When it comes to bathrooms, floor space is a precious commodity, and creating floor space is especially important in smaller bathrooms.
Installing bathroom shelves allows you to organize your bathroom, free up floor space, and add a touch of creative décor to your bathroom.
Bathroom Shelf Ideas
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No matter what size your bathroom is, like everyone else, you probably want to both organize it and decorate it. Nobody wants their bathroom to look like a boring office bathroom that is functional and nothing else.
Bathrooms can and should be an opportunity for you to show off your home décor and impress your guests with your style choices.
And bathroom shelves are one of the easiest ways to accomplish some décor in the bathroom.
Especially if you have a small bathroom with limited floor space, shelves allow you to store functional items and decorative objects without cluttering up your already crowded bathroom
15 Bathroom Shelf Ideas You’ll Love
No matter your bathroom size, shelves can also be your excuse to change things up and try out a new style.
So if you’re interested in freeing up some floor space or getting creative with your bathroom décor, consider some of these fun and creative bathroom shelf ideas.
1. Functional Shelving Unit
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Sometimes going fancy isn’t what you want, and instead, you just need to find a decent way to make storage. And a 3-shelf unit like the one pictured here provides ample space to store anything.
This includes anything from decorations to the everyday items that you constantly have to replace in the bathroom. Especially if you have limited floor and counter space, a shelving unit like this could be perfect.
2. Natural Stone Shelves
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The look of the natural stone shelves isn’t necessary for many bathrooms and probably wouldn’t even look good without the right wall texture to compliment them.
But with the stone tile wall behind this white natural stone shelf, the combination blends perfectly together. You could store pretty much anything on this shelf without disrupting the sleek colors and décor of this bathroom.
3. Open and Multi-Layered Shelving
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The bathroom in this example does not seem to be suffering from limited floor space, but the shelving unit next to the sink is less functional in this case.
The open style of the wooden-framed shelving unit works with the general spaciousness of this bathroom. And with five shelves, there is plenty of room for both storage and decorations.
4. Glass Shelf Above Sink
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The glass shelf attached directly to the wall, like right above the bathroom sink, for example, is a subtle way to add a bit more space around your sink area.
Many bathroom sinks have almost no storage space on the sides or in the back, and a small glass shelf like this one allows you to store toothbrushes, soap, and other everyday items right above the sink in a neat and accessible way.
5. Ladder or Staircase Style Shelves
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If you are not the type of person who would enjoy a plain style of shelving in your bathroom, then a shelving unit like this example could work for you. The shelves are in the style of a ladder or staircase.
Besides looking amazingly stylish, it means even more space on each shelf. This type of shelving unit would be perfect for storing towels if you don’t have a closet in your bathroom.
6. Makeup Shelf
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The grey color scheme in this bathroom gives it sleek and modern energy, and the subtle makeup shelf contributes to that by keeping the counter space free.
Bathrooms like these look great when there is no clutter around, so even just having the objects organized on a small shelf like this makes a big difference!
7. Small Wooden Hygiene Shelf
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Sometimes you don’t need a massive amount of shelf space, like the large shelving units in some of the previous examples. In this example, a small wooden shelf is enough to hold most of the everyday hygiene accessories.
This frees up counter space and adds more organization. Plus, the dark wood color of this shelf blends beautifully with the blue color scheme of this bathroom.
8. Shelving Unit With Varied Shapes
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This shelving unit accomplishes two things at once: it provides a huge amount of storage space for whatever you need while also looking creative and stylish. Each shelf has a slightly different shape.
This is a breath of fresh air compared to a unit with 3–4 equally sized shelves. You can store anything from cosmetics and bathroom accessories to larger decorations like plants on these wide-open shelves.
9. Portable Wooden Table
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This small wooden table is a great way to add temporary space to your bathroom whenever you need it. You can store towels and other accessories on it to avoid cluttering up other areas of your bathroom.
Placing a towel on this table would be especially helpful next to the bath. And when you’re not using it, a stylish table like this looks great as general bathroom décor.
10. Window Sill Shelf
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If you’re desperate to find extra space in your bathroom wherever you can find it, don’t discount the window sills in your bathroom, especially above a sink or inside the shower.
Depending on your window sill, you could have enough room to store smaller toiletries like toothpaste, soap, and even a small plant, as shown in this example.
11. Bathroom Cabinet Shelves
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Many bathrooms have a big mirror above the sink, which is great for visuals but terrible for optimizing storage.
But this example shows that a closing cabinet above or to the side of the sink can give you extra storage space inside of whatever style cabinet works in your bathroom.
And if the cabinet you find doesn’t already have a mirror on it, you can add one. This solution also has the bonus of privacy!
12. Wooden Shelves on Tile Wall
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All of the wooden shelves have looked beautiful so far, and this one is no exception. Furniture in the bathroom with a natural wooden color just looks good.
And in this case, it looks particularly stylish against white tile walls. Wooden shelves like these provide a minimalist look and give you ample storage wherever you decide to install them.
13. Bookcase Doors
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Unconventional? Yes. Unique?
Yes again. These bookcase doors invoke the image of a hidden space within your house, but it doesn’t have to be the point. Bookcase doors are a great way to make your doors function as two things at once.
And your guests will love the creativity. You can have the entire bookcase open or install extra shelves above the door, so part of the bookcase serves as the closet doors. While not technically a bathroom shelf idea, it’s cool enough to include in our list.
14. Cube Shelves
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This example proves that shelves do not have to be flat boards evenly placed on the wall. The cube shelves are a clutter-free way to put extra storage on your bathroom walls in a stylish way.
These shelves, in particular, are nice because each interior is a different size and shape, preventing the unit from looking too boring and functional. And if you need the extra space, you can also place things on top of this unit.
15. Wooden Shelves Above Toilet
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Putting some shelves above the toilet is a surprisingly effective way to hide the fact that you have shelves jutting out into the bathroom.
Because the toilet already juts out, shelves like those in this example blend right into the background of the bathroom and provide ample storage space. You can place objects such as towels, candles, and spare toilet paper on shelves like these.
Things to Consider
Hopefully, you now have a solid visual concept of how many types of shelving ideas are possible in the bathroom.
Once you have a solid grasp of the possibilities, you can feel freer to design a personal concept that blends style and function into your specific bathroom décor.
And don’t be afraid, especially if your bathroom is big enough, to use multiple shelf ideas in one bathroom.
Generally, the biggest takeaway to consider is that bathroom shelves give you the chance to functionally free up some space while also getting creative with decorations and other accessories.
Of course, not every one of these examples will work in your bathroom, and that’s okay.
But don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone and take a small risk. As these examples show, weird-sounding ideas can often look amazing. In whatever way you decide to incorporate shelves into your bathroom, though, keep some of the following things in mind:
- If decorating and styling a bathroom isn’t your thing, that’s fine. However, finding a bigger shelving unit that looks halfway decent will still do wonders to free up more space in your bathroom.
- If décor matters to you, come up with a plan ahead of time so that you can shop around for ideas and have a strong instinct for what will work in your bathroom.
- Don’t forget about your window sills—it is extra storage space without even having to do anything to make it happen!
- Minimalist bathroom styles require a minimalist shelving unit to avoid clutter and clashing energy. If your bathroom is minimalist, consider adding shelves inside your bathroom vanity.
- If you’re designing a bathroom from scratch, consider creating a space for built-in shelving. Built-in shelves give you extra space at literally no cost to any other part of your bathroom.
- Don’t forget about the space inside your shower. Placing a stack of shelves in the corner will give lots of storage and be out of view when the curtain is closed.
Do-It-Yourself Options
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Many of the bathroom shelf ideas in these examples were somewhat complex and would probably require someone with the right experience to install them. But there are do-it-yourself options that you can consider if you need to add some extra space on a low budget. You can:
- Put a small platform or shelf on top of your toilet paper holder—something subtle that screws into the wall or cabinet just like the holder itself.
- If the side of your sink has an empty wall, buy a cabinet with built-in shelf space and install it there. Many of these cabinets are also mirrors on the outside.
- Buy one of those rolling cabinet organizers that can fit under your vanity. It will give you extra space because you’ll be more organized.
- If installing a shelf seems intimidating, but you still want a DIY option, consider buying a bench or a stool.
- If you have any radiators in your bathroom, you can probably make a shelf on top of them. This type of project is less complicated than starting from scratch.
Especially if you are on a tighter budget, these DIY options allow you to get rid of some clutter without stressing yourself about the cost.
What’s Your Favorite Bathroom Shelf Idea?
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Many people don’t realize how cluttered their bathrooms are until they see what a new shelving setup can do.
And bathroom shelves are a great way to blend functionality and creativity into one object. Hopefully, these bathroom shelf ideas get your creative juices flowing!