Small Bathroom Storage Ideas: Medicine Cabinets, Over-the-Toilet Units, Shelves and Slim Linen Cabinets

In a small bathroom, add storage on the walls before you add anything to the floor. Start with a medicine cabinet over the sink, then use the wall above the toilet for shelves, a wall cabinet or an over-the-toilet unit. If there's still floor to spare, a narrow linen cabinet, 12 to 14 inches wide, fits in a corner or beside the vanity. Throughout, keep at least 21 inches of clear floor in front of the sink and toilet, and closer to 30 inches if you can.

The trick is choosing pieces sized for the room, not just for the stuff. Here's how to plan it, idea by idea, with dimensions to look for.

First, sort what you're storing

Before you buy anything, pull everything out and group it:

• Daily items: toothbrushes, skin care, medications, a hairbrush. These belong at arm's reach, ideally behind the mirror.
• Backups: extra toothpaste, soap and shampoo. These can go higher, lower or farther away.
• Towels and linens: bulky but light. Shelves, a linen cabinet or a towel stand.
• Cleaning supplies and paper goods: heavier, used less often. Low and out of sight.

Often a good part of it can leave the bathroom entirely, which is the easiest storage upgrade there is.

Idea 1: A medicine cabinet over the sink

A medicine cabinet doubles as your mirror, so it adds storage without taking any space. Two ways to fit one:

• Surface-mounted cabinets hang on the wall and usually stick out about 5 to 6 inches. They're the simplest to install.
• Recessed cabinets sit inside the wall between studs, so they stick out less. They require opening the wall and checking for pipes and wires, which is a job for a contractor if you're not experienced.

Size it to the vanity: the cabinet should be no wider than the vanity below and usually a few inches narrower. Hang it so the mirror is centered at about eye level for the people who use it most, and make sure the door can open without hitting a light fixture.

The 20-inch silver glass single door medicine cabinet is listed at 20 inches wide, 28 inches high and 6 inches deep, with a glass panel door and two shelves, a good fit above a 24-inch vanity.

Idea 2: The wall above the toilet

The space over the toilet is usually the biggest unused wall in a small bathroom. You have three options, from lightest to most storage.

Open shelves

Shelves hold towels, baskets and a plant without feeling heavy. The set of two brown wood wall shelves with hooks is listed at 32 inches wide and just 6 inches deep, and each shelf comes with hooks. Shallow shelves like these keep the space above the toilet feeling open.

A wall cabinet

Doors hide the clutter. The 24-inch brown wall-mounted double door cabinet is listed at 24 inches high, 24 inches wide and 7.5 inches deep, made of solid teak with one interior shelf, according to its listing.

An over-the-toilet unit

A freestanding over-the-toilet unit stands on the floor around the toilet and needs no wall cabinet installation. The 69-inch over-the-toilet storage unit is listed at 68.5 inches high, 23.4 inches wide and 7.4 inches deep, with four open cubby shelves and a two-door cabinet. Before ordering any over-the-toilet unit, measure your toilet tank's width and height and compare them with the open space between the unit's legs and below its lowest shelf; email us your measurements if you'd like a second opinion.

Whichever you choose, mount or anchor it into wall studs or with anchors rated for the weight, and leave enough room to lift the tank lid.

Idea 3: A slim linen cabinet

If there's a corner, a gap beside the vanity or a strip of wall behind the door, a tall, narrow cabinet adds the most storage per square foot.

• The 12-inch white linen cabinet is listed at 11.97 inches wide, 17.56 inches deep and 68.29 inches high, with both shelves and drawers. The drawers suit small items that get lost on shelves.
• The 14-inch brown shaker style linen cabinet is listed at 14 inches wide, 16 inches deep and 78 inches high, with four shelves and a corner design, per its listing.

Check that the cabinet's doors and drawers can open fully without hitting the toilet, the vanity or the bathroom door. Tall cabinets should be secured to the wall with an anti-tip kit, especially in homes with children.

Idea 4: Storage in the shower

Bottles on the tub ledge make a small bathroom look cluttered. A wall-mounted caddy gets them up and organized. The 13-inch solid wood wall-mounted shower caddy is listed at 24.75 inches high, 13 inches wide and 4.75 inches deep, and its listing describes storage for bottles, sponges and other bath items.

Idea 5: Make the vanity work harder

If you have a pedestal sink, replacing it with a vanity can add a whole cabinet's worth of storage in the same footprint. Look for drawers rather than one open cabinet, since drawers keep small things visible. Many of the vanities in our bathroom vanities collection are listed between about 18 and 20 inches deep, which saves floor space in a narrow room.

Inside an existing vanity, a few bins, a small turntable for bottles and a tension rod for spray bottles can double the usable space around the pipes.

A few small-space rules

• Keep the walkway. Most codes require at least 21 inches of clear floor in front of the sink and toilet; 30 inches is more comfortable.
• Think about moisture. Run the exhaust fan during and after showers, wipe up standing water, and keep wood pieces out of direct spray.
• Match finishes. Two or three pieces in the same wood tone or color make a small room look calmer than a mix.
• Use the door. Hooks on the back of the door hold robes and towels without using any floor or wall space.

You'll find medicine cabinets, wall shelves, linen cabinets, over-the-toilet storage and towel stands in bathroom storage and organization.

Delivery and returns

We ship to the contiguous U.S. and to Canada (not to Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico). U.S. orders are usually processed in 1 to 5 business days and delivered in about 4 to 10 business days, with tracking by email and free shipping on orders over $120. Canadian orders usually arrive in 4 to 13 business days including processing, with free shipping over $500. Returns are accepted within 30 days for items that are unused and in their original condition and packaging, so hold a piece up against the wall, or tape its outline, before you drill any holes. Questions about fit? Email help@FurniFindUSA.com or message us on WhatsApp at +1 484-459-6889.

FAQ

How do I add storage to a small bathroom with no cabinets?

Go vertical: a medicine cabinet over the sink, shelves or a wall cabinet above the toilet, and a narrow freestanding linen cabinet if there's a free corner.

How wide should a linen cabinet be for a small bathroom?

About 12 to 14 inches wide fits most corners and gaps. Check the depth too, since 16 to 18 inches can crowd a narrow room.

What size medicine cabinet should I get?

No wider than the vanity, and usually a few inches narrower. A 20-inch cabinet suits a 24-inch vanity.

Are over-the-toilet storage units sturdy?

They're steady when assembled correctly and anchored to the wall. Keep heavy items on the lower shelves and check that the unit clears your toilet tank.