These days we have an almost endless amount of stuff that needs to be crammed in our homes, and some point we need to start getting creative about how we store our things.
A lot of space can go a long way in the W.C., and we usually take for granted all the unused space that we have around the floor, corners, and even ceiling of the bathroom. So let’s look at some smart storage ideas for those bathrooms that aren’t sitting in grand mansions.
1. GO VERTICAL
The be-all and end-all of increasing storage in small spaces is to take advantage of the one dimension they share with even the biggest room in your house – height.
Vertical storage slots anything sheer into a small space. In your bathroom, you can use it to store anything that is bulky yet still slim, including:
- Toilet rolls,
- Hand towels,
- Soap, shampoo, and other toiletries,
- Towels (rolled up), and
- Shaving equipment and other accessories.
The beautiful thing about bathroom storage is that the vast majority of stuff isn’t stuff that you’ll need to have out at all times, which affords you a lot of options on how to put it away.
For a great looking solution, why not check out this tutorial on how to turn wicker baskets into vertical shelving that you can put on any wall.
2. BASKETS
Speaking of baskets… There’s lots of unused space in a bathroom; behind the toilet, under the sink or vanity, and even the floor. Drop a basket in that empty space and use it wisely.
The classic example is toilet paper. Stick some in a basket by your loo and not only will you save space, but you’ll avoid that awful feeling of noticing your last roll is gone too late. If you bathe rather than shower, a waterproof basket by the side of the bathtub allows you to throw your loofah and shampoo in after.
If you want something to mask all these toiletries sitting around the floor, sink skirting (see right) will cover the mess up while also giving your bathroom a jolly nice thing to look at too.
3. REUSE AND RECYCLE (AND LOOK GOOD DOING SO)
Retrofitting some old piece of hardware into your bathroom can give it a charm of its own, and you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice style while you do so.
Look at the side image for inspiration – an old ladder (make sure it’s not splintery; sand and seal it first!) works perfectly as an impromptu towel-rack, and fits neatly against a wall or back of the door, taking up next to no space.
In that vein, a flowerpot is a perfectly acceptable toothbrush holder, or a coat hook can hang hand-towels.
Just because a bathroom doesn’t have ergonomic furnishings doesn’t mean you can’t just jimmy them in from elsewhere. It’s your bathroom, right?
4. TAKE THE CORNER
Corner shelving is perfect for small spaces, as it effectively doubles up on space (and there’s not a huge amount of use you’ll be getting from the corner without it anyway).
If you’re not the sort to shy away from taking a sledgehammer to your bathroom… well, first stop, and hire someone else to do it. If you’re actually just unafraid and want to refurbish (do you really want to refurbish a Goodlife Home, though?), you’ll open up a bunch of ways to improve your quality of life.
A corner sink achieves the same thing as the shelves, and since a sink is usually placed in the middle of a wall, it’ll open up some prime real estate for shelving as well.
If you take advantage of corners well, you could see yourself with a massive increase in storage space. A corner sink, corner shelves above it, and some storage space where the sink used to be will, all together, net you about 30% extra room in raw storage than you had before. Look at all that space!
5. TURN STORAGE INTO ART
Looks pretty great for a bunch of toilet rolls, doesn’t it?
With a bit of creativity, combining your storage and interior design isn’t such a far flung notion. We know of at least one person who uses their soap container as beautiful feature of her bathroom, for example, or that great roll holder tree to the side.
Like it or not, we spend a decent amount of time in the bathroom between showering, brushing our teeth, and doing our business. The least you can do is make it a nice place to be in, right?
Increasing your storage space shouldn’t have to mean that you’re also cramming every available surface to-the-brim with junk. Add in a bit of flair and fun!
