Smart Storage Buys for a Small Bathroom

Stand in the doorway of a small bathroom and look for the places nobody is using. There is the wall above the toilet. There is the back of the door, the corner of the shower, the dark cabinet under the sink, and the narrow gap between the toilet and the wall.

A small bathroom has very little floor, so storage has to go up the walls and into those odd spots. The other half of the job is the counter. Bottles, brushes, and a hair dryer will cover a vanity in a week, and a bathroom with a clear counter looks twice as big.

Some pieces here screw into the wall. Others hang, stick, or roll, and those are the ones for a rental. Choose one finish, black or white or bronze, and keep to it, because in a small room every object is seen at once.

SONGMICS Bamboo Over the Toilet Storage, Cloud White

The wall above the toilet is the great empty space in most small bathrooms. A tall white frame like the SONGMICS stands over the tank and fills that wall with open shelves, with room for folded towels, baskets of toiletries, spare paper, and a plant at the top. In white bamboo it looks light and clean against tile. Roll the towels and it starts to look like a spa.

Under Sink Organizer, Sliding Cabinet Basket

Under the sink is where bottles go to be forgotten. This pair of black organizers turns that cabinet into two levels, and the lower basket slides out like a drawer, so the things at the back come to you. One could hold cleaning supplies and the other hair products, or the pair could be split between the bathroom and the kitchen.

DUFU Adhesive Corner Shower Caddy with Hooks, Black

Corners are wasted in most showers, and a pair of DUFU shelves puts them to work. They stick to the tile, so there are no holes to drill, a relief for renters and for anyone nervous of a tile bit. Matte black looks sharp against white tile and matches a black shower head. Hooks underneath hold a razor and a washcloth.

Kitsch Self-Draining Shower Caddy

Kitsch makes shampoo and conditioner in bars, and it designed this caddy for them. Four round wire tiers hang in a column, and water drains straight through, so a bar of soap can dry between showers. In black wire it looks neat and a little old-fashioned, like something from a French pharmacy.

Ladder Towel Holder, Wall Mounted, Matte Black

Three black bars step down the wall between two strips of dark wood, like a short ladder. Each person gets a bar, or the bath towels go on one and the hand towels on another, and everything dries spread out. The wood is a warm note in a room that is mostly tile and metal, and the whole thing looks more like furniture than hardware.

iDesign Decorative Countertop Vanity Tray Organizer, Bronze

A tray is the oldest trick for a tidy counter. Perfume, a soap dispenser, and a jar of cotton pads look like clutter on their own and like a display once they are gathered on a tray. These two from iDesign are in a dark bronze with a soft sheen, handsome beside brass or black taps. Use the second one on the toilet tank or a shelf.

JARLINK Over the Door Organizer, Grey

Doors have a whole side that nobody uses. The JARLINK hangs over the top and gives you a column of grey fabric shelves, with mesh pockets on the front for small things. Fill it with spare towels, toilet paper, hair products, and cleaning cloths. With the door open against the wall, it is out of sight.

kleankin Narrow Bathroom Storage Cabinet on Wheels, Grey

Beside the toilet there is often a gap too narrow for furniture. The kleankin is made for it, a slim grey cabinet on wheels that slides in sideways. Toilet paper sits in the open space at the top, and the drawers below pull out toward you. It is a tidy way to keep the unglamorous things close and hidden.

Vtopmart Clear Plastic Drawer Organizers Set

Bathroom drawers turn into a jumble of tubes, hair ties, and loose cotton buds. A set of clear bins in several sizes lets you fit them together like a puzzle until the drawer is divided, with a place for makeup, one for razors, and one for medicine. Because the plastic is clear, you can see everything from above. The same bins work in a vanity cabinet.

Arched Medicine Cabinet with Mirror

An arched mirror is one of the prettiest things you can hang over a sink, and this one opens. Behind the mirror is a cabinet for toothpaste, medicine, and skincare, all of it off the counter. The arch softens a room full of square tile, and the slim pale frame keeps it light. It mounts on the surface of the wall, so there is no cutting into it.

Pipishell Slim Storage Cart with Wheels, Black

On wheels, the Pipishell goes where it is needed. Park it in the gap beside the vanity or the washing machine, and pull it out beside the bath when you want everything within reach. Its black trays hold bottles, rolled towels, and bath toys. Carts are especially useful in a bathroom with a pedestal sink and no cabinet.

BAYKA Wall Mounted Floating Shelves, Black

Floating shelves bring a bathroom wall to life. These three are in a black wood grain with slim black brackets, and they are good above the toilet or beside the mirror. Stack them in a column and mix the useful with the pretty, a jar of cotton balls, a candle, a small plant, a folded hand towel.

Hair Tool Organizer for Blow Dryer, Flat Iron, and Curling Tools

Hair tools are the hardest things to store in a bathroom, with their cords and odd shapes. A black wire basket like this one hooks over a cabinet door or mounts on the wall, with rings that hold a dryer, a flat iron, and a curling wand upright. Cords drop into the basket behind. Hung inside the vanity door, it takes them off the counter.

What to Check Before You Buy

Measure before you order. An over the toilet unit has to clear the tank and fit between the walls, and a sliding organizer has to fit around the pipes under the sink, which often sit to one side. For anything that hangs on a door or a wall, add up the weight of what it will hold when full.

Renters and owners shop differently. Adhesive, hanging, and rolling pieces leave the walls alone, while floating shelves and wall mounted cabinets need anchors. If the bathroom has room for one change, begin with the wall above the toilet, where most small bathrooms have room to spare.