Hi everyone! Today I’m adding another installment to my “must-have measurements” series of posts by sharing some tips and measurements that will make designing & decorating your bathroom a breeze! You guys know that there’s been lots of bathroom reno action around here lately with the makeover of our guest bathroom and painting the tile floors in our hall bathroom so it seemed like the perfect time to dish these tips. Even if you didn’t just buy a towel rack or TP holder that you need to hang or you aren’t about to jump into a bathroom makeover, I’m hoping these tips will be really helpful ones for you down the road!
Ready to get started? Let’s go (some affiliate links included in post)…
How high and far apart should I hang sconces next to my bathroom mirror?
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There’s really no one “right” height to hang wall sconces since it depends so much upon where they’re being used (flanking a mirror in the bathroom, next to your bed, etc.). But a good rule of thumb is to hang sconces so that the bulbs are not visible when you are standing next to them. In bathrooms where sconces are being used to illuminate your face, mount them at about eye level. In our bathroom, this meant that the distance from the floor to the center of the back plate is about 62″. The standard recommendation for how far apart to mount sconces flanking a bathroom mirror is 36″ – 40″ apart but a lot depends upon the width of your mirror (and the position of the wall studs may also play a role). Our bathroom mirror is fairly narrow so our sconces are hung 33″ apart. Trust your eye on this one!
How high should I hang my toilet paper holder?
The recommended height for your toilet paper holder is 26″ from the floor to the center of the TP roll. It’s also recommended that your toilet paper roll be placed 8-12″ from the front rim of the toilet if possible (mine is closer to the front of the toilet than that due to space constraints!)
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How high should I hang my towel bar / rack & towel ring?
An appropriate height to hang towel bars / racks is between 44″ – 56″ from the floor (the industry standard is 48″). My personal preference is between 44-48″.
And what about towel rings? Hang them at the same height (measure from the bottom of the ring) as towel bars if they’re over the floor. If it’s over the vanity like in my guest bathroom, hang the towel ring 20-22″ above the vanity (again, measuring from the bottom of the ring):
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How long of a towel bar/rack do I need?
Most towel bars come in three lengths – 18″, 24″, and 30″. An 18″ towel bar is great for small spaces and fits a single standard bath towel folded in half while a 24″ towel bar fits a single oversized bath towel folded in half. If you have the space, a 30″ towel bar is great for holding two standard bath towels folded in thirds. Of course another option for holding two towels is to get a 24″ double towel bar.
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I hope you guys find these simple measurements to be helpful either now or down the road (be sure at Pin the graphic at the top of my post if you want to be able to find it later)! If you have any questions about sources for anything in the pics I shared, there’s a complete source list for our guest bathroom at the end of {this post} and a source list for our powder room at the end of {this post}. And if you missed any of my other must-have measurements posts, you can check them out here:
How to Hang Artwork: Must-Have Tips
Decorating Your Living Room: Must-Have Tips
Decorating Your Dining Room: Must-Have Tips
Choosing & Hanging Lighting: Must-Have Tips
OK, I’m off to knock some work out on my One Room Challenge bonus room makeover – I’ll be back later in the week with an update on my space!
Karen B. says
October 17, 2017 at 10:30 pmKris,
Your posts are like having my own, personal designer, with tips for the details not often addressed. Thank you.
Xo,
Karen
Kris Jarrett says
October 21, 2017 at 9:17 pmYou’re the sweetest Karen – thank you!!
Katy Beacher says
October 20, 2017 at 10:51 pmThank you. I never gave much thought before about the height of towel racks and TP holders. But, now that you mention it I do hate where the TP holder is mounted in our master bath. Its about level with my elbow and about 2 inches from my arm. Awkward huh?
amy says
October 24, 2017 at 1:10 pmI love your awesome posts! I am in the market for new bed side tables for my guest room. How tall should they be? The old ones I have now are 28 inches. I saw some cool side tables at target but they only measure 24 inches tall…. too short?? Thanks!
Kris Jarrett says
November 10, 2017 at 5:03 pmHi Amy! It really all depends upon the height of your mattress. I think nightstands look best when they’re about the height of the top of your mattress or an inch or two higher!
Hollie @ Stuck on Hue says
October 25, 2017 at 8:31 pmI was reading another designer’s blog tonight and someone asked a couple of these exact questions in the comments. Great timing for me to pass this post on to her, and pin for my upcoming bath reno. Thanks!
Kris Jarrett says
November 10, 2017 at 4:58 pmI’m so glad it came at a good time Hollie! 🙂
Katy Beacher says
October 29, 2017 at 3:07 pmFor Amy, I would think the height of the bed would be an important consideration in choosing the height of night stands.
Anonymous says
November 19, 2017 at 7:58 amThanks so much, I’m in the process of remodeling and this is the exact info I needed. I’d appreciate your thoughts on my space. In the master, I am installing a double vanity with a middle cabinet
from the vanity top to ceiling which is flanked by walls. From the wall to the cabinet is 36″. My choices are wall sconces attached to the wall and cabinet for best lighting or above the mirror. I’m concerned that with even a slim profile of 3 or 4 inches on wall sconces the space might feel cramped as they would only be 28-20″ apart. Thoughts?
MD744 says
March 28, 2018 at 10:27 amDoing a bathroom refresh. Husband and I disagreed on toilet paper height. HE was right. I had to concede. ☺ Other measurements were also very helpful. This was my first venture into your website. It certainly won’t be my last. Thanks!
Kris Jarrett says
March 29, 2018 at 6:12 pmHa! Well I’m sorry you lost the bet but glad you found your way to my blog – welcome!
Alison Ward says
May 17, 2018 at 8:43 pmThank you!! We moved into a house and I knew the towel rings “felt” too low and the towels pool on the vanity! I am so glad I found this so I have proof to my husband and can now justify moving them all,
Kris Jarrett says
June 9, 2018 at 9:04 pmSo glad you found it helpful!
Terry says
July 6, 2018 at 1:39 pmHi,
I am changing out my bathroom cabinets, sinks, counters and was wondering what you think about adding to faucet a built in soap dispenser just like the kitchen sink has. I like a clutter free counter and thought using Kohler soap dispenser instead of dial soap bottle would be nice. I am getting mixed reaction from people I ask, but think that is because it is a new idea What do you think?,
Kris Jarrett says
July 26, 2018 at 11:41 pmI think that’s a smart idea!
Catherine says
November 1, 2018 at 7:27 amThis was very helpful. Thank you
Linn says
November 15, 2018 at 6:30 amHow high would you hang a spa towel rack over a toilet? Thanks!
Marla Bell says
December 1, 2018 at 9:17 amI love the tips and appreciate the effort involved to write this — thank you! I have an odd towel bar situation. I have a wall that is 85 inches tall from the floor up. It currently has one 25″ towel bar on it. Due to a bath remodel currently in progress, there will not be a second towel bar on the shower door. So now I need to put both 25″ towel bars on the same wall. The wall is 37″ wide, but has the light switch taking up 7 inches from the side — so effectively the wall is 30″ wide. I know the horizontal spacing based on the current towel bar. What I want to know is how to space them both vertically on the same wall?? My first thought was to place the first towel bar 10-12 inches from the top and the second one 10-12 inches from the floor to the bottom of the towel, which would leave 1-12 inches (depending on the length of the towels) between the bottom of the top towel and the top of the bottom towel. Could be sloppy looking with only one inch and might be OK with 12 inches! What do you think? I thought about a one-piece double towel rack, but putting two full sets that will get full use on one rack seems impossible logistically/functionally. Ugh!
Rebecca says
December 16, 2018 at 11:15 pmHi Kris! How high would you hang a wooden shelf above the toilet?
Kris Jarrett says
January 2, 2019 at 1:28 pmIt would depend on the ceiling height and what’s going on the shelf so it’s going to differ a bit from bathroom to bathroom. I don’t have a one size fits all measurement for that unfortunately.
James says
March 2, 2019 at 2:43 pmThanks the measurements were very helpful👌
Thomas Gerlach says
March 17, 2019 at 9:32 pmCame for how high to hang the towel bar. 48 inches, perfect, will put it there. Thank you!!
Jeanne Feenick says
June 3, 2019 at 8:44 pmHi there, found this post very helpful. My situation is that I have a very tight space to work with. The only place for a towel bar is beside the toilet. The installer put the rod at 58 inches, a bit over the high end to lessen risk of towel hitting toilet. I am using large bath sheets which when folded are about 7 inches longer than a standard towel. Ceiling height in the room is high at 11 feet. Am I ok with the 58 inches?
Beverly Egan says
July 25, 2019 at 1:05 amMy bathroom is very small …do I have to have it the same distance from the corner of the wall to the edge of the wall or can it be close toward the outside. ?
Stephanie says
October 30, 2019 at 12:44 amIs there 33″ between the inside edges of your sconces, or 33″ from outside edge to outside edge? Thanks!
Kris Jarrett says
January 31, 2020 at 1:26 pmOurs are 33″ apart from center to center.
Kathy Lepp says
February 4, 2020 at 6:26 pmSo VERY practical and helpful! And… good for the marriage. No more arguing about where to hang things in the powder room.
Thank you! Kathy
Tara Betsch says
February 26, 2020 at 11:09 amI am hanging a towel ring AND a telescoping mirror on the wall to the right of my vanity. Where are the proper places to hang them? Vanity is flush with the wall on the right. Toilet is to the left of the vanity. A Cabinet is mounted to the wall above the toilet.
Thank you in advance!