Vanity Cabinets and Other Ideas for Bathroom Storage

The bathroom often falls victim to the most ironic of home improvement dilemmas: Even though it is probably the smallest room in the house (not counting the linen closet), it is also probably the most heavily used. Not many rooms can boast being used by every member of the family. As a result, it is inevitably the most cluttered: everybody in the family has at least a few toiletries or bathroom gadgets which they store there, most likely with no thought whatsoever to organization.

Without much room or capacity for storage, the bathroom can easily become cluttered and unattractive. Fortunately, there are easy and exciting solutions available for bathroom clutter.The main storage option for the bathroom; one with which most readers are already familiar, is the bathroom vanity cabinet. The vanity cabinets add a tremendous amount of storage to your bathroom. However, bathroom vanity cabinets are just one type of bathroom storage furniture. Many other storage options are available to the modern home decorator.

A few of them include:

Shelving: One of the most often overlooked answers to bathroom clutter. Small, wall-mounted shelves can be added to the space above the toilet, while corner-mounted shelves can be placed in any corner. Shelving attached to the back of the door can provide an attractive option as well, and keeps clutter out of sight.

Wall Cabinetry: This includes the medicine cabinets, often seen in powder rooms with a hinged, mirror front. A small wall cabinet also fits nicely in the space above the toilet, which tends to be dead space in most bathroom design plans.

Free Standing Cabinetry: Besides the vanity cabinet, quality home goods stores and online retailers will also carry an array of freestanding bathroom cabinetry. Common options include linen cabinets, which can hold towels and whatnot, and small bookshelves, which are perfect for holding the assorted gadgetry which tends to make bathrooms look so cluttered.

Baskets: While not a storage option in and of themselves, baskets are the perfect accessory to any of the above. A tasteful wicker basket can be placed on any shelf, on top of a vanity cabinet, or even on top of the toilet. It can then be used to hold small hand towels, soaps, or any array of bathroom gadgets.

The possibilities are endless - you can never have enough bathroom storage capacity. Think about the possibilities of adding some do-it-yourself shelving to the inside of your bathroom vanity cabinet. Its not the most traditional place for shelving, but it's out of sight, yet conveniently within reach for the whole family.Or how about a metal rack inside the shower? That way you can keep the shower organized, or at least keep the clutter of toiletries that's generally in there from spilling out into the rest of the bathroom

The most important thing is just to get creative when adding storage space to your bathroom. Go beyond the vanity cabinet. Every additional bit of storage provides extra home organization, and reduces overall bathroom clutter.