When we move into a new home every few years, some rooms transfer almost seamlessly (usually bedrooms, playrooms, family rooms, etc). Others however (like kitchens and bathrooms), are rarely the exact same from home to home, so it always takes us a little while to get the organization and functionality just right.Over the last few months, I’ve been slowly identifying and installing various organization systems for our upstairs bathrooms (our Master Bathroom and the hall kids’ bathroom). The budget-friendly bathroom storage solutions we’ve implemented are making a huge difference in containing and organizing all the little things, and I am so excited to share these ideas with you today!
Although bathroom layouts don’t vary widely, we’ve experienced quite the range of storage options across our last few rentals. Some have drawers, others don’t. Some have closets, others don’t. Some have in-shower shelves, others don’t. You get the idea. And then of course…our lifestyle also evolves, changing up what we need (or don’t need) access to on a regular basis.
Beyond just finding homes for all the little bathroom things, my main goals for our bathroom storage solutions were:
- Make Things Easy to Use. Items need to be close to where we use them, so we can take them out and put them back easily.
- Keep the Counters Clear. If items are easy to put away, it is easier to tidy up and wipe down counters on a daily basis.
To accomplish these goals, I used 5 really inexpensive yet clever products that can work in pretty much any bathroom space…even rentals! Let me show you everything we’re using and loving!
Stacking Drawers
Let me give you a look into one of my favorite bathroom storage solutions yet!
Anyone else swooning?!? Truth be told, this glorious cabinet was a smidge of an accident, but a very happy one at that!
I originally ordered a few 4″ tall acrylic stacking drawers to go in our linen closet. But I just didn’t like walking to the linen closet for many of the small things stored in them. But after moving items around and realizing the drawers were a perfect fit under our bathroom cabinet, I ordered a few more to fill up the entire space. Now, not only does this cabinet look amazing (and everything is SO easy to find!), but it uses up (almost!) every inch available, making great use of the space that was once an abyss of random stuff!
I love these stacking drawers for a few reasons. First, they have really pronounced ridges on the top of each drawer, meaning each one nests really nicely into the next. They come in three different sizes (4.5″ tall | 6″ tall | 12″ wide); and since each drawer “set” (the box + the drawer) is completely autonomous from the next, you can truly mix-and-match them into any configuration you need (making them ideal for those of us who change/move homes every few years!)
I created 4 columns of drawers: one 6″ tall with two 4.5″ tall on top. Once stacked, the drawers don’t slip around at all, resulting in a surprisingly sturdy arrangement!
I have the drawers pulled all the way to the front edge of the cabinet. This makes it easier to open each one, and also keeps some open space in the back of the cabinet for larger items I don’t use regularly (like my set of curlers, hair dryer, etc). Accessing these items (which I almost never do) is still possible by just removing a single drawer unit from the stack.
I mentioned these drawers were a happy accident in this cabinet and take a look below to see what I mean. Both drawers open without hitting the sides of the cabinet at all. It’s almost as if they were made to fit these stock cabinets!
Finally, the other thing I really like about these drawers is they remove completely.
While this feature would be horrible for children who’d likely just yank things out, I like that I can remove an entire drawer and bring it up to the countertop as needed.
Wondering about my labels? I simply used one of the Toolbox templates, printed them onto sticker labels, and stuck them right on. 5-minute labeling at its finest!
I am beyond thrilled that every available inch in this little bathroom cabinet has been put to good use. All of our items are now sorted, easy-to-find, and completely accessible…and since this entire arrangement is modular and changeable, we should be able to make it work in future homes too!
Psssssst – I just used these same acrylic drawers in a bathroom closet project too! See it here: Top Tips for a Perfectly Organized Bathroom Closet (That Looks Great Too!)
Portable Caddy
This next solution was a bit of a surprise to me, but I am loving the simple functionality. I first found this plain caddy in the Target Dollar Spot and scooped it up to possibly use in Henry’s homeschool space. Right when I determined we didn’t need it, I was growing really exasperated with my personal items spread all over our bathroom counter. See…we don’t use our tiny, middle bathroom drawers because 1) they don’t hold things in a tidy, usable way; and 2) the baby empties them out…daily.
So on a whim, I grabbed the caddy from the return pile and loaded in my daily personal items. I haven’t unloaded it since! Now, everything I use morning and night is immediately available, out of reach from the baby, and easy to load/unload…ultimately keeping our counters clear and easy to wipe down!
Corner Shower Baskets
Our corner shower has a single pie-shaped shelf to hold products (not shown). Since both my husband and I, as well as the boys sometimes, use this shower, a single shelf wasn’t cutting it at all.As such, the base of the shower was constantly littered with bottles and containers…driving me mildly mad. When I saw these corner baskets (with hooks!) on a flash deal on Amazon Prime Day, I decided to give them a try.
Ummm…I love them. The wire baskets are nice-and-deep, so most bottles and toys fit with room to spare. They are also held in place via adhesive (not suction!), so they don’t budge once you install them. I never knew having all the shampoo bottles off the floor of the shower would make me sooohappy!
The baskets come in sets of 2, so we have the second one holding toys in the boys’ bathroom. I love that the wire design means no more grimy containers to clean out!
Large Suction Hooks
Although our new corner baskets have hooks, we have long used extra-large suction hooks to hold loofas, towels, and other items around the bathrooms as needed. I love that these can hang pretty much anywhere (tile, mirrors, walls!) without damage, making them another great solution for renters!
Wall-Mounted Bins
The final bathroom storage solution I want to share today is wall-mounted storage. I first used the IKEA Fintorp System (which was designed for kitchen spaces) in our Master Bathroom back in North Carolina (3 houses ago!) when we had practically zero counter space. I have long loved the sturdy, durable, flexible, and customizable nature of this system. So when we were having trouble keeping track of who’s toothbrush and cup was who’s, I dug it back out and assigned a cup to each kiddo.
For their ages, the boys don’t use much on a daily basis besides their teeth-care items (e.g., brush, toothpaste, flossers) and a water cup. So each boy now has a set loaded into their monogrammed cup, and the counter remains clear and easy to clean up!
If you are running low on counter space and/or need an easy way to keep items separated out by person, wall-mounted bins or a rail-type system is a fantastic solution. If you’re not close to an IKEA, Amazon carries the Fintorp Line (slightly marked up) as well!
Shop These Versatile Bathroom Organizers
1 – 4.5″ Tall Acrylic Drawers | 2 – 6″ Tall Acrylic Drawers | 3 – 12″ Wide Acrylic Drawers | 4 – Corner Basket Caddy | 5 – Large Suction Hooks | 6 – Fintorp Wall-Mounted System | 7 – Large Bathroom Caddy | 8 – Small Bathroom Caddy | 9 – Metal Handle Bathroom Caddy
I can’t overstate how nice it has been to get our bathrooms (finally!) organized, put away, and functioning really, really well! Whether you rent your home or own, have tons of available storage or none at all, I hope these smart bathroom storage solutions help you create the organization you need to save time and stress on a daily basis!
See You Soon!
Megan
