From Spotlight: Create a Bathroom Oasis — That’s Efficient Too!

8 Super-Neat-and-Tidy Bathroom Organization Ideas

Ahhhh … imagine a soothing bathroom. These organization tips can get you there.

An overhead view of a bathroom sink and open drawer
Image: Duravit

There's a certain sense of calm and satisfaction that comes from keeping your home well-organized.

This can feel downright indulgent in the bathroom, where there's so much to corral, and function often overrules form.

#1 Keep Things Bright, White, and Open

A bright white bathroom with open shelving

Space can be tight in the bathroom, but one trick to make it at least feel larger is to keep the color scheme bright and white.

Even better: Install some open shelving. It helps you use — but still see — every extra inch of available space. So things seem extra roomy.

#2 Tame Under-Sink Clutter with Baskets and Bins

Clear organizers with toiletries under a bathroom sink

To keep the cabinet underneath your sink from becoming a toiletries landfill, use baskets and storage containers to keep the space organized and satisfyingly symmetrical.

Clear containers with drawers make it easy to see (and get a hold of) what's inside, plus they're a cinch to stack — a great shortcut to make things look neat and tidy.

And if you've got some empty space below the cabinet itself, slide some baskets down there too. It was just a floor. Now, it's storage space.

#3 Get Creative With Unused Space

Toiletries in baskets and jars under a bathroom sink

Don't have enough space to stash your unruly cluster of styling tools? Yes, you do. Converting the wasted space under the basin into a sneaky hidey-hole keeps them out of sight but still within easy reach.

No one will suspect a thing.

#4 Create Storage Out of Thin Air

A linen closet filled with towels and a wire rack on door

And speaking of unused space . . .

Attach shelving to cabinet and closet doors, space that usually gets overlooked. Hanging wire baskets creates extra storage out of thin air.

Plus, it helps make all those little bathroom items super easy to find.

#5 Make the Tiny Stuff Easy to Find With Labels

A linen closet with white shelves, colorful storage bins

A designated medicine bucket or shelf might be good in theory, but when you just need an aspirin, who has time to rifle through cold meds and Band-Aids (and cotton balls and sunscreen, and why are there chopsticks in here)?

Instead, cut down your search time by sorting things into smaller categories so everything is easy to find.

You can even do your future self a favor by labeling your bins.

#6 Spruce Things Up with Symmetry

Two sinks in a shiplap bathroom with shelving between

Ahhh, that tranquil feeling that symmetry can bring. It's a classy touch that can also be instantly calming and super satisfying.

Achieve that visceral sense of calm by using matching towels (or alternating colors), repeating textures in storage baskets, or arranging ornaments like candles in neat rows.

#7 Splurge on Built-Ins in the Shower

A black tiled built-in shelf in a white tiled shower

Wading through bottles every time you step into the shower?

Nix the awkward rack hanging from the showerhead and give your feet some breathing room by springing for some built-in shelves (with their own greenery, if you're really feeling fancy).

You can even make it a double.

Two built-in shelves in a shower

#8 Pull It All Together for a Bathroom Worth Spending Time In

A hyper organized closet in a bathroom
Image: ClosetMaid

A breezy color palette that feels blissfully bright and open? Check.

Peace-inducing symmetry? Check.

Easy-to-find, perfectly arranged essentials? Check.

Yup, storage really can be a work of art. Or at least it can help make your bathroom's official vibe "serene and satisfying."

Related: Super-Smart Ways to Organize the Space Under Your Bathroom Sink

Mikki Brammer headshot
Mikki Brammer

Mikki Brammer is an Australian writer, editor, and photographer with a penchant for wandering the globe. She's lived in Brooklyn, Barcelona, and Paris, and has written for "AFAR," "Details," "Icon," "Lonely Planet," "Luxe Interiors + Design," and "Metropolis."