I don’t know about you, but my bathroom seems to accumulate stuff. One day it’s clean and tidy with everything put away and the next, there are bottles of haircare and beauty products everywhere. Loo rolls and cleaning sprays soon stack up and towels cover every surface.
So, how can we make the most of the space we have in our (often small) bathrooms so that we can store our personal items away and keep the room looking neat? Here are some ideas for practical storage solutions…
Vanity units
While bathroom vanity units were very popular in the mid-century era, since the 90s it seems like any kind of under-sink cupboards have been ripped out and never replaced. But that area underneath the basin is just wasted space if you don’t use it for storage!
Sure, it looks nice and clear – and gives a bathroom a contemporary vibe – however, it’s also the space that can easily accumulate lots of bathroom cleaning products just lined up beside the pedestal if you haven’t got any other storage in the room.
That’s why I think the first addition to a bathroom should be a cupboard beneath your sink. This doesn’t mean you have to get an expensive plumber in to disconnect the old sink and replace it with a whole new integrated sink-and-cabinet set-up – although, of course, you can do this and it’ll look fantastic!
For a thriftier option, you can easily add extra storage with freestanding vanity units, which can either fit under your existing sink or you could add a countertop basin if you want a fresh new look. A freestanding option means you don’t have to screw anything into the tiles on the wall (and risk cracks!) and, if you’re not adding a new sink, it’s easy to install yourself to save money.
A double-door cabinet will give you masses of extra space to store all those cleaning products, extra toilet rolls and even folded towels. You can add a little basket or tub for each member of the family inside the cupboard, where they can keep their own toiletries.
Mirrored cabinet
Make your storage work harder by combining a mirror with a cabinet. Choose one that’s quite shallow so that it doesn’t protrude too far into the room, as you’ll only need it to be the depth of your biggest shampoo bottle in order to store your family’s haircare and bath products.
I’ve previously upcycled a bathroom wall cabinet with a colourful vinyl-wrapped design (which is still looking great 6 years on!) and it provides all the space we need for our toiletries and dental care products over the sink – plus it provides a handy mirror, an essential for any bathroom.
This doesn’t have to be an expensive addition to the bathroom. You can pick up secondhand cabinets to upcycle for just a few pounds (mine came from a charity shop) but you can also DIY your own. If you’ve got a bit of pallet wood and an old mirror, you can easily build a nautical-style bathroom cabinet to the dimensions that fit your space perfectly.
Freestanding storage
Any small spaces around the bath or beside the shower cubicle can be used for storage by adding some freestanding pieces to the room. Just something small like the little bathroom shelving unit that I DIY’d from scaffold boards works really well next to the tub as a space for beauty products, a humidity-loving houseplant or a cup of tea to enjoy while you’re soaking in the bath.
If you can make your storage double-up with another purpose, that’s an even more efficient use of space in the smallest room in the house. For example, I’ve previously made a driftwood-style laundry hamper from old pallets to stow away those used towels and this doubles up as a seat, or a side table to hold all the things I need while I’m in the bath (yes, more tea!).
Each of these ideas will hopefully give you more storage space to keep your bathroom looking tidy and all your toiletries and cleaning items neatly organised. Let me know in the comments below if you’ve used any other bathroom storage ideas in your own home, I’d love to hear your hacks for keeping the room tidy.
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