10 Small Bathroom Storage Ideas That Will Cull Clutter and Keep Even Tiny Spaces Feeling Calm
Add a Medicine Cabinet
Look again at medicine cabinets – these classic shallow depth units are built to stack rows of pill bottles and ointments and are perfect for sink-side storage. Built flush with the wall – often within the stud cavity – they swerve the bulkiness of traditional wall cabinets, freeing up valuable counter space while still providing vital storage for medications and toiletries, the perfect bathroom cabinet idea if you ask us.
“I think medicine cabinets can get a bad rap sometimes, but they can actually be highly practical, especially when you have a smaller countertop,” says Laura Tribbett, founder of Outline Interiors. “In this guest bathroom, our client wanted to have a pretty marble washstand, but we needed to ensure they had ample storage for toiletries when hosting. By wrapping the door of the recessed medicine cabinet in wallpaper, it disappears into the pattern and it's neither an eyesore nor an unwanted design element.”
Shelve Out the Shower
In a small bathroom you can’t afford to miss any storage opportunity, even inside the shower. Overlooked nooks and awkward architectural elements can often be transformed into valuable, storage real estate. Interior designer Laura Tribbett totally got the memo in this Chicago loft condo.
“When we reimagined the primary bedroom, we converted what once was a poorly designed walk-in closet into this oversized steam shower. The 'bump-out' is actually a structural column that could not be moved, so instead of losing a bunch of valuable square footage, we leaned into it,” she recalls.
Laura’s team tiled all the walls around the structural column, then created a bench on the left and generous built-in quartz shelves on the right. “These shelves allowed the client ample space for storing their own toiletries, as well as items for their newborn, including a small fold-up bathtub.” It’s a brilliant example of how clever design can turn even the trickiest spaces into beautifully integrated, hard-working storage.
