*Contributed Post
If you have a small bathroom you may be struggling for places to keep everything. Some people go to the extent of exchanging the bath for a shower, as they only take up about half the room. If you want to keep your bath there are other things you can do to make your bathroom functional without compromise.
Wine Racks
The one space that people often forget to utilise is their walls. There is usually plenty of this above sink level, so find somewhere to fit a wine rack. They are perfect for putting rolled up towels, toilet rolls and even a bottle of wine if you fancy a glass or two while you are in the bath.
They come in all shapes and sizes and it should be easy to find one that will fit into a small space in your bathroom.
Over-Door Shelving
The bathroom is no different to any other room in the house in that it will always have things that are not used very often. Fit a shelf over the door, and a couple of baskets on it will make a fine storage area for these items that do not get much use.
You should also look for any small space that you can custom make a shelf for. In a bathroom, even a shelf that is just four or five inches wide is big enough to hold shampoos bottles, extra bars of soap or folded flannels.
Above the toilet and over the sink are spaces that are often forgotten areas for shelving but can prove to be very useful storage spaces. The shelving can be positioned quite high so that it does not interfere with the use of these facilities.
Vanity Units
There can be a lot of wasted space in a vanity unit that has just one shelf in it. Lower the shelf slightly and add a few self-adhesive hooks near the top of the upper area. You can hang cleaning products and any other things from there and will still have most of the shelf space to use.
Some people take the shelves out and use S hooks to hang baskets instead. These are then easy to fill up with things like bath toys and toiletries so they are all out the way.
Look at vanity units with rounded corners. When you have a small bathroom you are more likely to knock yourself on things, and the corners of a vanity unit can put some nasty bruises on your hips. Rounded corners will help to prevent this and help to stop little ones hurting themselves on sharp corners as well.
Hanging Shoe Organisers
Although these were intended for you to keep your shoes in order, they will work just as well in a shower. The individual pockets mean everything can have its own space and the holes near the top make it easy to fit it to the shower curtain hooks. Just be certain to buy a mesh one so any water runs through it.
Magnetic Strip
If you have trouble finding the clips or grips that you know you left in the drawer when you last used them, buy some magnetic tape. It sticks to a surface just like any other tape, but then your clips and grips will stay with it until you next need them. A strip stuck inside a cupboard or drawer will be out of sight, but will keep your things such as tweezers and nail scissors in better order.
Wall Mounted Plant Pots
Wall mounted plant pots are something else that can be used for purposes other than what they were intended for. They are great for storing some of the larger items in such as hair dryers and curling tongues and can easily be fitted in small spaces.
Tiered Storage
If you like to keep your makeup out all the time, buy or make a small tiered storage unit to sit at the side of your mirror. It does not need to be any larger than a plate, but with two or three levels you will have plenty of room for all the makeup you need.
Hanging Baskets
A spare corner can be the ideal place to hang some baskets on a couple of hooks each. They can look very attractive and be a great way to store many different things.
These can be hung from floor to ceiling and will hold so many items you may find you do not need any other storage.
Corner Sinks and Baths
Corner sinks and baths take up a lot less floor space giving you extra room to move around. You can buy flexible shower curtain rails that will fit nicely round a corner bath, so can still have a shower over the tub if need be.
Shower Panels and Curtains
Shower panels or curtains will mean you do not have to find room for a shower door to open into the room. This can be very awkward and mean that you are not able to utilise an area that could be freed up by using a shower panel or curtain.
Hide The Pipes
When your bathroom furniture is being fitted, have the pipes hidden under the floor or in the walls. The pipes can look very unsightly and take up room that could be used for other things. Having them on show will make even the smallest bathrooms look smaller than they are, and it does not take a great deal of work for them to be hidden if it is done at the time of installation. Have you sink taps integrated into the wall as well. This will give you a lot of extra room on your hand basin as well as looking more appealing.
Lots of Little Things
When it comes to making your small bathroom both functional and a pleasant room to be in, it is a combination of lots of little things that will help. Try never to put anything too big in it as that will dwarf the size even more, and keep it as uncluttered as possible or it will soon look very messy and be harder to clean.