5 Ways to Find More Bathroom Space

Even itty-bitty bathrooms can feel roomier with the right organization and storage. We’ve rounded up five ways you can fight for every inch of square footage in one of the busiest rooms in the house.

1. Cut the Clutter

The first step toward creating more space may seem obvious, but it is also the most difficult: Go through drawers, under-sink storage areas, and the medicine cabinet to ruthlessly cull what you do not use.

Look for duplicate items (how many cans of hairspray do you need?), expired products and prescriptions, old makeup, abandoned toothbrushes, and useless junk in general. It all needs to go.

What should remain? The MVPs (most valuable products!)–items used on a daily basis. The rest can find homes elsewhere (e.g., cleaning products move to the laundry area or kitchen; things bought in bulk are stored in a container in the garage or a linen cupboard).

Donate anything you’re not using to a local shelter or community resource for neighbors in need. Win-win.

2. Back Door Approach

In a small space every wall and surface counts–including the back of doors and cupboards. Installing several large hooks or hanging an over-the-door towel rack are great ways to increase organization and improve the functionality of a small room.

Similarly, cupboard doors on the bathroom vanity can also do double duty with the easy addition of a towel bar. If you don’t have much counter space, this might be the perfect place to hang your hand towel.

3. Kid Stuff

As every parent knows, there are no bounds to how much stuff a small child can accumulate –and that goes for bathroom toys, products, and toiletries. A family sharing a small bath needs organizational tools that rise to the challenge.

For organizing bath toys and bathing products, the adjustable Kidco Bath Storage Basket is a genius. An easy place to put toys post bath, it can be pushed to the end of the tub for grownup showers, or removed completely.

Families with toddlers old enough to brush their own teeth, but too short to reach the sink, might consider The First Years Sit & Store Parent Bathing Seat and Stepstool, a multi-purpose stool that provides hidden storage, while acting as an adjustable step at the sink, and serving as a seat for mom or dad at bath time.

4. Rack Up The Space

A stylish solution for finding additional shelf space is a train rack: a vintage-inspired metal rack once common on trains as a place to store luggage. Now, they make a great place for stacking clean towels and facecloths.

Large train racks might also hold a basket or two for decorative, partially concealed storage. Some feature hanging hooks on the bottom.

5. Be Shelf-ish!

If you’ve de-cluttered and maximized existing space to the fullest, yet still lack a place to stash the hairdryer, a shelving unit or (space-allowing) narrow cart may provide the relief you crave. Space-saving storage units installed behind the toilet have come a long way in terms of design and can be found in a variety of decorating styles.

However, even with the newly "found" shelf space, maintain the rule of keeping only what is really used. More space does not mean you need more stuff. Think Zen.

Conceal items inside matching baskets for a clean look, or arrange necessities so they appear almost decorative (e.g. extra toilet paper, a box of tissue, a scented candle, etc.).

A few key changes to a small bathroom space can have a big impact. Remember, it’s not about how much square footage you have (or don’t have) — it’s how you use it.

Image by Purebathrooms.net