Forget Shelves: A Smarter Way To Store Toilet Paper And Towels In A Small Bathroom

Storing things in a small bathroom feels like a never-ending battle. Toilet paper rolls and bath towels are perhaps the worst offenders because they are bulky and hard to store. Many people end up storing these under the sink, in the built-in cabinets above their toilet, or in their vanity. The problem? They end up stealing valuable real estate that could better be put to use for other essentials. Fortunately, there are plenty of bathroom storage ideas that can help make up for a lack of space. One way to nail the satisfying feeling of a perfectly organized bathroom is to ditch the shelves and use a wooden storage tower instead.

For starters, storage towers allow you to keep both your toilet paper and towels in the same space. Towers also barely take up space because they are tall and narrow and make great use of vertical storage — you know, those empty spots on your wall that really weren't being used for anything else. This makes them perfect for small bathrooms. To save the most space, look for a tall tower with a small footprint. Bonus points if it has a place to hang a toilet paper roll. The narrow section between your built-in bathroom vanity and the toilet or between the toilet and the bath is the perfect spot to slide a storage tower. You can also put one in any other space that is too small for a traditional bathroom cabinet.

There are a handful of things you should keep in mind when choosing a storage tower for your bathroom. These towers come in a ton of styles and colors to match any aesthetic or color scheme. On a more practical side, consider your storage needs and pick something that will hold towels and toilet paper well. A tower full of small drawers, for example, might be perfect for storing makeup or bath accessories but wouldn't work well for bulkier items. 

Whatever you do, when choosing your new tower, don't eyeball it. Because the tower will be sliding into a relatively narrow space, it's important that you actually bust out your tape measure. You don't want to end up falling in love with a piece, assembling it, and then realizing it doesn't fit. As with anything made from wood, make sure the piece has been properly treated or made with moisture-resistant wood like bamboo, teak, or cedar — bathrooms are humid by nature, after all. For safety, anchor your piece to the wall, especially if you have kids, because the narrow footprint does make it more likely to tip.

To make the best use of your newfound storage space, try rolling your towels instead of folding them. They can then be stacked vertically on top of each other, going up the tower. Do the same thing with toilet paper rolls — stack them vertically. Moreover, put the toilet paper on the bottom so you can easily grab a new one if you run out. Then, use the top of the tower to store bath towels. This keeps you from needing to stoop when you are reaching for a new towel.