Organisation and Storage Ideas to Complete Your Bathroom Décor

21 October 2021

What should an ideally organised bathroom look like, and how can everything disappear in an instant? All the “magic” ideas are here.

Bathroom organisation has become just as important as decoration. Compact storage solutions and practical organising ideas play a major role in creating an effective space for rest and cleansing. So what should an ideally organised bathroom look like, and how can everything disappear in an instant? All the “magic” ideas are here.

With today's easy shopping methods, vast choice, curiosity sparked by social media and increasingly informed consumers, it is undeniable that we buy more for our bathrooms every day—and the rooms fill up just as quickly. As the tools and products we use multiply, so do the questions about where to put them. Yet getting organised is entirely possible with carefully chosen bathroom organisers.

First, remember that a bathroom made more functional through the right storage solutions does not have to lose its decorative style. Better still, organisation can bring that style to the fore. If you are in the middle of a major renovation, we have ideas for additional storage units suited to your bathroom's dimensions and built-in solutions such as niches. If you want to simplify a bathroom you have used for years and make it more functional with just a few changes, we have suggestions for that too. Let us wake up our inner organising magician and get to work...

We all begin the day's busy pace in the bathroom; in large families, we may even have to queue. If you want to shorten your preparation time, effective storage and an organised flow through the room are essential. It is not only about saving space and time: it also creates a setting suited to your lifestyle where you can focus on yourself as the day begins.

Baskets, boxes and other ways to organise cupboard interiors

When we think of organising bathroom cupboards or home storage solutions, dozens of baskets, boxes, bags and chests come to mind. Before long, the bathroom begins to resemble a storeroom. We certainly need these organisers, but how many, and where? Start by emptying all these storage containers and setting them aside. Our first task is to reduce what has accumulated inside the piles of boxes and baskets.

The first challenge is your main enemy: unnecessary clutter. Begin by letting go of products you do not really need or that are out of date. Set aside quality time to identify these groups. Items you never use should go; those used occasionally can stay. Decide what to store away and what to keep visible. For example, if your bathroom has a Zen-like atmosphere, display only enough towels for daily needs, in a small selection of quiet colours, and store the rest. Or, instead of piling stacks of make-up on the worktop, separate out what you rarely use and leave only everyday essentials within reach.

The most important step is planning which storage containers will fit inside your cupboard. Basket and box dimensions are key to deciding what goes where. Finding room for spare items can help you gain more storage space. Rather than focusing on creative arrangements or grouping every basket and box on one shelf, think in order of need: essentials, occasional-use items and items never used.This brings clutter under control, frees you from disorder and gives you positive energy for the rest of the day.

Vertical solutions that make the bathroom look larger

You have a bathroom cupboard with a laundry basket, but it is not enough. You have bought cupboard organisers too, without success. Something must have been overlooked, mustn't it?The upper reaches of bathrooms are the least-used areas. If you need a solution beyond your existing cupboard, a narrow but tall additional cabinet can help. Choose an entirely shelved unit, keeping less frequently used products on higher shelves and everyday items lower down. Magnetic strips inside cupboard doors can also save you from constantly searching for metal items such as tweezers or scissors.

A hidden opportunity: behind and above doors

The backs of doors are underused bathroom spaces, traditionally reserved for bathrobes and bath towels. Yet an additional cupboard fitted behind the door at whatever depth the space allows—even a shallow one—can hold groups of cosmetics and cleaning products. This frees more room in your existing cupboard. The backs of doors can also accommodate hanging baskets or fabric organisers with multiple pockets, allowing you to tailor storage to your priorities.Shelves above doors have become popular in recent years. Baskets can hold gifted curling tongs you never use, spare soaps and hand towels saved for “one day”, keeping them safely on these high shelves.

Storage in the shower and bath area

Niches and ledges in shower and bath walls are a real help for the products you use while bathing. When planning the bathroom and while tradespeople are on site, consider a built-in niche in the shower or bath area. If you have neither an existing niche nor builders ready to help, a second rail inside the shower enclosure, separate from the enclosure's own rail, can work well. Hooks provide a new storage area, allowing you to hang organisers for all your products without filling the shower area with drill holes.

Open shelves that bring out your style

Open shelves need a little more attention to appearance. If you have several—three above one another, for example—you need to balance function and visual appeal. Think about what you always want within reach, but do not fill every shelf with those items. Add plants between them. In a classic bathroom, an old candlestick or a vintage face mirror creates a lovely visual accent; if you enjoy aromatherapy, an asymmetrical group of candles can look elegant. Above the toilet is often the most suitable location for open shelves. Start at a height that prevents anyone bumping into them and continue upwards.

Storage through decorative furniture and accessories

Natural wooden ladders have become one of the most attractive accents in spa-inspired bathrooms. Leaning against the wall, they offer a functional and beautiful way to hang towels. They are portable, so you can move them around, and they avoid the need to drill shelf holes in the walls. Better still, hang mesh bags from the sides to hold soap. You can even hang jewellery you love to wear on your ladder. By drawing the eye upwards and emphasising the wall, it also makes the room look larger.

Wheeled serving trolleys are another popular storage solution. Their portability is an advantage, and they come in styles ranging from colonial to classic, natural wood to vintage. Position one near the shower or bath, placing books, candles and aromatherapy products on the upper tier and towels below.

If a wheeled trolley feels like too much effort, consider a tiered cake stand. Offering vertical storage in materials such as wicker, glass or wood, with levels of different diameters, it can hold small hand towels on one tier, soaps on another and cosmetics on a third.

A few technological solutions

Now for technology: above-basin cupboards with smart mirrors and cabinet systems with electrical sockets for electronic devices and beauty products are among the benefits available in today's bathroom world.

For those who want to avoid tangled cables and crowded sockets, app-controlled automation systems are designed with users in mind who want to monitor bank activity or track fitness goals while spending time in the bathroom. People who prefer to control life wirelessly from their smartphones choose these systems for their bathrooms too. Today, a single tap on a phone can adjust the room temperature, the volume from built-in speakers and the colour of shower lighting, helping remove cable clutter. To make the bathroom more energy-efficient, you can also install motion-sensitive lighting that switches off automatically when the room is not in use.

Under-basin cupboards with smart lighting also bring the dark ages to an end. Temperature-responsive systems in under-basin drawers are another gift of today's technology: who would not prefer to pull a warm towel from a heated drawer rather than look at a heated towel rail? Finally, a small suggestion for mirrors with clever owners, rather than smart mirrors: covering cupboard doors with mirrors can make your bathroom look more spacious.