Small-Space Living: 6 Tips for Maximizing Storage in the Minimal Bath
Photograph by Justine Hand Design Credit: Sheila Narusawa
Photograph courtesy of The White Arrow
The overflowing medicine cabinet. The stingy towel bar that accommodates precisely half of your family’s needs. The tub that’s overrun with bath toys. Sound familiar? At some point we’ve all had to live within the confines of the tiny bathroom.
Photograph via Sally Schneider of An Improvised Life
Fortunately, there are easy ways to make a boxy space work better—and feel bigger. The key is to get organized, edit out the excess, and consider these storage tips.
Photography by and courtesy of Kate Sears Styling by Kate S. Jordan Design by Shapeless Studio
In tight quarters, towel bars are space sucks. Consider replacing them with a row of Shaker hooks, which can quadruple hanging capacity and also create a nice-to-look-at detail. Or hang collections of antique hooks at varying heights to create a wall installation.
1. Ditch the towel bar.
Photograph by Ryoma Suzuki Design by No. 555
Say your landlord is so unimaginative that they will not let you remove the towel bar—or your bar is built into the tiles on the wall. Then it’s time to invest in some S-hooks. Hang them over the bar, and in an instant you’ve created a much more useful row of hooks.
2. Deploy the S-hook.
A characteristic feature of any bath designed by architect Sheila Narusawa is a shallow ledge that runs the length of the wall, usually around the entire bathroom. This Shaker-style architectural detail is relatively simple in construction and easy to install yourself.
3. Install a running shelf
Photograph by Justine Hand Design Credit: Sheila Narusawa
When it comes to maximizing storage, many people forget to look up. Consider installing an open shelf over the door (it’s so much less cluttered looking than hanging one of those shoe caddies). Attractive boxes and a few artful objects lend a minimalist appeal.
4. Soar to new heights
Photograph courtesy of The White Arrow
Buy only what you need, and invest in beautiful things that you actually like to look at. Toothpastes and creams in lovely containers can be collected together and displayed (or stowed in a displayable box). Decant in glass bottles and swap out bad packaging for good.
5. Edit right down to the toothpaste
Photograph via Father Rabbit Limited
Add even more storage to your hooks by introducing hanging bags. Or copy this storage idea: a coat rack loaded up with attractive bags and baskets for added storage, photographed for The Organized Home book.
6. Hang up baskets and bags for extra storage
Photograph by Matthew Williams for The Organized Home