6 Bathroom Storage Ideas for Maximizing Space

If you're dealing with a tiny bathroom that your family has outgrown, have no fear. A few bathroom storage ideas can make a significant impact on the way your bathroom looks and operates. Below, you'll find a few ideas that will allow you to maximize your bathroom storage space, get rid of all the unnecessary clutter, and take back your bathroom. You'll be on your way to a spa-like space in no time.

If you're planning to remodel your bathroom, remember to work storage spaces into the room's layout. Adding storage during the design phase is often easier than trying to find storage after the fact. A great way to add storage without cutting into the room is to build shelves or niches into the wall. Like a traditional medicine cabinet, you can place these nooks between the wall studs for storage that doesn't take up any of your bathroom's floor space.

When your budget allows, remodeling is also a time when you can steal a bit of space from another room. If there is a large room next to your bathroom, consider making it a bit smaller to enlarge your bathroom or to build a linen closet. Unless doing so requires moving a load-bearing wall, you can often enlarge your bathroom fairly easily, and a little bit of extra room can go a long way.

Choosing multipurpose fixtures also helps. Many shower stalls and tub surrounds, for instance, now include built-in shelves so you can get rid of that overflowing shower caddy. You can also install a second shower curtain rod across your shower and hang items like back scrubbers and washcloths on it.

If you're tiling your walls, look for tiles that can help. There are tiles that have built-in toothbrush holders that let you keep your toothbrush handy without taking up counter space. It also adds an extra thoughtful touch to your bathroom's design.

If you don't have enough time, money, or energy to remodel your bathroom, you may have to simply play the hand with which you've been dealt. When you feel like there's nowhere left to go in your bathroom, look up. You can always hang shelves on your walls to hold towels, a few rolls of toilet paper, or your bath and body products.

Like all flat surfaces, shelves can admittedly get cluttered and messy. You can avoid this by getting creative. Consider using matching storage jars, baskets, wall-mounted mail holders, or any other vessel that suits your fancy.

It's a good idea to keep things you use all the time handy, but go as high as you can with items you use less often. There's likely plenty of space for a shelf above your bathroom door that could hold infrequently used guest towels or spare tissue boxes.

If you do have a vanity or closet in your small bathroom, make sure you're getting the most out of it. Install shelves so you have multiple layers of storage and consider placing a lazy Susan in the cupboard. This makes it easier to find and retrieve items you use more often. For small products, consider installing hooks on the interior cabinet walls or inside the door so you can hang them out of the way.

You can also install a tension rod or dowel near the top of your cabinet. You can then hang spray bottles from it so they're not taking up valuable space at the bottom of your vanity cabinet. Another excellent way to save space is to mount magnetic strips inside your cupboard or medicine cabinet door. Scissors, nail clippers, bobby pins, and other metal items will stick to the magnet and free up some space.

Shoot for smaller packaging to save space as well. Do you really need a big box of Q-tips, or can you save space by standing them in a small canister or upcycled candle jar? Don't waste the cabinet space you do have by storing superfluous product packaging. If it's safe and sanitary to do so, throw out bulky packaging instead of storing it.

If you're short on space, add a wheeled cart to your bathroom. You can buy a utility cart specifically for this purpose, but you could just as easily repurpose an old microwave or bar cart. Putting the cart on wheels lets you tuck your toiletries out of the way when you're not using them. You can still put it front and center, however, when you do need it closer to the shower or vanity.

You could even roll your cart right out of the bathroom and tuck it somewhere else. If you have frequent guests, for instance, you could fill a cart with extra towels, soaps, and other travel goodies and roll it into the bathroom for them. When they leave, you can restock and easily remove the cart until you need it again. This is also a great idea when hosting parties, allowing you to place extra toilet paper, feminine products, and other hygiene products in plain view for those who need them and then whisking it all away when the party is over.

In this case, thinking outside the box for bathroom storage ideas means stepping outside the four walls of your bathroom. In many older homes, it was quite common to have a linen closet outside of the bathroom rather than inside. If you don't have a designated linen closet, turn a closet (or part of a closet) into one or buy a small, free-standing cabinet and tuck it in a room near your bathroom. This can also serve as a great place to store extra toothpaste, toilet paper packages, and first-aid supplies as well as linens.

It's also important that you don't let an open design make you feel boxed in by an apparent lack of storage. When working with a small bathroom, for example, design professionals often add touches that make the space feel bigger. One way to make a cramped bathroom feel bigger is to ditch the vanity and go with a floating vanity or a wall-mounted sink. Another is to add lots of open shelving rather than cupboards.

It's true that you won't be able to hide items behind cabinet doors if you keep things open, but that doesn't mean you don't have solid storage spaces. You can install a floating shelf under a floating vanity to keep an open feel while adding storage. You can also roll up some towels and tuck them into a decorative basket under the sink. Placing decorative boxes with lids on open shelves is another great way to keep an open feel while giving you plenty of places to stash your more private items.

To keep linens out of the way, trying using a decorative ladder. This is especially great if you have linens in soothing shades or artistic patterns that you want to show off. Simply layer your linens on each rung and then place your favorite piece on top for all to see. Plus, in addition to linens, you could also hang corded items off the ladder, like hair dryers and curling irons.

To take this idea a step further, you could get a decorative ladder in which each rung is a small shelf (often called a "ladder bookcase"). This will provide you with sleek storage and you can easily choose a ladder bookshelf that perfectly fits in your space. Then, add your items to the shelves for seamless storage.