Bathrooms are notorious for lacking proper storage, so you'll often have to get creative with DIY bathroom shelf ideas to tidy your toiletries. Installing or utilizing existing shelves is the easiest way to maximize storage space without crowding a room, and there are easy ways to blend them with the decor scheme. Depending on the bathroom size you're currently working with, you can dedicate an entire wall to storage or place a single small shelf in just the right spot.

Bathroom shelves can hold everything from daily essentials like skincare serums and washcloths to decorative items like fresh flowers or framed artwork. We share our best bathroom shelf ideas to inspire your creative storage solutions.

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Install Built-In Shelves

Annie Schlecther

A framed walk-in shower often has unused wall space next to it, making it ideal for adding tall built-in shelves. Try using matching hyacinth baskets to neatly store soaps and hair accessories. These baskets not only provide a tidy storage solution but also add a bit of luxury to the bathroom. White towels can enhance a minimalist aesthetic, maintaining a clean and uncluttered look.

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Keep It Simple and Functional

ADAM ALBRIGHT 

For a minimalist look, consider installing plain wood floating shelves. Adding a metal accent can create visual interest while providing a spot to hang hand towels. Arrange practical items like an apothecary jar of cotton balls, an elegant soap dish, and neatly folded towels within easy reach without overwhelming your countertops. Try a vase of fresh flowers to add a pop of color and life into the space. 

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Carve Out a Niche

Marty Baldwin

If you're designing a new bathroom or remodeling, use a section of the framing to create a spot for towels. This tucked-away bathroom shelf idea adds storage without sacrificing any square footage. A couple of small shelves are all you need to stack extra towels and washcloths for guests. The colorful designs add flair to the simple white-tiled wall.

Get Rolling

Ann VanderWiel Wilde

A tiered cart on wheels provides ample space to place all your toiletries, from a jar of soap bars to a basket of toilet paper. Since it's mobile, this storage solution can be moved to various bathroom corners if needed. This bathroom shelf idea works well for rentals where storage is limited, but adding built-in cabinets or shelves isn't possible.

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Keep Toiletries Hidden

Werner Segarra Photography

If you’re not a fan of visual clutter, try hiding shelves behind a door. A cabinet embedded into the bathroom wall camouflages bath time essentials while keeping them within reach when you’re stepping out of the tub. As a bonus, this textured cabinet door adds visual interest to the wall rather than a standard option.

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Take Advantage of Every Inch

Kim Cornelison

A sliver of empty wall space next to the bathroom sink can become a beautiful built-in bathroom shelf idea and an opportunity to add decor. Here, the narrow open shelves display blue and white beach decor and tightly folded bath towels. Use narrow spaces like these thoughtfully to maximize the limited space while keeping it attractive.

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Employ Furniture for Storage

Julie Soefer

Make a statement bathroom shelf idea by bringing in an oversized vintage cabinet and placing it on a wall near the bathtub. Keep matching towels on the shelves with glass front doors, and tuck away miscellaneous items in the bottom cabinets. If you can't find a vintage piece that fits your space, use a newer one and distress it to look like an antique.

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Hang Farmhouse-Style Open Shelving

Jay Wilde

Install a pair of short shelves just above the toilet to add extra storage to a small bathroom. Stick to a rustic theme by including earthy elements and neutral folded towels. Bring nature into the room with an easy-care plant. When shopping for shelves over the toilet, ensure they don't extend out so far that people will bump their heads.

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Hide the Hamper

Cameron Sadeghpour

If you don't have space for it in your closet, store your hamper in the bathroom where it can collect dirty clothes. A tall built-in shelving unit in the bathroom is the ideal space to slide in a hamper that would otherwise be in the way. If you have the room, use separate hampers for towels and clothes to make laundry day easier.

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Maximize Vanity Space

Christina Schmidhofer Photography

Similar to your bedroom, your bathroom should be a sanctuary of sorts. Make it a place to pamper yourself by installing a vanity with built-in storage. Organize makeup and skincare products within the drawers and arrange towels and pretty storage containers on the open shelves. Use the lower cabinets to store toilet paper, tissues, personal care items, and other daily necessities.

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Incorporate Over-the-Sink Shelving

Stacy Zarin Goldberg Photography 

Elevate your space with a ledge that lines a bathroom wall. This bathroom shelf idea is especially helpful if you have a pedestal or wall-mounted sink that leaves you with minimal counter or vanity storage. In this powder room, the shelf holds a mirror so guests can check their hair and makeup.

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Create a Purposeful Niche

Lisa Romerein Photography

If you have a small empty nook in the bathroom, don't let the storage space go to waste. Provide it with a purpose by utilizing a floating shelf for both decorative and storage items in lieu of cluttering up the countertops. A bathroom is a great place to get creative and show off personality, as seen with this bug-themed wallpaper.

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Use Every Bit of Wall Space

PANICHGUL STUDIOS 

Hang a multi-level shelving unit above the toilet for a simple yet stylish solution. Assign a use to each level and shoot for storage containers in cohesive colors, sizes, and shapes. Use every bit of space in a bathroom, including empty wall space, to get as much storage as possible.

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Annex Space Under the Slope

Robert Peterson

Add substantial storage in a bathroom corner by way of built-in shelves, even if it's under a sloped ceiling. Place shelf heights at different distances to make space for anything you'd like to keep out of the way. Keep heavier items lower down so they aren't too cumbersome to move.

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Update Beaded Board with a Shelf

John Gruen

While a beaded-board wall just behind a clawfoot bathtub is primarily a design statement, you can give an extra edge by attaching a shelf to the top of the wainscoting. Corral a few candles and a vase of fresh flowers to turn bath nights into a true spa experience.

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Frame Shelves for Detail

Alisa Bovino

An upgraded bathroom shelf idea is to install frame molding on a blank wall. Within the frame, include a couple of shelves held up by elegant gold brackets to store a basket of extra hand towels and charming decor pieces. These petite pieces add just enough details to make an otherwise blank space a design feature.

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Sneak in Slim Storage

PANICHGUL STUDIOS 

An inexpensive and versatile fix for small spaces is to bring in a narrow rolling cart organizer. It can slide out from the thin gap between the sink and toilet while keeping your hair tools and beauty products within arm's reach. Simply slide it back in place when you're done using what you need.

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Lean Into Ladder Shelving

ADAM ALBRIGHT 

A wood ladder bookcase is a bathroom shelf idea that provides ample storage space without taking up much floor space. Due to its frame, you can keep a variety of items on it. Store oversized bath sheets on the largest bottom shelf, while small jars of cotton balls are best kept toward the top. The open slats keep the shelving from looking too clunky in this light and bright bathroom.

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Keep a Modern Look

Adam Albright

A set of sleek black and gold shelves floating on an empty bathroom wall adds a contemporary look as well as a functional benefit. Prop a few framed pieces of minimalist art on top, plus a single jar containing your everyday makeup brushes. Whenever you can, take advantage of outdoor light and add greenery to a bathroom.

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Inset Shelving for Bath Essentials

Anthony-Masterson 

Decant bath oils and salts in ornate bottles and apothecary jars before arranging them onto shelves within a wall niche above the tub. This saves space in your vanity or bathroom closet, and they’ll be close by when it’s time to wind down with a long, hot soak.

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Stock Your Shower with Shelving

Stacey Brandford

Similarly, you can include a niche inside a walk-in shower instead of on the bathroom wall. These small bathroom shelf ideas are inexpensive to install and provide much-needed storage for shampoo, conditioner, and body wash that are otherwise cumbersome to keep orderly. Measure your favorite bottles of products to plan the height you need for the shelves, and add two smaller ones instead of one large one for extra storage.

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Accent a Wall with Storage

EDMUND BARR 

The corner of this bathroom has a Mediterranean feel, thanks to the patterned wallpaper and artisan vases. On the middle shelf, a neat towel stack with an accompanying dry brush encourages self-care no matter where you are in the world.

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Use Glass Shelves for an Open Look

Edmund Barr

Open glass shelving in this bathroom closet only adds to the space's sophistication. To keep storage simple, neatly fold coordinating towels onto them and then place a high-quality hamper at the bottom.

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Combine Wall and Countertop Storage

Edmund Barr

All surface space is valuable, especially in a bathroom. Have floating shelves installed above a countertop and create the ultimate oasis. Keep towels rolled like you would see at the day spa, and use vintage clear jars to organize sponges and soaps.

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Look Down for More Storage

Jared Kuzia

Don’t disregard a lower vanity shelf as wasted space. Use the open area to your advantage and line up matching baskets stuffed with extra toilet paper rolls, towels, or hair tools so they’re always readily available. Container storage is an excellent way to stash more items without overloading the bathroom with products.

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Hang a Shelf Between the Mirror and Sink

Kim Cornelison

Even the smallest bathrooms have room to squeeze in a storage shelf. This wall-mounted shelf has a dowel to hold towels and enough surface area to hold the basics. Tuck it between the sink and mirror. Painting it a similar shade to the wall helps it blend in, a handy trick in a small room.