Despite its functionality and frequency of use, bathrooms are typically the smallest rooms in the home. Combine minimal square footage with limited storage space, and your bathroom can become a haven for junk. If your bathroom is feeling cramped or cluttered, it may be time for a bathroom overhaul. To maximize the space in your bathroom, consider these bathroom design and organizational tips.
Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall...
Does your bathroom have a plate glass mirror that’s been attached to the wall since the 1970s? If so, you should replace it with a smarter solution designed with storage in mind. If your bathroom is lacking a vanity with available shelving, replace your plate glass mirror with a practical medicine cabinet. To create additional storage space, purchase a medicine cabinet that can be recessed into the wall. Once you’ve installed the medicine cabinet in your bathroom, fill it with prescription medication bottles, tubes of tooth paste, and other eyesores that have been cluttering your countertops.
Throw Out the Old
Most homeowners accumulate too many toiletries, towels, bathroom cleaners, and accessories than can realistically fit in their bathroom space. In order to avoid over accumulation, go through your medicine cabinet, vanity drawers, and cabinets every few months and throw out any unused or expired items. From there, assess your bathroom lifestyle needs. Do you need more counter space? Do you need extra storage? Often times, homeowners find that if they throw out old items and forego replacing them until necessary, the storage space already available in their bathroom is more than enough.
Install Under Vanity Lighting
While this design tactic doesn’t actually add more storage space to your bathroom, it’ll make your bathroom look more visually appealing and feel larger than it is. Aside from making your bathroom vanity appear more beautiful, installing under vanity lighting is also functional. Those who install under vanity lighting find that groping for things under the drawers and cabinets becomes a thing of the past. Installing lighting under your vanity isn’t difficult and, in most cases, can be done without the help of a contractor or handyman.
Utilize the Hidden Space
It might be difficult to imagine where you might find an extra inch of space in a small bathroom, but there’s one secret area that’s easy to access and can be used to your advantage. If you have access to a blank wall, the space between the studs offers a lot of potential storage space. Whether you build floating shelves directly between the studs or actually cut into the wall and install built-in bathroom cabinets, you can add a lot of extra space for things like spare toiletries or linens without having to alter the existing layout of your bathroom.
Get Wired
When it comes to charging personal care items in the bathroom the excess cords and wires are not only visually distracting, but they can be dangerous as well. By purchasing cabinets equipped with outlets (or installing your own), you can keep your electric toothbrushes and razors fully charged and completely out of sight, while minimizing the risk of electrical shock. This strategy is especially useful for families or those with young children, as children of toddler age are most susceptible to accidentally shocking themselves in the bathroom.