30 Ways to Store More in Your Bath

Repeating a good idea is a smart move in a bathroom short on space. Flank a pedestal sink with identical storage towers. For a family bathroom, designate a section of the cabinets to each family member.

For the best-dressed storage options, use furniture. Turn a dresser into a vanity. Protect the wood from possible water damage with polyurethane. You'll lose some storage room inside the dresser to plumbing, so recess pipes and use a wall-mount faucet, if needed, to gain space. Or, install a shelf between the medicine cabinet and vanity to add back storage.

Repurpose a coat rack from an entryway as a towel rack in your bathroom. The slender solution takes up minimal space and can hold several towels at once.

Reclaim storage lost in a change to stylish pedestal sinks by adding a substantial hutch. A tall hutch like this one offers double the storage. Or, if you?re looking to add in some counter space, use a sink-height hutch.

Make use of extra wall space. Hang a box with a strong leather strap from two hooks and fill with rolled towels and toiletries.

Although narrow, these slender cabinets are a storage must-have in a small bathroom. The drawers are perfect for stashing toiletries, washcloths, hair dryers, and more. Designate a drawer for each primping task -- one drawer for makeup and skin care, another for flat irons and brushes, etc.

Create a bath compote to organize small bottles and grooming tools. Adhere a candlestick to the middle of a dinner plate, then top the candlestick with a coordinating salad plate. Use clear-drying ceramic glue for best results.

Exercise your DIY skills and install a second medicine cabinet. Recess a cabinet into the wall between studs and use it to stash toiletries and other bathroom extras. The extra cabinet takes up little space but is a storage perk for any small bathroom.

If you keep your extra towels outside the bathroom, be sure to keep a few towels on hand in the bathroom. For a space-smart way to stock your bathroom with towels, roll up a few and tuck into a cloth basket.

Combine traditional bathroom solutions (a towel bar) with a storage tool borrowed from the office. Tuck towels into a wall-mounted magazine rack.

Try over-the-toilet options in small spaces. Cabinets and shelves can occupy space over the toilet without interfering with its use. Allow enough clearance between the shelf and toilet to remove the tank lid for repairs.

Don't lose an inch of storage in your bathroom cabinet. Use over-the-door hooks to hang towels and install a pullout drawer on tracks inside the cabinet. Corral other items in baskets or pin to keep everything organized.

With the look and function of a cabinet, this storage unit doesn't take up an inch of floor space. The cabinet is recessed into the wall to boost storage in a small bathroom with no extra floor space and is topped with molding to add character.

Look down for untapped storage potential. A console unit is a great choice to take the place of a traditional vanity, but it can sacrifice storage space. Look for console styles with handy shelves, towel bars, or other storage features.

Give new life to an old dresser or cabinetry drawer. Line the inside with pretty paper and use picture-hanging hardware to hang the drawer on the wall. This drawer has a handy built-in divider that doubles as a second shelf. Screw in a cup hook along the bottom of the "shelf" to hang items from.

Especially in small bathrooms, niches provide much-needed storage space without invading elbowroom. Partial walls that enclose plumbing and the space between wall studs are prime candidates for this type of storage.

An underused shelving unit from a living room or bedroom can find new purpose in a bathroom. Stack folded towels along the lower shelves and display decorative accessories. Or, place the shelves near a sink and use the top as extra counter space.

Install pullout shelves for cabinet interiors so all necessities stay orderly and viewable. Here, even a narrow space can be put to work with a pullout -- this one is on top of a vanity, positioned for easy access.

When square footage is at a minimum, look up to maximize storage. Rather than outfit this nook with a wall-to-wall vanity, part of the space is occupied by a tall storage tower of drawers for organizing toiletries and bath necessities.

Use a lazy Susan to corral and organize medicines and pill bottles. Install a push-light nearby to illuminate the space and make reading the bottle labels a breeze.

Make the most of vertical space behind closed doors. You might have more storage options than you realize -- try additional shelves, racks, hooks, and hanging baskets on the back of existing vanity or closet doors.

Provide storage near a pedestal sink by using freestanding drawer and shelf units. Or, bring in a chest or small armoire to hold towels, soaps, and cosmetics. Here, a tower-style shelving unit takes up little storage space while providing big-time storage space for towels and toiletries.

Choose cabinets with a built-in hamper feature. Even better is a hamper that can be easily removed to allow you to tote laundry to your washer and dryer.

Keep in step with a cottage-style bathroom and install a vintage-inspired shelf above a sink. A dowel that spans the bottom of this shelf is a perfect place to hang a hand towel.

Even the smallest of bathrooms can get a storage boost with a narrow console table. Try a slender bookcase designed for DVDs or CDs to organize toiletries.

Make use of awkward angles by filling them with corner shelf units. Here, a corner cabinet sits on the countertop, making the most out of a problematic space. Also, consider open shelves, which help your bathroom look more spacious.

Shelves, wall-hung cabinets, and window seats offer plenty of storage with a small footprint. Clothes hooks are also handy ways to boost storage.

To make use of space inside existing cabinets, install extra brackets to hold additional shelves, which can be cut to fit at most hardware stores. Here, step-back shelves fit easily under a vanity and around the J-bend pipe for undersink plumbing. The shelves can be lifted out and toted to where they are needed.

If you have room in the bathroom, freestanding pieces of furniture offer the most flexibility when it comes to storing bath necessities. Here, an old-fashioned pharmacy cabinet with a fresh coat of fun paint offers glass-front display and storage space on top and closed storage in the drawers and cabinet below.

Give each family member a personal tote. For a family bathroom, each member can store bathroom basics in a fabric or plastic tote, which can be stored in a bedroom or linen closet after use.