No matter how big your bathroom is, it’s a room in the house where lots of things get stored: toilet paper, q-tips, towels, soaps, sometimes makeup, even (in our house at least) laundry, and an all and sundry array of other items. Since it’s usually a relatively smaller area of the house, it’s essential to keep things in their places. Since it’s also a room where we clean our bodies, it can get a bit mucky and dirty, so keeping it organized and tidy is imperative.
In a farmhouse bathroom, storage options can be limited. Again, as we’ve discussed before, many original farmhouses were built with a rather primitive indoor bathroom or with no bathroom at all. Although I’m assuming your house has been updated with a bathroom to meet today’s standards, you may still be dealing with a somewhat sparse space, perhaps with a clawfoot tub, pedestal sink, and not a built-in cabinet to speak of. Bathrooms are an area of an original farmhouse where we can get very creative with our storage solutions. Read on for some cute and functional ideas.
The One Cabinet
Does your bathroom come with at least one cabinet? If so, this can be where you store the less attractive items, including the extra toilet paper, the bathroom cleaning supplies, and the corded things like your hairdryer, curling iron, and the electric razor. If your bathroom is void of cabinetry, it’s time to splurge a little on an antique free-standing cabinet that offers storage options for all of these items and then some. Remember to use the inside of your cabinet doors to hang over-the-door storage racks to store the hairdryer, brush, and other things. Find some stand-alone shelving that you can stack in your cabinet, adding extra shelf layers and more storage capacity. Don’t let any space inside your cabinet go to waste! That said, keep it organized! Don’t just throw the toothpaste and some brushes onto a shelf and call it good – make sure that when you open up your cabinet, you see a pleasant, organized area.
Above the Toilet
Use the space above the toilet! It’s a great spot to add shelving of one form or another and can be an additional spot to store the toilet paper and display some of the better-looking items in your bathroom (a plant too!) or even a location to store extra hand towels. A towel rod above the toilet can work, too – just be careful the towel doesn’t fall into the toilet (ewww).
A Ladder Shelf
For some reason, a ladder shelf works beautifully in a bathroom. Our ladder shelf is a bit of a workhorse because it’s the only shelving in our bathroom. I had placed a plant on it but realized soon enough that we needed those shelves for storage and not for showing off the pretty foliage.
Look Up
Another good option for shelving is above the window or simply up near the ceiling (if you don’t have a window). If you’re running low on storage in other areas of the house, this can be a great spot to place some bins of toilet paper, tissue, and extra toothpaste or shaving creams.
Hang Hooks
There’s nothing like a good hook in a bathroom. Behind the door, attached to the wall, or a couple “S” hooks hung on a towel rack. The bathroom is a place to hook things. Towels, clothes that aren’t ready for the laundry but not necessarily foldable, a robe, pajamas. Stick with metal or brass hooks that can withstand the bathroom’s humidity (rather than something made of wood). And don’t shy away from Command hooks just because they’re plastic. There are Command hooks designed for everything you can think of, including hooks to hold spray bottles, brushes, and towels.
Use a Tray
Keep the bathroom counter somewhat organized with a small tray containing hand soap, tiny cups of q-tips and cotton balls, and maybe even a scented candle. This also makes the bathroom look a little less “bathroomy” while still giving an orderly, clean vibe.
Baskets
I love baskets and use them for everything. The bathroom is a prime spot to store extra towels in baskets. Rolling a towel up takes less time than folding, and tucking a few matching rolled towels into a basket in the bathroom is practical and charming.
I’m sure you have some clever bathroom storage ideas of your own! Do share in the comments section below.
