No matter how big, beautiful and new your bathroom is you will always find the need for more storage.
When planning your bathroom design you should decide whether you want to have hidden storage found in a vanity and wall cabinets, open shelving made of wire, glass wood or other materials or a mixture of everything.
In most bathrooms you will find a mixture of different storage areas but when piecing together parts you should remember to match styles, materials and colors.
A high end bathroom with stone wall and floor surfaces might not look so great with a wire basket clothes hamper but that is not to say that same storage item can’t look good in another setting.
Medicine Cabinet
The most common storage area in your bathroom is your medicine cabinet. They come in a variety of different styles and sizes and can be mounted in front of your sink with a mirror face or on a sidewall with or without a mirror.
When choosing the size of a medicine cabinet you should consider the framing behind the wall it will mount on.
Most standard walls will have 16 on center studs leaving a 14 – 1/2 inch space between the studs. If you want a larger medicine cabinet that will be mounted in the wall you will have to adjust the framing in the wall which could be expensive.
If you find that this is beyond your budget try a side wall mounted smaller medicine cabinet and mount a full sized mirror in front of your vanity or sink.
Another option is a wall mounted Medicine Cabinet that extends out from the wall. This is an option if you just don’t want to deal with cutting into your wall at all. If
You choose this type of cabinet you should make sure that it will not interfere with your lighting. Your lights will need to extend far enough out from your wall so not to cause shadows.
Vanity Sinks
The second most common storage area is a Vanity Sink. This type of sink is mounted on a cabinet which can be very decorative or functional or some place in between.
Vanities come in standard depths and accept a variety of sink bowls. You can also order a custom vanity for tight situations or a larger one that can be ornate like a standard piece of furniture.
Vanity Tops are often cultured marble but they are available in a variety of different materials.
Under the sinktop you can have a variety of different storage options. The basic vanity will have a single or 2 sidebyside doors that provide easy access to the whole area under the sink.
Other vanities will have built in drawers, shelves and sliders that make getting to your items easy.
You can expect to spend From about $100 to $1000 for a vanity set including sink but without the faucet based on the style you desire.
If you are storing chemicals, cleaners or your expensive perfume in your bathroom vanity you might want to invest in magnetic door locks that are actuated by a magnet that is pressed against the door. The key can be stored out of reach of children and is easy enough to use just by pressing it against the cabinet you want to open.
Shelving is also an important feature in your bathroom. There are a variety of different styles of shelving from traditional wood and glass or wire shelf.
A simple glass shelf is easy to clean and can be placed over a towel bar or toilet to store small items.
You might also want to store some of your soaps and shampoo products on a wire rack in your bathtub or shower area. They often mount on your shower head extension and can also be held in place by suction cups.
Shelving can also be added inside a vanity to help store towels, soap and bath tissue.
Organizers
There are a variety of different organizers for your bathroom. If you have children you might want to look at a bathtub organizer that can hold some of their toys and soaps.
The organizer can be removed when not needed and stored out of the way.
There are also a number of different organizers for under the sink whether you have a vanity or a wall mount sink you can find a variety of different storage items to meet your needs.
Wall mount soap and cup holders are also another good idea however you should make sure that they are mounted in such a way that they will drain into your sink and not on to the floor.
Final Note
Never count out any storage idea that you might see for other parts of your home.
If you find a great shelf or item in a stores automotive isle then grab it and use it.
And don’t forget that building your own storage devices can start with parts from premade items. If you want a glass shelf that is 24 inches wide but can only find one 18 inches wide buy a piece of plexiglass cut to size and use the mounting parts from the original shelf.
The YouRepair Store has a full line of bathroom products including sinks vanities shelving and everything you need to organize your stuff.