Bathrooms
10 Tips To Enhance Bathroom Storage
Published on May 12, 2026
Bathrooms are one of the hardest working rooms in the home, making smart storage essential. These bathrooms —big and small — show off the power of well-considered bathroom design and clever storage ideas. Scroll down for ideas and inspiration.
Inset Niches
Designers know niches are a great way to steal space, and are a less obtrusive alternative to shower caddies or wall shelves. In this Toronto Tudor-style home, the shower is clad in moody grey porcelain, and inset lighting creates a warm glow to highlight products. Inset lighting also can double as a nightlight, to enhance safety.
Think Outside the Box
This Regina bathroom makes use of an awkward space beside the bathroom coffee bar, carving out a tucked-away niche that makes the most of the natural light for makeup application. The ceiling-mounted mirror can be unfolded for a three-sided view.
Mind The Gap
In this compact kids’ bathroom, the designer made use of an awkward gap between the vanity and tub with a marble waterfall countertop that extends down to the tub surround to create additional surface area.
Elongate A Niche
Designer Ali Budd didn’t want a skimpy shower niche in the Toronto home, instead she advocated for a generous shower niche that mimics those she has seen in hotels. She prettied it up by lining it with a raised, peony-pattern honed tile.
Change Levels
The height of the bathroom counters are typically 4″ higher than makeup tables, but you can create continuity and reduce the need for a separate makeup space by varying the heights. This subtle stepped-down vanity table is illuminated by sconces to creates an integrated, efficient prep area.
Maximize Wall Space
This hardworking vanity in this L.A. home is loaded with drawers and cupboards. To keep the look sleek and the focus on the reeded texture, designer Cory DeFrancisco opted to skip pulls and knobs in favour of touch latch mechanisms, so there’s no visual distraction, but the storage capability is maxed out.
Save Space with a Stool
This shearling stool is a comfortable perch, and tucks neatly under the vanity when it’s not in use for maximum flow in this Toronto home.
Don’t Center Your Sink
A centered sink may look symmetrical, but it doesn’t always maximize counter space. For a wall-to-wall vanity, consider offsetting the sink to create a larger, more usable surface for everyday essentials like toiletries, makeup or decorative displays.
Consider A Floating Shelf
In small bathrooms like powder rooms, floating shelves are a great way to store soaps and hand creams without taking up valuable space around a traditional pedestal sink. To make this shelf feel integrated into the design, the designer selected a patinated brass finish to complement the mirror and faucet.
Swap Out the Built-In Tub for a Freestanding One
Swapping out the built-in tub for a freestanding model gave this designer extra space beside the vanity and bathtub. She installed open shelving for art and objets. “I wanted to showcase pieces that are meaningful to me,” she says.