When it comes to maximizing storage, the bathroom is often one of the trickiest rooms to tackle — especially if it’s already pretty small and a big renovation isn’t really an option. In that case, you can really only do so much with what you’ve got to in terms of the vanity or pedestal sink, the wall space, and any other corners or areas of the room that remain empty. And if more than one or two people share that bathroom, then it can quickly turn into a messy, cluttered nightmare. Rather than stuffing your vanity cupboards full of all your things or lining everything up across every flat surface in sight, consider getting a little creative. Here are just a few very resourceful and affordable ways to add more storage to your bathroom, no matter how small it may be!
Spice Rack Shelves
If you have just enough wall space near your vanity or pedestal sink, you can install a few spice racks as shelves to help keep all your cosmetic products off of what little counter surface you have — yet still have them within reach. These two examples from Apartment Therapy and Suite Revival show you just how good spice racks can look in the bathroom! If you want to recreate the look you can get this set of two white, wood spice racks from Amazon.
Crown Moulding Shelves
If you’re not a fan of how spice racks look, perhaps you could dress it up a little with some shelves made from crown moulding material. They’re small and thin enough for storing all your bottles neatly when you have limited space. This one from DIY Cozy Home shows that you can even install these types of shelves on a wall behind a door!
Shelves Above the Door
No wall space for shelves? No problem! You can make use of that space right above the door to your bathroom, and you might be surprised just how handy this turns out to be. A shelf installed above the door on My So Called Home shows how you can use it to store baskets and toilet paper.
Shelves Around the Sink
If you have barely any counter space at all, finding somewhere to place just a few essential things around your sink can be a challenge. This little shelving accessory from Wal-Mart that you can place over your faucet might help, or if you have enough room between the mirror and the sink, you can try installing a small shelf like this one featured on BHG. (The crown moulding shelf solution might even work here as well.)
Tiered Trays
Tiered trays don’t just belong in the kitchen. And if you can’t install shelves, a tiered tray can help create more vertical space for all those little things you have trouble storing and keeping organized — like makeup, super small tubes or bottles, jewelry, hair ties, and bobbypins. This tray from This Casita shows how you can use it to stack cups of makeup brushes, while another found on Homedit takes a simpler approach with a two-tiered tray.
Shelving Units That Stand Over the Toilet
If you don’t have the option to install your own shelves, you should consider purchasing a shelving unit that stands above the toilet to help make use of that handy space. Here’s one from Stonissimo and another from Brit.co that show just how much storage space you can get out of one of these things!
Pods, Hooks, and Shelves Inside Cupboard Doors
Your cupboards may already be full to the brim with stuff, but you still have at least one more option for squeezing as much space as you can out of them: the doors themselves. Take a look at these storage pods, hooks, and shelves you can attach to the inside of your doors to create even more cupboard space.
Mesh Shower Pockets
It’s certainly not easy to maximize space in a bathtub or shower, and you’re probably already aware of all of those bulky shelving accessories you can get that attach to your tub or shower faucet, which really only take up more space. Instead, you might consider getting a mesh pocket that hangs vertically from your shower rod. Here are a couple different ones you can get from Amazon or WayFair.
