Bathroom storage ideas: 5 real projects with smart solutions

Posted on 24th January 2024

Do you feel like you never have enough organising space in the bathroom? Well, you are not alone! Why not get inspired by these real renovations with clever storage ideas?

KBB journo Charlotte Luxford has discovered five inspiring projects to show you how designers incorporate clever bathroom storage solutions into their designs.

It seems we have less bathroom space now than we did a decade ago. But, we also have more products than ever before. This means the furniture we invest in needs to be compact while working hard to keep clutter organised.

Revealing as much floor space as possible creates the illusion of a larger layout, so wall-mounted furniture and sanitaryware have become increasingly popular. Designers are also recessing and concealing storage as part of bathroom schemes to create more streamlined, serene spaces.

Read on to discover clever bathroom storage ideas and max out your scheme’s potential…

Small but perfectly formed

The owners of this period property in Cheam called upon Sophie and Neil Harrold of Simply Bathrooms, Surrey, to help them transform a quirky and dated shower room into a modern yet characterful family space.

Compact blue bathroom with a variety of bathroom storage solutions — With some careful planning, the designers at Simply Bathrooms were able to fit everything into this small space.

Sophie and Neil had a challenge on their hands: the space was tight. The floor plan was reduced to make way for more storage in the hallway. But the family wanted to squeeze in a bath as well as a shower. To fit all the elements in, the designers suggested a fully tiled wetroom.

A clever, space-saving shower screen that can fold back fully to create space at bath time was a great choice. Small bathroom storage solutions came in the form of niches and large vanity units.

Vanity unit in blue bathroom with heated towel rail — The vanity unit was vital in maximising the bathroom storage.

Freestanding bath with niches — The boxed area around the bath creates interest with the open shelf for decor and storage space for bath products.

Playful yet practical bathroom storage ideas

The team at Otta Design was tasked with creating a playful and uplifting bathroom for two teenage girls in a family home in Kew, south west London. As it was a small space, Otta Design decided to go bold and make an impact. The starting point for the scheme is the playful Madame Ziggle wallpaper from Ottoline.

Colourful bathroom with blue vanity unity and bold walls and floors — Otta Design used a mix of patterns and colours to create this bold bathroom. Photography: Jon Bond Photography.

Smart bathroom storage solutions were a top priority. Otta Design created a bespoke vanity with two drawers and an open shelf for towels. As well as multi-width panelled full-height joinery placed opposite, ready to be jam-packed with the teenage girls’ toiletries, this cupboard also stores cleaning products, loo rolls, and toothbrush chargers.

To unify the space and to make the bijou bathroom feel larger, Otta Design carried the panelling across the whole wall behind the towel radiator and boxed-in WC cistern.

Large built in storage unoit in small bathroom — Built-in bathroom storage helps maximise space.

Bold compact bathroom with different designs on the walls — The central freestanding bath creates symmetry in the compact space.

Clever bathroom storage ideas

The homeowners approached Susan Roach, designer at West One Bathrooms Clerkenwell, asking for a fun, colourful shower room that made better use of the linear space.

Susan opted to reconfigure the shower at the end of the room, creating a large wetroom-style area. Through building a false stud wall in the enclosure and utilising the bespoke nature of Corian, Susan was able to create an arched niche for shower products.

colourful terazzo tiled shower with shower niche — The terrazzo shower area has a hidden shower niche. Photography: Paul Craig.

The team at West One Bathrooms continued the false wall along the full length, but dropped it to half-height level, creating a handy storage shelf above the WC and basin. Above the basin, Susan used the Felt modular grid system from Ex.t, which can be customised to create individual designs that match your storage needs.

Underneath the basin sits a bright yellow vanity unit, which includes a single soft-close drawer with a hidden internal drawer. This is in addition to a slim, matching 1.5m tall wall-hung unit that provides ample space for toiletries. The tall bathroom storage cabinet, together with the WC and vanity unit, floats above the floor, creating an illusion of spaciousness.

Open shelf unit near a bold turquoise vanity with yellow grout — West One Bathrooms created this bold design with a bold vanity unit.

Colourful vanity unit and pink countertop basin — The vanity unit with its bold colour adds the wow factor to this scheme.

Simple yet stylish bathroom storage ideas

Lifestyle and beauty vlogger Lily Pebbles (@lilypebbles) challenged Ripples London’s senior designer Jo Sangster to come up with a streamlined look filled with clever storage solutions and practical products. Lily needed plenty of storage for stowing away her collection of products and samples.

Built in bath with niche storage — Designers at Ripples maximised space with the help of niches. Photography: Paul Craig.

The wall-hung vanity unit features several deep drawers, with space underneath for additional storage baskets. Jo also incorporated recesses by the bath and the shower, providing easy-to-grab access to toiletries and extra shower storage.

The smartest feature is a mirrored cabinet, which has been cleverly built into the wall to create a deep storage space without any protrusion. The bathroom storage cabinet even features charging points, eliminating the need for unsightly shaver ports.

Finally, a cupboard above the WC hides the boiler from view. Also, it provides space for spare towels and cleaning products.

Large vanity unit in Lilly Pebbles bathroom — The large vanity unit was created to hold Lily’s huge beauty collection.

Shower with geometric design and hidden shower niche — The statement shower features a compact niche for extra storage.

A designer’s dream

As part of a whole house renovation in Hackney, the homeowners approached Rebecca Milnes, senior designer at CP Hart, with a brief for a highly functional bathroom. They also wanted it to have a nod to the property’s Victorian era. The wishlist includes a walk-in shower, a freestanding bath, and a double basin with plenty of storage, creating a room that feels more like a space for relaxing.

Large bathroom with a variety of Bathroom storage solutions including large vanity units and open shelves — The design from CP Hart mixes practical elements and a lot of bathroom storage solutions. Photography: Paul Craig.

To maximise storage, Rebecca opted for the Duravit Luv vanity unit, featuring two generous drawers. Above the double basins sit a pair of Cielo I Catini oval box mirrors with integrated storage, while a recessed shelf in the shower keeps bottles and necessities off the floor. It has been accentuated with a strip light to provide delicate, ambient illumination.

A modular String Furniture open shelving unit displays decorative elements, plants and towels. It softens the look and brings a lifestyle feel to the space. The geometric tiles are a modern twist on Victorian encaustic designs, recreated in bodied porcelain for its hard-wearing and water-resistant properties.