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Smart Over the Toilet Storage Solutions [42 Chic Options!]

Over-the-toilet storage ideas are functional fixtures that also add stunning detail to your bathroom. For the most part, the bathroom is the smallest area of the home. However, it is the one that needs to be the tidiest. Although there is an absolute lack of floor space, you can always make up for storage using vertical space. The space above the toilet is often overlooked, but it is essentially the best choice for more storage ideas.

Make the most out of your bathroom’s available space with innovative over-the-toilet storage ideas. Space-saving shelves are smart concepts that will fit all your bathroom essentials in one place.

Photo Credit: Amazon/Gooin Global

We rounded up some of the fabulous tricks for organizing bathrooms while adding more storage space.

Draw Attention to Walls with Geometric Shelves

White toilet with black candle on top
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Emily Silverstein

Who says the bathroom needs to be clinically white, blank, and drab? Stunning pieces like this three-fourth circle shelf will add a personal touch to your rest area. It is chic, minimalist, and just visually stunning. The Pantone brass color of this shelf will make you love this comfy storage space even more. The design is simple yet catchy to make the room less empty and dull.

Shove a Neat Multi-Storage Surround

Photo Credit: Walmart/Goplus

If you need a room for your various trinkets, keep them in a place you can easily reach every time. Toilet cabinets are excellent fixtures to serve this purpose. With ample storage space, you can fit all your bathroom essentials without it being messy. The different compartments will also help you sort out your stuff to keep things more organized.

Add a Rustic Charm with DIY Ladder

Photo Credit: Urban Outfitters

Go easy with over-the-toilet storage ideas you can put up in a whiz. It will take no more than a few lumbers and a bang of nails to set up a DIY ladder. Hang wire mesh baskets in it for stowing things. Add in a hanging plant for a whip of the fresh outdoors and channel your inner planter. It is one of the best and most inexpensive over-the-toilet storage ideas to try for small bathrooms.

Another Perfect Ladder Storage

Photo Credit: anawhite.com

Ladders with shelves are also one of the coolest over-the-toilet storage ideas to consider. There is no need to hang a basket in it. You can simply stash your toiletries and other items on the pedestal for better organization. Wooden storages assert both a rustic and modern charm to add more depth to your tiny bathroom space.

white shiplap wall bathroom ladder over toilet white four drawer shelf with potted plant
Photo Credit: Michaela Diane Designs

A DIY ladder is the ideal, affordable answer to fill the area above a toilet without adding a lot of bulk. It is also convenient for hanging towels. You can effortlessly create one for your own bathroom with just a few supplies and add that adorable rustic charm to your space.

Give Bathroom a Homely Fashion with Baskets

Photo Credit: design-homes.ru

Baskets are a neat addition to the bathroom for holding all kinds of stuff. So, install a cabinet shelf and display baskets to give your bathroom a good sort of homely vibe. You can now say goodbye to the hair dryer and curling iron messing with your sink and countertop. These inexpensive over the toilet storage ideas will separate your belongings for easy access during those chaotic morning rush.

Built-in Shelves are Fine, Fine Fixtures

Photo Credit: shelterness.com

If you’re running out of space with your base cabinets, you can always go big with more extensive storage. Take this sleek and huge shelf as another smart over-the-toilet storage idea. However, it would help if you were wise in choosing the shelf material, especially for a place where humidity and moisture are at their highest. MDF boards or solid woods that are properly sealed and painted are an excellent choice.

Bring in the Industrial Vibe with Rustic Pieces

Photo Credit: Amazon/Uncared

Industrial piping and reclaimed woods go well together as stylish over-the-toilet storage ideas. The unique design of this storage is a spectacular addition to any bathroom. The pipes can cater to towels for hanging, so you can literally have your stuff in one place. The rustic shelves can also accommodate all your other necessities in one convenient spot.

wood open shelving on wrought iron pipes decorated in farmhouse style over toilet
Photo Credit: Fueling Mamahood

These trendy shelves are made from reclaimed barn wood that rests on supports made from pipes. These are super straightforward to make, and they add incredible storage to the area above the toilet that usually goes unused. Just make as many as you need and add some farmhouse-style adornments.

Use Wicker Baskets Ingeniously

Photo Credit: BHG/Adam Albright

If you don’t want to bother yourself with installing shelves, why not fit the storage box directly into the wall? These wicker baskets are not one of your standard over-the-toilet storage ideas. The unique craftsmanship and ingenious concept will lend your bathroom a well-thought personal touch. You can mount these baskets by hammering a nail on the basket weave and into the wall.

black and white striped shower curtain wood shelves with baskets over toilet storage
Photo Credit: Crafting In The Rain

Add some baskets to the shelves and label them for each family member or for the items being stored inside. This will help keep your bathroom neat and organized as well as provide extra storage space. If everything has a home and spot, keeping the room tidy is much easier.

hanging wall basket storage ideas for over the toilet yellow and grey shower curtain with flowers
Photo Credit: Spruce Your Nest

Wired baskets suspended above a toilet area make for quick and leisurely access to hand towels and washcloths. A small hanging shelf anchored above the baskets can easily hold body washes, shampoos, and conditioners that can be easily grabbed before a shower or bath. This is an affordable way to quickly set up a storage area with a few simple everyday items.

hanging oval basket as over the toilet storage in green bathroom
Photo Credit: Quirke Madame

An enormous old-fashioned laundry basket with open slats is an excellent replacement for a more enormous shelf. It can be easily mounted on a decorative bracket and packed with towels of almost any size, and it can be used to exhibit an old or new photograph on the basket bottom. Decorative additions for the holiday season add a cheery touch with intertwined ribbon and a topper bow, along with the addition of pine boughs above the basket and on the toilet tank top.

Get More Storage Space with DIY Crafts

Photo Credit: simplydiy2.com

DIY over the toilet storage ideas comes in an endless list of intelligent designs. It provides storage and enhances your bathroom space. It will also allow you to impart your style and unique personality. Take a look at this bathroom storage from repurposed towel racks and baskets. It is versatile and decoratively speaking, chic and classy in every way.

Go Sassy with Funky Floating Cube Shelf

Photo Credit: Amazon/J Jackcube Design

Enhance your small space with little rural pieces that double as a storage and decorative display. Cubbies like this floating shelf offer more storage space with their nine available compartments. The wooden look and texture will let you embrace your home’s contemporary or rustic theme throughout your bathroom.

A Modern Cubby

Never run out of toilet paper again when you add this attractive shelving unit to space over your toilet. The bottom section has three cubbies specifically for toilet paper, so it is consistently within reach. A section in the middle allows for concealed storage just below a tall top section.

modern cubby over toilet storage shelf with rolls of toilet paper
Photo Credit: Edgypieces via Etsy

Take Comfort in Antique Pieces

Photo Credit: remodelaholic.com

Give your bathroom a vintage interpretation with antique fixtures. You can repurpose anything you have on hand and turn it into marvelous over-the-toilet storage ideas. This old window in white paint is one stylish storage to give your bathroom a rustic boost. You can also mix and match items from the flea market and see how you can benefit from those pieces.

upcycled old cabinet turned over the toilet storage made with old window frame
Photo Credit: Liz Marie

A stylish and organized way to house bathroom essentials is a rustic and distressed cabinet with windowpane glass fronts and a doorknob opening. Also, a cabinet can help shield any items within it from exposure to dust, moisture, and potential breakage or damage.

Slide an Over-the-Counter Storage Rack and Go

Photo Credit: styledegree.sg

If you don’t fancy drilling holes or shoving bulky units into your bathroom, why not make use of bathroom caddies? Space-saver units like this one will make it easy to organize your toiletries in one place. Don’t worry if you have a top-flush toilet; the rack’s elevated base will not have any trouble dealing with that. Storage organizers like this are ideal for small apartment toilet settings.

Avoid the Clutter with Etagere Shelf

Photo Credit: Etsy/Lakeside Express

Etagere shelves are small updates that can make your bathroom feel less cluttered. These vintage bookcases are not only limited to your living room. You can also put this inside your bathroom for large-scale storage purposes. Its open shelf will make it easier for you to take what you need without fumbling through your various toiletries. These shelves are good enough for small bathrooms but are also gorgeous for larger ones.

metal pipe over the toilet storage black tile
Photo Credit: Pottery Barn

This over-the-toilet storage solution has the look and feel of a metal baker’s rack. It is ideal for small bathrooms because it provides tons of storage without looking too bulky or taking up a lot of room. With two shelves, there is plenty of space for bathroom essentials.

open wire rack shelving over toilet storage in farmhouse decorated bathroom
Photo Credit: Hudson Farmhouse

Do-Over with Adjustable Shelves

Photo Credit: Amazon/Yoefie

Installing fixtures needs meticulous measurement to fit everything properly. But if you are your own handyman without the expertise, things have the tendency to blow up. Thanks to the ingenious telescopic pipes and shelves that will allow installation without any tools needed. You can adjust the length of the pipes to attach to your bathroom floor and ceiling. You can also change the shelves’ height to accommodate all your bathroom essentials.

Tidy Up Behind the Cabinet Doors

Photo Credit: Etsy/Bmac Fashion

If you want to keep your things from plain sight, cabinet over the toilet storage ideas are cool options. But there is no need to bore some holes into the walls to install one. This freestanding multi-use bathroom storage can be shoved right over your toilet and into the wall for perfection. The unobtrusive design with its chic doors offers a little bit of privacy for your belongings.

black over the toilet storage hutch white toilet greenery tropical plant basket oval black mirror
Photo Credit: The Home Depot

Built Right In

Think in between the studs with this one. This over-the-toilet storage area is built right into the walls for a slick storage solution tucked neatly within the wall.

bathroom with white toilet built in shelves over toilet with white towels turkish towels hanging on wall
Photo Credit: Sage Design

If you want a more elegant and luxurious look, you can frame around your inset shelves for a polished and rich design style.

Custom inset shelves over a toilet in a transitional white and gray bathroom. Marble floors take on a classy template to the bathroom design with a polished appeal.
Photo Credit: Karr Brick

Braced Between The Wall

Floating shelves that are braced between two walls are a classic over-the-toilet storage solution. This modern design is seen in so many bathrooms, and we know this trend isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and we are happy because it’s a perfect use of a space like this.

White stacked shelves over the toilet are featured in this charming toilet nook that boasts an oblong matte black mirror over a blue wooden single washstand with silver bamboo pulls.
Photo Credit: Fiorella Design

The shelves don’t have to be overly thick, either. A thin, sleek shelf can make just as much as an impact, if not more.

Wood floating shelf over a toilet adds a charming touch mounted on a white and blue wallpaper wall displaying plants and a wooden frame.
Photo Credit: Katie Davis Design

Take advantage of the length between the walls over a toilet that sits in a nook. Wall-to-tall floating shelves will make an otherwise awkward space look deliberate and provide additional storage. Place baskets, folded towels, tissues, decorative items, and extra toilet paper rolls on the shelves.

wall to wall floating wood shelves hung in between walls and over white toilet
Photo Credit: Efficient Momma

Sleek Glass

Sleek and stylish glass shelves will provide you with some over-the-toilet storage without weighing down your bathroom with heavy, bulky shelves. You can install a floating glass shelf or class it up like these glass shelves with a brass framework.

glass shelves over toilet with chrome pipe sink
Photo Credit: Zoe Feldman Design

Simple and Sweet

Sometimes when it comes to design and style, it’s best not to overdo it. A simple chrome towel rack provides over-the-toilet storage for towels without competing with the pattern wallpaper design in this stunning bathroom.

white vanity toilet over the toilet towel rack white mirror and wall sconces green pattern wallpaper
Photo Credit: Kara Miller

Make Good Use of Crates

Wooden crates are quite favored, particularly for easy and quick storage. Some crates may be a bit deep to use over the toilet, but you can construct some that are excellent for your needs. With just a few materials, you will have beautiful over-toilet storage.

crates painted white and turned into decorative shelves and hung over a toilet
Photo Credit: Soul Style

An open box or crate can be a unique and pleasing way to create over the toilet shelving. There is room for regular bath basics, pictures, vases, and knickknacks that go along with the bathroom style or individual decorative taste.

white vanity in bathroom repurposed crates storage over the toilet oval mirror with wall sconces
Photo Credit: Seas the Moment

Rustic Floating Shelves

Fill the area above your toilet with something practical and stylish like these DIY floating shelves. These shelves are thick enough to show off the beauty of the wood while still maintaining a rustic refinement. They are ideal for storing folded towels, extra toilet paper, small toiletries, or tiny home décor items.

rustic wood floating shelves over toilet white subway tile black framed tile
Photo Credit: Jonesville Blog

Rustic Towel Rack

This storage shelf has the look of a wooden crate the way the slats are positioned, but it is taken up a notch with an open-air top for more essential items. The bottom shelf is perfect for folded towels and undersized items. A pipe hangs from the bottom for a towel rack.

rustic wood towel rack made from a pallet with wrought iron pipe
Photo Credit: TJsCustomFurniture via Etsy

Incorporate Rope

This lovely unit has three shelves that are hung by a long, wide rope to add visual appeal and height above the toilet. The bottom shelf is the ideal size for three rolls of toilet paper. A towel rack hangs below for hand towels or washcloths. The top is open for taller items.

white three tiered hanging by rope shelf for over the toiled storage
Photo Credit: KnottybyNature via Etsy

Hanging shelves with rope forge a relaxed and laid-back look that looks pleasing in just about any environment but is geared for a seaside cottage or other casual abodes. Their openness allows for the placement of towels, towel containers, baskets, and other bathroom essentials.

white shelf with hanging rope over the toilet storage ideas
Photo Credit: Amber Interiors

Light, White, and Bright

Pristine white shelving that is inset with lighting brings light and focus to the toilet storage and adequate storage space on each shelf. It adds height, depth, conciseness, and positioning room for placement of natural bath essentials and other basics for bathroom use.

white wood over the toilet storage free floating shelves farmhouse style decorated bathroom
Photo Credit: Hometalk

Suspended From the Ceiling

A hanging shelf with eye rings and long insertion hooks is another quick, easy and stunning way to put shelving together. Though anchored to a back wall and an overhead ceiling, the shelves appear to be floating, giving it a freestyle look that can be harmonized with any bathroom décor and bath necessities.

white hanging shelves with black wrought iron hooks toilet paper on top shelf over toilet
Photo Credit: Makely Home

Get Creative with Frames

An ornate frame with shadow box inset shelves can bring a vintage decorative look to your bathroom. Openings allow for the placement of all kinds of bathroom products and positioning mementos, bath toys for children, candles, and figurines.

white picture frame turned shelf in bathroom over the toilet storage
Photo Credit: The Inspiration Board

Takeaway

The bathroom is one of the rooms in the house that always seem to run out of storage space. Unfortunately, most people are not very open to the idea of installing built-in cabinets due to rental limitations or the renovation cost itself. With over-the-toilet storage ideas, you can still keep clutter at bay. They are also awesome pieces to give you the freedom to add a personal touch to this tiny place in your home.

Frequently Asked QuestionsFAQ

How do you use the space above your toilet?

The space above your toilet is suitable for more than just a vase, a roll of toilet paper, or a randomly-placed candle. Instead, with the help of some cabinetry, shelving, and baskets, it can become a place to store extra bathroom items, show off decor, and show off your style. For smaller bathrooms, it is an ideal place to gain more storage space. 

What should I keep above my toilet?

While the space above the toilet seems like a great space to add decor or art, it's also an ideal place to store bathroom essentials that are easily accessible — this is especially important if it's a guest bathroom. You will want to use this space to store essential items such as toilet paper and towels, to keep guests from having to search for these items.

How wide should floating shelves be above the toilet?

While there is no hard or fast rule as to the width of a floating shelf, the ideal width is 14-inch deep shelving. This will give you plenty of room to store towels, bath essentials, and even small decor pieces.

How deep should a bathroom cabinet be?

Over-toilet shelving units run between 7.5-9 inches deep, typically, but if you are constructing your own, you can feel free to expand a bit; you do want to be careful with depth, though, as you wouldn't want anyone to smack their head when standing up from the toilet.

How much space do you need between floating shelves in a bathroom?

The rule of thumb for spacing is 12 inches between each shelf but bump that up to 15 or 18 inches, and you improve that sense of exposure and accessibility.

If you need more design help in the bathroom, here are some other articles you may find helpful:

Ann Marie Bantigue

I write for decoist.

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