At first glance, adding storage to your bathroom seems a daunting task. Bathrooms tend to be small. You have to work around the current arrangement of tub, sink, and toilet, and you may not want to damage tiled walls by drilling holes for shelving. Situation hopeless? Not at all. In fact, there are ways to improve bathroom storage simply and inexpensively.
1.
Above the Toilet
Don't overlook the space above the toilet tank as a place to store items like hand towels and soaps (Fig. 1). You can easily attach a 4-foot-high shelf to the wall above the tank. If the area is tiled and you don't want to drill into the wall, try a freestanding shelf designed to rest on the top of the tank. Most are made with a white or chrome finish.
2.
Under the Sink
If you have a vanity cabinet under the sink, consider adding a second shelf to the cabinet or on-the-door storage racks in order to increase usable space and make access to items easier.
Adding a decorative skirt to a sink on legs can instantly add storage space underneath, and will hide ugly pipes as well. Use hook-and-loop tape that has one side with an adhesive backing and the other without (such as Velcro Half and Half hook-and-loop tape) to secure the fabric to the sink.
3.
Around the Tub
Shower and tub caddies are made to hang or rest on the edge of the bathtub or from the showerhead arm (Fig. 2). These plastic-coated racks are great for storing frequently used bath items, such as soaps, shampoos, or washcloths. If you have kids, hanging mesh bags are great for drip-drying bath toys.
4.
Into Tile
If you decide to attach shelves to your tile wall, fast-setting epoxy cements will easily hold those intended to support light- to medium-weight objects. To store heavier-weight objects, you'll need to anchor shelves more securely to the wall by drilling into the tile. If you need to drill, use a carbide-tipped drill bit of appropriate size for the fasteners. Mark the location of the holes. Drill through the tile and into the wall at each marked location. Insert a fastener into each hole, and then secure the shelf to the fasteners with screws.
