A Brilliant Solution for Small Bathrooms With No Counter Space!

Abbie M
by Abbie M
10 Materials
$60
1 Day
Easy

We just moved into a new apartment & our bathroom is tiny and oddly laid out with no counter space & no vanity... We had some existing shelves hung - but as you can see (even with baskets) it just wasn't enough storage....


Since the pedestal sink and toilet were so close together there was also next to no space to add more storage. So I came up with this cheap, easy, solution! Check out the video for the how-to's!

Before icon A cluttered mess...

First, I measured the distance from the edge of the toilet to the edge of the sink. Then, I measured to make sure the shelf wouldn't stick out much further than the sink and that the height was what I was looking for as well!


Next stop, IKEA! I found this bathroom shelf that fit perfectly from IKEA "VESKEN" for under $10.

(They have a lot of inexpensive bathroom shelves to choose from if you have more space than I had to work with!)

This shelf is super easy to snap together. It's 9" deep, 14 1/8 " wide, and 39 & 3/8" tall.

After assembling my shelf, I put it in place! (If you have more space this would also work well by putting it sideways!) Next, I measured the distance from the shelf to the wall & then measured above the toilet to see how far I wanted the top to stick out to make sure it wasn't too crammed.

Next stop, Home Depot! I took my measurements to Home Depot and had them cut two pieces of wood.

I also grabbed some stain and some brackets. (the wood for the top shelf only cost me a total of $15!)

Next, I sanded and stained my wood, wiped off the excess, then let it dry.

After it was dry I sealed it with polyurethane to protect from water spills.

Next, I installed my brackets onto the wood and attached it to the wall. 

I made sure the shelf height matched up with the height of the IKEA storage baskets.

(I did it this way because the space was so tight - it was easier to attach and drill the holes before adding the wood!)

Following that, I glued the smaller piece of wood to the installed top & let that dry. If you are cutting the wood yourself you can cut this all in one piece (and skip this step) but they could only cut straight cuts at Home Depot so I had to work with it icon

I then added a bracket to the side for extra stability.

Next it was time to organize!

Since my space was so small and I had to add the shelf sideways - I needed a bin to slide out the side. I measured and found these perfect bins at my local dollar store. They were actually flower pots that once I removed the insert became the perfect size bin!


I then organized by what I had the most of....

"skin"

"hair"

and "fragrances."

Next, I wanted to add some texture & organize the existing shelves hung above the toilet. So I grabbed some mixed baskets!


The big one was great for a first aid kit and shaving kit.


I added my straighteners, and other miscellaneous items in the others.

To finish off the look I adding an inexpensive hook from IKEA that I already had lying around for a hand towel, and some accents to personalize the space. icon


I never thought my tiny bathroom could ever be this organized!

I now have easy access to everything and my mornings just became almost stress free!

I now have a place to put on my make up & I know exactly where everything is!

I hope this inspires you to get creative & solve a tight space problem in your home! icon

Resources for this project:
See all materials
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 55 questions
  • Carollynda Carollynda on Aug 01, 2022

    Maybe I missed something, but is this your only bathroom? I used to have a half bath under the stairs, 2 1/2' X 4', and 2 others one up, one downstairs with shower and tub. Currently in this house one downstairs with toilet, sink and bathtub. And a half bath (toilet and sink) upstairs. Both are about 5'x5'. But I didn't see a shower or tub in yours. Just curious.

  • Ann41844003 Ann41844003 on May 07, 2023

    Maybe fabric attached to the shelves with velcro to it can be removed to wash?

  • Cheryl Cheryl on May 09, 2023

    Looks great! Talk about a small bathroom. I didn't think anyone had a smaller complete bathroom than we have. So great job! Now my question. Where do you store toilet paper? We, like you, have some room on top of the toilet tank. Ours can hold three rolls in a pretty basket. When you need it, you need it now.

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 455 comments
Next