10 Tips for Designing a Bathroom That’s Easy to Keep Organized

It’s fun to focus on the look aspect of your bathroom remodel, but I also encourage you to prioritize your storage and organization needs. Since bathrooms are often a powerful part of your home, designing them with maximum efficiency will support your life and daily routine. Here are 10 things to consider when planning a functional bathroom that’s easy to keep organized.

1. Inventory Items

In general, most items in the bathroom can be divided into three categories: frequent use, general use, and infrequent use. Divide your project into these groups to get an idea of how much storage space you’ll need for each type. This is a great time to weed out expired products and items that you are unlikely to use again.

2. Measure Commonly Used Items

Items needed for daily and weekly routines should occupy the main space in the bathroom. I recommend measuring the height of these items to make sure you order or design a dresser (or other storage space) so that they are within reach. In general, a 10-inch-deep drawer should fit your tallest items. If you only have a few tall items, deep drawers can seem excessive and result in wasted space.

If you have a custom space, my favorite solution is to build a tiered sliding drawer, as shown in this photo from Curran Cabinetry & Design. A cabinet maker may be able to build tiered sliding drawers on only one side of the drawer, so that taller items can be stored on one side and shorter items can be stored on two tiers on the tiered side. Stackable trays in deep drawers can achieve a similar effect, albeit with slightly less convenience.

3. Define the Purpose

Your master bathroom may be the workhorse of your home and needs to be highly functional. Less commonly used bathrooms, such as guest bathrooms, may be more aesthetically pleasing in nature. As your child’s rapid growth and changing needs, consider keeping your child’s bathroom design flexible.

If you have limited storage space elsewhere in your home, consider using a bathroom for cross-storage. For example, choose a guest bathroom vanity with storage (instead of a pillar sink) to store items you don’t use often, such as vacation toiletries, special occasion hair tools, guest linens, and refills. I recommend not to deviate too far from the purpose of the bathroom. In other words, if you decide to use cross-storage in a guest bathroom, store bathroom-related items or guest-related items in that space.

4. Prioritize Your Wish List

What do you hope to achieve in your new bathroom? Do you want to have neat countertops and floors? Is there a place to sit when you’re ready? Prioritize your desires and incorporate them into your design.

• Make sure the drawers are deep enough so that you don’t have to store anything on the counter if you want a clean and minimalist look.
• You may want to consider installing a slide-out base cabinet laundry basket for a neater look. It takes up cupboard space, but you can make it work by moving the space-taking items to a different location or cutting more items if possible.

5. Look at the Floor Plan to Find Extra Space

Behind the walls there is often a usable space hidden. The professional you’re working with on a bathroom project may be able to review the floor plan and identify hidden spaces that can be converted into extra square feet. If you want to pursue this goal, be sure to work with a qualified professional. You don’t want to accidentally cut into structural walls or interfere with wires or pipes.

6. Customize the Height of the Counter

The ideal counter height allows you to wash your hands and face comfortably, as well as easy access to items stored on the counter. Standard bathroom counter heights are typically 32 to 36 inches. If the counter is too high, water may run down your arm when washing your face, and it may be harder for you to reach the mirror. However, if the counter is too low, you may need to bend over to use the sink, which can put pressure on your back. If you are tall or short,

You may want to consider customizing the counter height. If the height difference between you and your significant other is large enough, you can even add different counter heights. However, it’s worth noting that bathroom counters that are outside the standard height range can affect the resale value of the home.

7. Install Full-Extension Slides, Soft-Close Hardware, And Roller Shutters

Functional hardware is a bonus upgrade and one of the biggest ones. Your drawer can be fully pulled out with a full pull-out slide, allowing the drawer to be viewed and used in its entirety. The contents of the drawer are not hidden, and the drawer is easier to clean. Even if your renovation includes keeping existing drawers and cabinets, most can be easily retrofitted with full-extension slides.

Soft-close slides and hinges prevent drawers and doors from slamming shut, but instead close them softly and silently. Not only does this reduce noise, but it also minimizes wear and tear on drawers, doors, and hinges, and prevents items from moving excessively. In addition, soft-close slides can help prevent children’s fingers from getting caught in quick-closing drawers.

For deeper cabinets, items stored in the back can be difficult to retrieve and therefore can be lost and forgotten. I recommend using a scroll stand in these spaces (with full-stretch slides, of course) so that you can see everything. As access becomes more convenient, we may encourage you to store your items correctly and more efficiently.

8. Consider a Professional Medicine Cabinet

If you have many devices that need to be charged, such as electric toothbrushes, razors, and beauty tools, consider choosing a medicine cabinet with a built-in charging port. Some even come with a refrigerated area to store temperature-sensitive items, such as creams and supplements.

A variety of door styles are available, including standard, sliding, and lift doors to suit your needs.

9. Choose Your Outlet Thoughtfully

To keep your space as lean as possible, think carefully about where you want to set up your outlet. Think about where you can place items like hair dryers and whether it makes sense to install outlets on the wall or inside cabinets. You may even need a charging drawer with a traditional outlet and USB port.

10. Discover additional storage space

Consider leaving as much extra space as possible. Full coverage cabinetry leaves a very small gap between the cabinet and the drawer. Cabinet boxes for full-coverage cabinets typically have larger openings than standard cabinets, which means that full-coverage cabinets have easier access to items than standard cabinets.

If your dresser is hanging on the floor all the time (instead of hanging on the wall), it may be subject to toe kicks. The space behind the tiptoe of the kicker is usually empty. This wasted space can be converted into a kicker drawer.

Another space falls in front of the sink. Many people choose to use fake drawer panels to keep the aesthetics consistent. Instead, consider installing a tip-over tray for small items like sponges or combs.

It takes extra time and effort to think about the design factors to make your bathroom truly fit you. The end result of your hard work should be the perfect balance between style and functionality.