Interior Design

Joanna Gaines' storage tip is the secret to creating a beautiful bathroom

Nobody combines style and multi-functionality quite like Joanna – this is her tip to turning daily essentials into unconventional statement pieces

Joanna Gaines headshot
(Image credit: Courtesy of Magnolia)

Joanna Gaines has just turned bathroom storage into a chic focal point – and we've never felt so excited about toiletry baskets and cotton-wool jars. Yes, the Fixer Upper star has elevated these functional accessories to fashionable pieces of home decor that no longer need to be hidden away in a cupboard. Instead, they can stand at the forefront of the most stylish of schemes. This is multifunctionality at its most aesthetic.

How can you get behind Joanna's bathroom movement? Joanna reveals her bathroom storage tip – and how to transform your bathroom with the essentials you already have. 

Bathroom storage cabinet

(Image credit: Simon Bevan / Future)

Joanna urges you to be experimental whilst arranging your bathroom storage, suggesting you invest in timeless materials to contain your daily necessities. 'The fun thing about being creative with the way you contain things is that things that typically wouldn't be cute, like cotton balls and Q-Tips – you can make it cute by getting cute little glass jars and putting them in a basket,' Joanna Gaines explains. 

The baskets placement is similarly important and should be placed at the forefront of your scheme, for example, on the wall or in a streamlined storage solution. Co-Owner, and Director of String, Peter Erlandsson, also recommends styling these objects on a simple shelf that allows the pieces to stand as decoration – turning them into unrivaled statement pieces. 

Wicker bathroom storage

(Image credit: Future)

'Treat your shelf like a canvas, and create a work of art on top with artfully styled 'clutter.' Not only is it fun to create your own organic and changing artwork from your nick-nacks, but it is a great way to save space. When you lift things off the floor and use shelving as a storage solution, you create the illusion of a larger space,' Peter says. 

'The general rule when choosing furniture for a room you would like to extend it is to use slim-line design silhouettes which provide an overall lighter aesthetic.'

Towels and a wicker basket in a bathroom

(Image credit: Sheridan)

Plus, why stop at toiletries? Follow Joanna's modern bathroom idea and play with other domestic items to upgrade your bathroom to a spa-like sanctuary. 'The bathroom is the place to bring in soft and nurturing textures. They are also key to creating a spa-like feel in your bathroom. Nothing says spa quite like a fresh stack of plush towels placed over a towel bar, rolled in baskets or stacked neatly on a shelf,' says General Manager of Sheridan, Joanna Ross. 

Who knew we could find such delight in our necessities? These designer home ideas have set new standards for multifunctionality – and our bathrooms are forever in debt to Joanna Gaines. 

Megan Slack
Head of Celebrity Style News

Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes, before becoming H&G's News Editor in April 2022. She now leads the Celebrity/ News team. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants.