Bathrooms are often one of the smaller rooms in a property. After all, as long as you have enough room for a wash basin, bathtub or shower enclosure and a toilet, you generally don't need a great deal more floor space to move around. Modern bathrooms are designed to make the most of your space while also providing the most comfortable bathing experience possible. However, in reality your bathroom can become one of the most cluttered spaces in your home if you aren't careful. Between all the different shampoos, toothpastes, bubble baths, accessories and whatever else you might need while using the bathroom, it can be difficult to find a suitable space to store your items. Rather than covering every available surface with clutter, there are several creative storage solutions that can help you keep your bathroom tidy, including these 5 storage ideas for bathrooms.
Our first piece of advice is probably an obvious one but you can always consider adding an extra shelf or two to your bathroom. Rather than simply adding one large shelf and cramming all of your possessions onto it, consider adding a few smaller shelves in convenient locations. For example, a shelf above your bathtub means you can store your shampoo and conditioner in an easy to reach location, without cluttering the sides of your bath itself. They also provide a safe space for candles and other relaxing bathroom features without any risk of setting nearby items on fire. Not all shelves need to be drilled into your wall; for example, certain shower shelves can be attached to the wall with suction cups and provide a home for your soap. Just remember that suction cups can be notoriously unreliable and don't put anything delicate or overly heavy on these shelves. You don't necessarily need to add shelving to your visible surfaces; if your walls are hollow and there's enough space, you could consider adding a small cupboard built into your wall. This hidden cupboard makes a great place for storing cleaning products or personal hygiene items.
There are plenty of under sink storage solutions available today, including vanity units that combine wash basin and cabinet into a single design. Under sink storage is a sensible option that places your toiletries, cleaning products and whatever else you need in a convenient location that can be easily accessed while performing your daily routine. Even if you don't have a vanity unit, there's probably a lot of space going to waste beneath your sink. You can always place a shelf beneath your basin if it's a wall hung unit, with a wide range of under-sink shelves available. If you have a traditional pedestal basin, you might need to put your DIY skills to the test by cutting your own shelf to fit around the pedestal. Under sink storage is always a good idea as it doesn't impose on the rest of your room, making the most of this otherwise wasted space.
We say second shower rail but it's possible you don't have a rail at all, given the abundance of stylish shower enclosures and bath shower screens that are now available. Traditional shower curtain rails are largely a thing of the past in modern bathrooms, with grubby shower curtains widely replaced by easily cleaned glass. If you do still have a shower rail that you aren't using anymore, it can serve as a convenient bathroom storage solution. There are numerous shower baskets, also known as caddies, that are designed to to hang from your rail and provide a neat place to keep your shampoo, conditioner and whichever other products you use while in the shower. There are also certain shampoo brands with bottles that are designed to hang from your shower rail, so these can be easily stored. Just make sure that anything you hang from your rail is secure; the last thing you want is a metal basket full of shampoo bottles falling on your foot.
A magnetic board is usually found in a bedroom or study, somewhere to place pieces of paper without piercing them with pins. These boards often contain a layer of metal and then have small magnets placed on them to hold objects in place. To be useful in your bathroom, you'll want the type of magnetic board that can attract magnetic objects, as opposed to a metal board for magnets to be attached to. The benefit of having a large, flat magnet on your wall is that it makes a great place to store any metallic objects. These metallic items will usually include cosmetic cases and small pieces such as scissors and nail clippers. By mounting your magnetic board near your wash basin or any other mirror, you can ensure that your important items are somewhere easily accessible and are well organised. It's a good idea to place your board some distance away from your bathtub or shower enclosure, to reduce the amount of water vapour these metallic items will be exposed to.
If you don't have an airing cupboard or an abundance of shelf space, installing multiple towel rails can offer a convenient way of storing towels and some other items. If you don't already have a heated towel rail, whether it's part of your central heating, electric or both, it's definitely a worthwhile investment to get one. Even if you do already have a heated rail, it might still be worth getting one or two more non heated rails, simply to have more space to hang wet towels without needing to place them on radiators, which is a potential hazard. With a few towel rails in your bathroom, you'll have plenty of space for all the towels, flannels and wet clothes you produce throughout the year.
A wide range of different storage options, including vanity units, cabinets and freestanding cupboards, can be found in the furniture section at HeatandPlumb.com
