trickier places to keep things organized. This is especially true if you have a large family and are trying to accommodate a large number of towels. Wet towels are bulky and can take up an excessive amount of space, a daunting prospect for smaller bathrooms. For this reason, there are a few different ways to keep things organized. Hang an extra towel rack above your existing one or a freestanding option with plenty of rails and an extra folding shelf at the top.

Depending on the type of radiator you have, this could be placed over top and double as a towel warmer. If space doesn’t allow for this, you could hang an additional rod parallel to the one holding your shower curtain. This will act as an additional space for hanging towels or other wet items such as bathing suits. When lacking space, a classic solution is to install a rack over the door or even some simple hooks.

Another common issue in the bathroom is struggling to find a spot for shampoo, conditioner and others. Often, these sit at the side of the tub and collect grime and soap scum. In many cases, installing a simple corner shelf, shower caddy or a tension pole can work to hold things up off the sides of the tub. This solution may be practical, but it isn’t always the most aesthetically pleasing. Find one that suits your needs but doesn’t take too much away from your décor choices.