Bathrooms

These bathroom storage tips from interior designer Irene Gunter will help you create a clutter free space

The London-based design guru shares her bathroom storage tips to help you transform your sanctuary space

An example of bathroom storage tips showing a white freestanding bath in the middle of a bathroom with a large sash window, a double headed shower and his and hers sinks with white cabinets
(Image credit: Future)

To ensure our own bathrooms are tidy and peaceful spaces, we’ve taken bathroom storage tips from London-based interior design guru Irene Gunter of interior architecture and design studio Gunter & Co.

She has revealed how to make the most of every inch to keep the lines of the room free from clutter, while creating space for everything that needs to be in the room.

Conspicuous clutter is a definite no-no if your bathroom is to be the sanctuary it should. Who can relax surrounded by stuff – essential though it might be? Great bathroom storage ideas, therefore, are a must.

Irene Gunter’s bathroom storage tips

Gunter & Co‘s blog is a great place to find design inspiration for your home. In a recent post, Irene Gunter told her followers the secrets of bathroom storage. Here, we share the clever bathroom ideas that will give you the inside track on keeping clutter at bay.

1. Plan small bathroom storage whatever the room size

A close up shot of his and hers sinks with gold faucets and white cabinets with gold handles below two rectangular mirrors

(Image credit: Future)

Whether your bathroom is small or large, you need to plan the storage as if it’s a small bathroom, reveals Irene. Creating storage in wasted space – for example above toilets, beneath basins, or underneath baths – is a clever solution for bathrooms, whatever their proportions.

Small bathroom storage ideas allow you to make the most of every inch, ensuring you keep surfaces free from clutter and enhancing the calming influence of uninterrupted lines,’ says Irene.

2. Conceal storage in a partition 

A mirrored wall cabinet with shelving above a sink and vanity unit

(Image credit: Gunter & Co.)

If you’re remodelling the entire bathroom, it’s the perfect opportunity to build storage into the fabric of the room by researching smart bathroom shelf ideas. Irene shares a room in which a sizeable set of shelves behind a mirrored door has been built into a partition wall above the vanity unit. 

This way, the storage can be positioned to start low down on the wall without restricting a user of the basin from bending forward freely to wash. In a room with a high ceiling, you can take the shelves high up the wall as well to make maximum stash space.

3. Choose fitted bathroom furniture

An example of bathroom storage tips showing a white freestanding bath in the middle of a bathroom with a large sash window, a double headed shower and his and hers sinks with white cabinets

(Image credit: Future)

Building furniture into the bathroom means you can get bespoke solutions to your particular storage needs, advises Irene. Made-to-measure fitted furniture will also ensure there’s absolutely no wasted space in the room. 

For toiletries, she recommends discreet and hidden mirror cupboards. Take the opportunity to fit a de-mister pad for the mirror for maximum utility. 

Shaving socket sets can also be positioned in bathroom cabinets, she says, and can be combined with Bluetooth technology or integrated with wi-fi to bring you music when you’re showering or in the bath.

4. Don’t forget the laundry

If you’re opting for fitted bathroom furniture, don’t miss the chance to build in laundry bins to keep the room tidy. They’re a personal favorite for Irene.

Consider laundry bins with internal dividers and you can sort loads as you go, saving time and effort. 

5. Add freestanding furniture

In a bathroom of big proportions, freestanding pieces can be transformational. ‘It really creates the feeling of a living space that happens to have some elements of a bathroom in it, which feels incredibly luxurious,’ says Irene.

She suggests freestanding bathroom vanity ideas such as units, armoires, consoles and tallboys as well as linen baskets. You might want to add seating and side tables, too, if the bathroom has generous enough dimensions. 

Sarah Warwick
Contributing Editor

Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor. Previously executive editor of Ideal Home, she’s specialized in interiors, property and gardens for over 20 years, and covers interior design, house design, gardens, and cleaning and organizing a home for H&G. She’s written for websites, including Houzz, Channel 4’s flagship website, 4Homes, and Future’s T3; national newspapers, including The Guardian; and magazines including Future’s Country Homes & Interiors, Homebuilding & Renovating, Period Living, and Style at Home, as well as House Beautiful, Good Homes, Grand Designs, Homes & Antiques, LandLove and The English Home among others. It’s no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house renovator.