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Updated: Dec 29, 2022 by Kris Jarrett

15 Small Bathroom Storage Ideas To Help Kick the Clutter!

Since downsizing our home in our move from CT to NC, organization and smart storage have become more important than ever. Having both of our girls home from college for several weeks over the holidays made me realize that I need some new small bathroom storage ideas for the bathroom they share (the countertop being completely littered with toiletries and cosmetics that had no home was my clue – ha!). Today I’m sharing 15 small bathroom storage ideas to help pack function and organization into every available square inch! (post includes affiliate links – full disclosure statement available {here})

1. Add Storage Behind the Door

Let’s kick things off with the new storage solution that I’m adding to my girls’ bathroom (I’m pretty excited about how much storage space it’s going to add!). I ordered {this behind-the-door cabinet} that attaches to the back of the door using the door hinge pins. All that’s required to be able to install it in a bathroom or other space is at least 3.5″ of clearance between the center of each door hinge pin and the adjacent wall. There’s a magnet at the top connecting it to the door so it opens and closes in unison with the door but is easily separated from the door when you need to grab something inside:

This behind the door shelving is such as smart bathroom storage idea!

Photo courtesy of Cabidoor

The behind-the-door cabinet that I ordered is {this one} that’s painted white on the back but there’s an option to have a full length mirror on the back instead – you can find that option {here}. I was hoping to be able to show you a pic of my new cabinet in place in my girls’ bathroom but sadly it was damaged in shipping so I had to return it and am awaiting a new one. I’ll share some pics and video of it on Instagram Stories once I have my reordered door cabinet in place!

Another option for utilizing the space behind a bathroom door is to go with a hanging rack such as {this Elfa rack}:

This behind the door rack adds tons of bathroom storage!

I love that can customize it with different sized bins that can be placed at any height along the hanging bar.

2. Go With Towel Hooks Instead of a Bar

Have limited space for hanging your towels? Use hooks instead of a towel bar! The only good wall for hanging towels in my girls’ bathroom is a narrow one that isn’t wide enough for a typical towel bar but it fits two towels on hooks super easily. I used a pair of {these towel hooks} which are similar to {this pair} that I used in our master bathroom:

Using towel hooks instead of a towel bar saves space in the bathroom!

I had never used towel hooks until a few years ago because I was worried that my towels wouldn’t dry as well but that actually didn’t end up being an issue – my towels are always dry by the next morning. And I love having the hooks in my girls’ bathroom since they actually USE them so their towels don’t end up on the floor like they often did when they had to hang them on a towel bar.

3. Up The Storage In Your Shower

If your shower doesn’t have any built-in niches or shelves for toiletries, there are lots of options for organizers that will add extra storage space including some surprisingly stylish ones! These are a few favorites:

Bathroom storage ideas for your shower!

Sources: 1. Bamboo storage rack  |  2. Black shower wall organizer  |  3. Brass shower caddy  |  4. Brushed gold shower shelf  |  5. Acrylic shower caddy organizer  |  6. Teak corner shelf  |  7. Flex shower caddy  |  8. Wire shower basket

 

4. Swap Your Mirror For a Medicine Cabinet

Medicine cabinets are awesome for adding storage to a small bathroom! They can be mounted to the wall or recessed into it – I added this recessed mirrored medicine cabinet to the powder room in our old house and you would never know that it was anything other than just a mirror:

The mirror over the sink is actually a recessed medicine cabinet - perfect for extra bathroom storage!

Powder Room Sources: Annapakshi Indian Damask Wall Stencil (11.25″ x 15.5″)  |  Pedestal Sink  |  Sconces (Polished Nickel)

but there was a ton of great storage space inside! My husband used this bathroom to get ready in the morning before we did our bathroom addition and having that medicine cabinet for all of his toiletries was a life saver. Our exact medicine cabinet is no longer available (it was from Restoration Hardware) but here are some other pretty options:

Recessed medicine cabinets allow tons of extra bathroom storage!

Medicine Cabinet Sources: 1. White wood medicine cabinet  |  2. Matte black edged medicine cabinet  |  3. Curved edge medicine cabinet  |  4. Beveled frame medicine cabinet  |  5. Classic white medicine cabinet  |  6. Wood grain framed medicine cabinet

I share other pretty bathroom mirror options in my post on bathroom mirror ideas.

5. Roll in a Narrow Storage Cart

Smart storage is all about making use of space that would normally be wasted, including the narrow space to the side of your toilet. I came across {this narrow rolling bathroom cart} that’s perfect for storing toilet paper, cleaning products, and other bathroom items in even the narrowest of spaces:

Rolling cart with open storage for small bathroom spaces

If you’re using it for items like your toilet brush and cleaners that aren’t the prettiest things to have to look at every day, you can simply flip it around so that the open side is against the wall:

This bathroom rolling cart is perfect for storage in a small bathroom

6. Add Storage Above The Toilet

The blank space above your toilet is the perfect spot for hanging art but in a small bathroom, you might want to use it for storage space too. You can add a wall mounted shelving unit similar to the one I added in our last home (my exact shelving unit is no longer available but {these shelves} are super similar):

This wall mounted shelving is perfect for storage in a small bathroom

Shelf Sources: Brass wall shelf (similar)  |  Rose print – 11 x 14  |  Hello Sweet Cheeks – printable  |  Brass frame  |  Rattan TP holder  |  Llama planter

Or place a series of floating wood shelves above the toilet such a smaller version of {these floating oak shelves in our bathroom}:

Floating wood shelves add a ton of storage space in small bathrooms

Shelf sources (from top to bottom): White woven basket (medium)  |  Kumquat tree  |  Gray & white striped planter (holding plant) |  Colorful moth art print  |  White wood frame  |  Pair of decorative stacked boxes – no longer available  |  Glass canister (1 gallon size)  |  Bath bombs  |  Belly basket with tassel  |  Favorite bath towels  |  Lidded basket as hamper

Another option is to add a simple storage cabinet such as {this mirrored wall cabinet} that I mounted above the toilet in my girls’ bathroom in our old house:

SO great for over the toilet storage in a bathroom!

or a more high-end option such as {this beautiful arched wall storage cabinet}.

7. Fill Wasted Floor Space with a Freestanding Storage Piece

Have a small empty corner or other bit of wasted floor space in your bathroom? Consider adding a stylish storage piece such as {this ladder with basket storage}:

This storage ladder is a great stylish option for storage in a small bathroom

If you love the look but don’t have enough floor space in your bathroom for it, check out {this over-the-toilet ladder with baskets} that’s another great option:

Smart storage for over a bathroom toilet - love this ladder with basket set!

I also love {this small space linen closet} and {this floor storage cabinet} as bathroom storage pieces.

8. Double Deck Your Under Sink Storage

In most bathrooms there’s a lot of wasted space in the cabinets under the sink so tiered storage is key for making use of it. In my girls’ bathroom I recently added {this 2-tier under sink organizer} that effectively doubles the amount of storage space for the zillions of cosmetics that they have:

This tiered two drawer organizer is perfect for under the sink!

It’s slim enough to fit in pretty much any cabinet and just the right depth to fit in front of the sink plumbing. It includes screws to screw it to the bottom of the cabinet to keep it from tipping over but I found it doesn’t need to be screwed down if you’re only opening one drawer at a time. We’ll be remodeling my girls’ bathroom later this year and it will be great to be able to pull out this freestanding organizer and put it in another bathroom during the remodel and then pop it right in the new vanity when it’s done!

9. Hide a Hinged Tip Out Tray

Most bathroom cabinets have dummy panels in front of the the sink(s) – if you’re able to remove them, consider retrofitting them with {these hinged tip out trays}. They’re perfect for holding hair bands or a toothbrush and toothpaste:

Love this little caddy for a toothbrush and toothpaste in this bathroom vanity!

We had them in my girls’ bathroom and loved having this small extra bit of storage space – it definitely helped a bit with the bathroom countertop clutter!

10. Add Over-the-Door Cabinet Storage

There are lots of options for adding storage to the back of your bathroom cabinet doors that are as simple as slipping an organizer over the top of them. In my girls’ old bathroom, they had this over-the-cabinet door organizer that holds extra brushes plus their flat iron and hair dryer:

This organizer that hangs on the back of the bathroom cabinet door adds so much storage space!

I found this particular organizer at Marshall’s but {this organizer} is a similar online option.

11. Swap Out Your Pedestal Sink for a Small Vanity

If you’re tight on storage space in a small bathroom with a pedestal sink, consider swapping it out for a small vanity. That’s exactly what I did in our guest bathroom, replacing this pedestal sink:

Home remodel: Guest bathroom before remodeling!

with this small gray vanity:

New bathroom cabinet knobs made this small vanity so much more stylish!

Not only did it give our guests a lot more countertop space, but the vanity drawers provided space to store extra rolls of toilet paper and toiletries and the lower shelf is perfect for storing towels. My exact vanity is no longer available but {this gray vanity} is very similar (I swapped out {these knobs} on mine). These are some other small space vanities I love:

Looking for a small bathroom vanity? These are my favorites!

Vanity Sources: 1. 26″ Wood vanity with caning  |  2. Gray 24″ vanity  |  3. White 30″ vanity with arched base  |  4. Blue 24″ vanity (also available in 30″ size)  |  5. Powder blue 24″ vanity |  6. White 30″ vanity with bottom drawer  |  7. Dark gray 30″ vanity with scalloped botttom edging  |  8. Light gray 30″ vanity  |  9. Gray 24″ vanity with slatted shelf  |  10. Blue 30″ louvered door cabinet  |  11. Modern 26″ wood vanity  |  12. White 20″ vanity with metal-capped legs

12. Go to the Wall For Towel Storage

If you don’t have a linen closet, don’t waste the precious space in your bathroom vanity with towel storage. Instead, take it to the wall! {This simple brushed steel wall mount towel rack} has a boutique hotel vibe when filled with rolled towels:

No linen closet for bathroom storage? Store your towels on a wall mounted rack!

13. Take Advantage of the Top of Your Tank

Want a simple idea for storing a few extra rolls of TP where they’re easy to grab? Take advantage of the space on the top of your toilet tank by adding {this woven tank basket}:

This woven tank basket is perfect for storing extra rolls of TP in the bathroom

or {this similar tank basket}. Another option is an over-the-tank toilet paper roll holder such as {this TP rack}:

A toilet paper holder that attaches to the tank for smart bathroom storage!

14. See It All With Spinners

Rotating racks and turntables are great solutions for storing things in bathroom cabinets and linen closets – a simple spin allows you to see everything rather than having to rummage through what’s in the front to see things in the back. You can organize your makeup in a rotating makeup organizer like {this organizer} that’s similar to the one I used in our teeny bathroom before we remodeled:

This rotating makeup organizer is perfect for small bathroom storage

For larger toiletries and cosmetics such as shampoo bottles, hair spray, etc., a simple turntable such as {this one} will do the trick.  If you have a mix of smaller and larger items to store, a divided turntable like {this “Crazy Susan”} that I use in our bathroom vanity works beautifully!

This divided turntable is perfect for storing bathroom toiletries under your bathroom cabinet

I love that it has three removable bins that you easily pull out and place on your vanity top! I keep all of my “get ready for bed” toiletries in one of the bins that I can easily grab from the cabinet at night so I have everything I need at hand:

The perfect simple to grab bathroom storage turntable for toiletries

15. Store Spray Bottles Where They’re Easy to Grab!

Want an easy spot to keep bathroom cleaners hidden away but still easy to grab when you need them? Attach a few of {these spray bottle hangers} to this inside of a bathroom cabinet door like I did in our kitchen (see {this kitchen remodel post} for kitchen sources):

Hang spray bottles on the inside of your bathroom cabinets as a smart way to store them where they're easy to grab!

These genius hooks are perfect for holding spray bottles on the back of bathroom cabinet doors

I wasn’t sure if they would hold the weight of heavy spray bottles over time but I had them on the back of our kitchen cabinet for over a year before we moved and they all stayed in place!

And with that… my small bathroom storage post is a wrap! Do you have any other bathroom storage tips to share? Leave them in the comments below!

XO,

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Categories: Organizing

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Comments

  1. Karen B. says

    January 18, 2022 at 8:40 am

    Kris,
    This is great. My new-to-me “cottage” needs all the storage help it can get. My kitchen is the first project, so I referred to your kitchen storage ideas from your CT house. Thank you for always providing such wonderful options. It’s like shopping at a store that could be called Kris’s Depot! Haha.
    Karen B.

    Reply
  2. Molly says

    January 24, 2022 at 7:40 am

    Thank you, Kris! I’ve read your blog for years and always appreciate your insights. We’re building a house and my pre teen daughter will have a smaller bathroom, so these tips are great! Also loved your shaving niche idea from your previous master bath.

    Reply
  3. Alicia says

    January 23, 2023 at 1:20 pm

    I have never commented on a blog before but this was SO helpful for me I had to say thank you. I am remodeling a tiny basement bathroom that simply must have a pedestal sink. I was at a loss at how to add more storage. These ideas which are both beautiful and practical were just what I needed.

    Reply

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