Cleaning & Organizing Organizing Bathroom Organization

30 Storage Ideas for Bathrooms of All Sizes That You'll Wish You Knew Earlier

Published on 10/21/21

Open drawer as a bathroom storage idea — didecs / Getty Images

Because of their smaller size, bathrooms can be a great place to try out daring decor trends like bold tile or colorful wallpaper. At the same time, because washrooms are not typically very large (at least not in relation to the other rooms in your home), they can accumulate clutter quickly, even if you've made the most of smart bathroom organization ideas. (All the organization hacks in the world can't help if you don't have enough storage, after all.)

Fortunately for bathrooms that are bursting at the seams, these bathroom storage ideas will help you fit all those must-have bathroom toiletries, but still have room for details like plants, candles, or art.

From floating shelves to boho-style storage baskets and clever tricks for keeping essentials out of sight but still in reach, these creative bathroom storage ideas will help your bathroom be a place for peace (and not clutter).

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Use a Storage Ladder for Towels

Twelve On Main

A storage ladder brings a rustic touch to any room, but it works especially well in a small bathroom when designed to fit over the toilet, an area which is often just wasted space. This ladder is actually a DIY project (for just $10, too), and in addition to towels, adding a wire basket to one of the rungs is a clever way to increase storage.

My Budget Friendly Bathroom Makeover from Twelve On Main

The 6 Best Over-the-Toilet Storage Units of 2021
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Hang a Magnetic Strip for Bobby Pins and More

Darkroom & Dearly

A magnetic knife rack may not seem like it belongs in a bathroom, but this simple strip is a great way to make the most of blank wall space. Stick anything from tweezers to nail clippers and bobby pins to the bar, which will keep countertops clear and prevent the rust stains that happen when metal clips get wet.

Magnetic Bathroom Rack from Darkroom & Dearly
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Use a Wire Basket for Hot Tools

Dream Green DIY

Whether your bathroom is large or tiny, it always seems difficult to find a place to store cumbersome blow dryers, straighteners, and curling irons. This smart storage solution hangs a wire file box to the side of the sink to keep hot tools organized without using precious drawer space.

File Box Bathroom Appliance Storage from Dream Green DIY
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Make Use of Under-Sink Space for Storing Anything

A Beautiful Mess

The space under the sink can become cluttered quickly, especially since the pipes make it such an oddly shaped spaced. Enter under-sink storage ideas: These metal baskets in various sizes keep washcloths, extra products, and brushes organized and out of sight.

5 Bathroom Storage Mistakes (And How To Fix Them) from A Beautiful Mess

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Use Modular Bathroom Drawer Organizers for Daily Items

@neatbymeg / Instagram

Shallow vanity drawers can benefit from small organizing bins. Get a variety of sizes to keep products stored properly, and you'll know exactly where to find everything on rushed mornings.

Organized Bathroom Drawer from @neatbymeg / Instagram
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Put a Bookshelf in the Bathroom for Odds and Ends

Bang On Style

A bookshelf isn't always for books. This leaning shelf has the look of a chic ladder, but with more function because it has deeper shelves. A narrow bookcase can be used to keep towels and products organized, plus it's a way to style the bathroom with candles and plants without it looking cluttered.

Grey and Yellow Bathroom Makeover from Bang On Style
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Add Over-the-Toilet Built-Ins

The Merrythought

Contrasting colors add dimension to a space, which can make it look bigger and brighter. Here, the farmhouse shelves pop against the forest green wall that's just the right width for storing a mason jar full of Q-tips or a candle vessel full of brushes.

Mini Bathroom Makeover from The Merrythought
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Use Clear Storage Bins for Everything

@breathing.room.organization / Instagram

Clear storage bins have taken pantries by storm, but they work equally well in bathrooms. These see-through bins are aesthetically pleasing, yes, but they also allow you to easily see what you have so you don't have to go digging.

Under Sink Storage from @breathing.room.organization / Instagram

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Label Bins for Small Essentials

The Creativity Exchange

You can take those pretty clear storage bins to the next level by adding printable labels, which you can find in this tutorial. It looks cute, but more importantly, it helps maintain your storage system by giving everything an easy-to-find designated spot.

Free Printable Labels that You Can Type in Text and Edit from The Creativity Exchange
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Do a Bathroom Ladder IKEA Hack

Thistlewood Farms

This IKEA hack for a compact towel rack and shelf system may be based on a discontinued item, but you could apply the same thinking to many types of racks. Some of the metal rungs get upgraded into wooden shelves, so you have space for extra products, folded bath mats, and pretty plants, and still have a few metal rungs to hang towels.

DIY IKEA Hack Bathroom Shelf from Thistlewood Farms
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Hang Floating Shelves for Decorative Accents

Almost Makes Perfect

You often find a towel rack or a cabinet over a toilet, but a floating shelf is both pretty and functional, and you can add as many as you can fit.

Our Guest Bathroom; The Reveal from Almost Makes Perfect
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Make DIY Mason Jar Storage for Smaller Accessories

The DIY Playbook

Repurposed mason jars do more than just hold flowers or smoothies. This mason jar organizer is a fun DIY project that looks rustic and adds a point of interest to the bathroom, but it's helpful in keeping smaller, loose items stored neatly.

How to Create a Mason Jar Organizer from The DIY Playbook

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Pick Bathroom Mirrors With Shelves for Added Storage

Almost Makes Perfect

If you're renovating a bathroom with adding storage in mind, an easy upgrade is to look for medicine cabinets that have both a mirror, inside storage, and a bottom shelf. You can keep the products you reach for daily organized and easy to find.

Our Master Bathroom: The Reveal from Almost Makes Perfect
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Bring in a Shallow Storage Closet for Extras

The Creativity Exchange

If you keep your extra products in a linen or bathroom closet, you know how hard they can be to find (and so you may end up buying something you already have that's just out of sight). This shallow closet is a beautiful way to see everything you have, and it blends into what would otherwise be a blank wall.

Between The Stud Beauty Product Bathroom Storage from The Creativity Exchange
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Organize Drawers With Spacers

@neatbymeg / Instagram

It's easy to let a deep drawer become a graveyard for old products and expired sunscreen, but drawers are some of the most prime real estate in a small bathroom, and dividers help keep everything neatly in its place—and can help you store more than you ever imagined.

Organized Bathroom Storage from @neatbymeg / Instagram
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Bring in a Small Storage Table for Soothing Items

Black & Blooms

There is so much to love about this lively yet serene bathroom: the small table that serves as a spot for candles and crystals but also towels, the hanging shelf, the beautiful bath. Keep a bathtub caddy up at all times if you need a little extra surface space.

Bathroom Reveal: Before & After from Black & Blooms

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Put Storage Baskets Under the Vanity for Larger Items

Studio DIY

Storage baskets are a cute way to store anything from throw blankets to kids' toys, but they also work well in the bathroom. These woven bins are an easy and neat way to store extra towels, washcloths, and loose items, and it's an especially brilliant idea in a kids' bathroom, because no one will know (or care) if nothing is folded.

The Mindwelling: Our Kids' Bathroom Reveal from Studio DIY
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Put a Glass Bookshelf in for a Little Storage Pizzazz

Lia Griffith

Bookshelf and bathrooms don't often go hand-in-hand, but a tall slim bookcase is a wonderful way to add storage to a smaller bathroom. Pick shelves that are wide and tall enough for perfectly folded towels, and notice how the face cloths are neatly rolled into a wicker basket.

My Home Tour: The Bathroom from Lia Griffith
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Try Inside-the-Cabinet-Door Storage for Toothbrushes

Living Well Mom

If you're tired of the toothbrushes taking up counter space (and creating crusty puddles on the vanity), then this is a genius solution that keeps everything organized and out of sight. You could even add velcro strips to the cups and inside the cabinet door so kids can pull out their whole cup when it's time to brush.

How I Organized Our Bathroom Vanity from Living Well Mom
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Use a Wire Bin for Towel Storage

Lovely Indeed

It's not uncommon to see throw blankets rolled into logs and nestled together in a basket, but you can do the same with towels. Rolling them takes up a lot less space, and it looks homey and warm when stored in a wire basket, or whatever storage bin you love.

The Studio Bathroom (and Sources!) from Lovely Indeed

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Consider Dual Storage Options in an Apartment Bathroom

The Merrythought

Hanging towels from a ladder helps save space in your linen closet and on any bathroom shelves. If there's room, a ladder next to a shelf is a great way to make the most of a small space (and add plenty of storage potential).

Apartment Bathroom Makeover from The Merrythought
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Secure a Floating Shelf Above the Tub

@milkandhoneylife / Instagram

Stunning with its farmhouse style, this bathroom looks minimalist while still being full of detail. Space above a tub is often underused, and it's a perfect spot to hang an extra long floating shelf. Another smart bit of storage are the hanging wire baskets that descend from the ceiling; they look airy and interesting but can hold towels.

Floating Shelf from @milkandhoneylife / Instagram
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Pick a Vanity With Drawers and Shelving

Sugar & Cloth

Not only is the walnut wood of this vanity stunning, but it also offers a ton of storage because there are both shelves and drawers. This beautiful set-up makes a good case for installing a larger vanity, even if you have a single sink.

Wedded Bliss: 3 Pet Peeves Jared and I Have from Sharing a Bathroom from Sugar & Cloth
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Install a Narrow Hanging Shelf

Cathie Hong Interiors

Even if you're tight on space, you can still find room for a narrow shelf. This one has cool industrial vibes, and while it may not be very wide, there's plenty of space for storing products, candles, perfume, plants, or other things that are functional but can be part of the decor.

Los Gatos Bathrooms from Cathie Hong Interiors

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Make the Most of the Vanity

Sugar & Cloth

A large vanity is the easiest path to chic bathroom storage. Find one that fits your vibe, and make the most of it by putting in drawers or shelves that are deep enough for towels, products, and all your other must-haves.

Our New House: Master Bathroom Remodel Before + After from Sugar & Cloth
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Install a Medicine Cabinet That Doubles As Art

A Beautiful Mess

How cool is this incognito medicine cabinet? Add a print onto the front of a narrow storage cabinet to maximize space without having mirrors on every wall. There's no rule saying there has to be just one medicine cabinet per bathroom, especially when you need all the storage you can get.

5 Bathroom Storage Mistakes (And How To Fix Them) from A Beautiful Mess
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Put Baskets on a Built-in Shelf for Clunky Products

Studio DIY

Often, you'll find narrow swaths of wall in bathrooms that are smaller or built on an angle. If there's room for shelves, like in this storage idea, adding them and storage baskets is an easy and cute way to make the space more usable.

Our Bold Pink and Green Bathroom from Studio DIY
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Install Built-in Shelves for Anything and Everything

Lia Griffith

Built-ins are a great way to maximize space in any bathroom, whether it be big or smaller. This guest bathroom doesn't have a vanity, but there's plenty of storage with the built-in shelves and lower cabinet.

Home Tour: My Guest Bathroom from Lia Griffith

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Use DIY Bathroom Shelves for Decor

The Merrythought

Don't forget to look up when considering bathroom storage. Often, one of the best spots for floating shelves is on the forgotten space above the toilet. This tutorial explains how to make these out of wood (you can stain it any color you like), and then it's up to you to decide what to store on your new bathroom shelves.

DIY Bathroom Shelves from The Merrythought
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Use Deep Drawers for Hair Stuff

@afreshnest / Instagram

If you're lucky enough to have deep drawers in the bathroom, use them wisely. More shallow drawers are perfect for makeup and smaller items, but a drawer with depth is best used for more cumbersome items like blow dryers and hot tools, which are notoriously difficult to store.

Deep Drawer Storage from @afreshnest / Instagram