How to Maximize Storage in Small Bathrooms
Small bathrooms don’t have to feel small and cramped. With smart planning and the right organization strategies, your small bathroom can make a big impact!
As an interior designer in Seattle, Washington, specializing in home renovations, many of the homes I reimagine were built in the early to mid-1900s. These predominantly Craftsman, Tudor, and mid-century modern homes often have one thing in common—small bathrooms!
While this may not be the case for every bathroom in the home, there is almost always at least one tiny bathroom that could use some well-thought-out strategies to maximize the storage and improve the overall function and feel of the room.
In this post, I am going to share my strategies for maximizing storage in small bathrooms. If you have a less-than-large bathroom renovation in your future, pin this post so that you are ready to implement these tips!
The vanity
Some of the best opportunities in bathroom storage can be found right at your sink! When space allows, I will always choose a vanity with storage over a console or pedestal sink.
A storage vanity allows you to tuck things out of sight and stay organized. I find that most of our clients prefer drawers over cabinet doors in their vanity to maximize the storage space. Aftermarket drawer organizers can be a game changer for organizing items inside each of the drawers.
If the vanity you love has doors, you can add an aftermarket cabinet organizer that fits inside your vanity to help you stay organized.
Photography by: Emily Keeney
Pro Tip: When I am designing small bathrooms, I get the widest possible vanity to maximize the storage.
The medicine cabinet
I am a huge fan of the medicine cabinet! I especially appreciate recessed medicine cabinets that are tucked neatly between the studs in the wall above the sink. Medicine cabinets provide excellent storage opportunities for small items.
If the budget allows, take a look at a powered medicine cabinet. This cabinet has electrical outlets making it the perfect place to hide electric toothbrushes and shavers. Your counter space is at a premium in a small bathroom. The more items you can get off the counter and into the medicine cabinet, the better!
Photography by: Emily Keeney
The shower niche
Let’s talk shampoo and conditioner. If multiple people use the bathroom regularly, you could quickly acquire an abundance of showering amenities. Ideally, you need a place for those to be tucked away and organized (preferably somewhere other than the tub ledge or the shower floor)!
Enter the built-in amenities niche. Cue the sound of angels! This might just be my favorite bathroom element. I love having a dedicated place for everything—and the amenities niche means that every toiletry has a home!
Photography by: Emily Keeney
Pro Tip: There is nothing more charming (or convenient) in a small bathroom than a tucked-away wall niche to store the all-important toilet paper!
Photography by: Emily Keeney
An open shelf
If your small bathroom has a little extra wall space, you could investigate adding an open shelf. Fill the shelf with a variety of baskets and boxes to hide amenities, and don’t forget the folded towels!
Photography by: Emily Keeney
An over-the-toilet train rack
I have strong opinions about putting towels over a toilet—I don’t love the risk of a towel falling into the toilet tank! However, some bathrooms are so tiny, that you really don’t have a choice. When that is the case, enter the train rack.
A robe hook rail
Adding a robe hook rail means that the wet towels and robes have a place to live…other than the floor! This is a great solution when multiple people are sharing a bathroom. Each person gets a dedicated robe hook or two. Towels tend to dry faster when they hang from a hook rather than double-folded on a rail. It is also easier to keep towels from getting mixed up when everyone has a dedicated hook.
Photography by: Emily Keeney
A Towel Ladder
In a narrow bathroom, a tall, thin towel ladder can be the perfect solution to hang multiple towels. In order to avoid a bulky look on the ladder, I typically recommend lighter-weight towels.
A small bench
A small bench or stool can have so many functions! A place to set a candle and a glass of wine while you take a bath. A place to put a plant and add a little greenery to your bathroom. And, of course, a place to sit!
Pro Tip: If you choose a teak material, it can also go into your shower.
Photography by: Emily Keeney
The window ledge
Take advantage of your window sill! This can be the perfect place for a small potted plant, a lidded box, or a basket with amenities.
Photography by: Emily Keeney
A vanity tray
I love a pretty tray on my vanity tops. Not only does it provide a great way to organize loose items that collect on your counter, but it also makes counter cleanup quick and easy.
Pro Tip: Add a couple of lidded jars to the tray filled with cotton swabs and other everyday use items.
Photography by: Emily Keeney
Small bathrooms have big potential
Your small bathroom is just right! It’s charming, it’s quaint, and with some mindful planning, it’s also organized. If you have a bathroom renovation coming up, maximize storage to create a space that fits your needs perfectly.
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