Different Bathroom Shelf Ideas for Your Next Redesign

When redesigning a bathroom, it's the little details that can go a long way.

Whilst we often spend a lot of time carefully planning the colour scheme, hand-picking the core features and carefully piecing together our bathroom design ambitions, the final subtle details, such as shelving, also play a key part in completing the overall look.

In this article, we’re talking about bathroom shelves and all of the weird and wonderful ways that they can make an appearance in a bathroom.

When planning a refurbishment, shelves are often an afterthought. And, because of that, DIYers often struggle to establish just how shelving could work in their new bathroom space.

By factoring in shelving at the planning stages of your redesign, you can get the very best out of the use of this classic storage and ornamental feature.

Follow these simple tips and ideas to gather your own inspiration on how to use shelving in your bathroom.

Why incorporate shelving in your bathroom?

There's a lot more to shelving than meets the eye. These functional and aesthetic features can slot into a bathroom as an understated design element or an eye-catching feature piece.

With plenty of different styles, sizes, colours and finishes, how you work a shelving system into your bathroom really is up to you.

 

Enhance depth and character

Shelves add a three-dimensional twist to a bathroom, enhancing the feeling of body, depth and immersive interactivity.

For that reason, shelving can work to extract more out of bathrooms with relatively simple colour schemes and simplistic design layouts.

 

Shelving can also be used in a variety of different ways

Whilst some use their bathroom shelving solely for the storage of everyday ablution essentials such as towels, toilet rolls and toiletries, others turn it into an eye-catching spot for decorative features.

Family photos, treasured ornaments and trinkets, vases and sculptures, for some, the bathroom shelf is an opportunity to add a personal touch to a bathroom redesign.

Alternatively, plant parents are using the bathroom shelf to showcase their range of carefully grown and nurtured indoor plants and foliage.

Plants in the bathroom are a superb way to spread a little fresh organic colour across the space.

Different bathroom shelving ideas to consider

There’s no right or wrong way to feature a ledge or shelf in your bathroom.

It’s a pretty versatile and forgiving feature. After all, if you find your shelving isn't working, it’s one of the easier features to move or remove.

 

Recessed shelving

When most people think of shelving, they may immediately think of a fixture fitted to the wall.

However, a recessed style has become increasingly popular and is now one of the leading bathroom shelving trends.

Rather than bringing the wall out, taking the wall in, and using this ‘cut out’ area is a really effective way to bring a sophisticated use of space to your bathroom.

This approach works particularly well in smaller bathrooms where clunky stick-out shelves could make the bathroom feel smaller.

Slimline shelving units

If you’re trying to save on space, slim-line boxed shelving offers an excellent location for towels and other bathroom essentials. Make use of vertical dimensions without engulfing too much space.

Match against your core bathroom colours, or a feature wall to tie the shelving design in with the overall finish.

 

Turn shelving into a feature

Are you stuck on what to do with an unused section of wall? Why not turn it into a practical feature wall with shelving?

Similar to a bookcase-style design you might find in other areas of your home, you can use shelving to create a focal point that doubles up as a storage space for everyday items that need to be in an easy-to-reach spot.

What’s more, if you have taller ceilings, this design hack is a brilliant way to fully embrace the heightened space.

There are a few ways you could create this look.

For an ultra-modern industrial style, choose a heavy-duty concrete-style finish and contrast against dark grey bathroom furniture.

To add a touch of colour, paint the backdrop a vibrant and eye-catching colour and use glass shelving.

If it's a stand-out contrast that you’re looking to create, choose black shelves set on a glistening and refreshing backdrop of white metro-style tiles. Blend the look together by choosing matte black taps and fixtures.

Or for a rough and ready rustic look, fix wooden shelving on a backdrop of granite or dark stone grey wall panels or tiles.

Make use of corners

When space is premium, using corners is one simple and easy way to unlock more space.

Tucked away, corner bathroom shelves work really well to keep the flow through the bathroom clean and clear, whilst optimising the use of space across all nooks and crannies. It’s a clutter-free solution, with big storage potential.

You could choose one shelf, or you could stack two, three or four corner shelves for added effect.

A built-in shelving option

When installing a back-to-wall toilet or a wall-hung toilet, you may find that you need to create a ‘boxed-in’ area to hide the pipework and cistern.

Not everyone can go into the walls to fit these features, so boxing in and covering with tiles or panels offers a straightforward solution.

Unless boxing in from floor to ceiling, you’ll find yourself with a new ledge, or shelf. Rather than wasting this space, why not use it as a shelf?

You could put different coloured tiles on top of the ledge to give this feature its own personality and create contrast between the wall backdrop.

This new ledge provides a handy space for rolled towels, toilet rolls, toothbrush pots or even a vase or two.

Bathroom furniture with storage

Not all shelving has to be visible.

Instead, you could incorporate bathroom furniture that includes nifty shelving compartments.

If you’re drawn more to a minimalist look or want to avoid clutter, there are plenty of different bathroom concealed shelving furniture options to choose from.

 

Cabinet shelving

One obvious solution is bathroom cabinets. These are available in a wide range of colours, styles and finishes and offer a fantastic way to build colour across your bathroom.

For something that flickers colours on the eye, choose satin blue, green or even orange cabinets, paired with a matching WC unit.

Go all-out modern with a range of black, grey and white cabinets.

Or if you’re all about the au-natural look, choose from a vast range of wooden finishes.

Alternatively, you could opt for a mirror cabinet.

Not only will this functional shelving unit be perfect for toothpaste, medications that need to stay out of reach of children and other bathroom lotions and potions, but it also doubles up as a mirror too.

Check-in on your beauty routine, whilst admiring how your handy work has stretched the room to feel bigger.

Vanity units

For an even more discrete approach to incorporating hidden shelving, choose a vanity unit. Just like cabinets, bathroom vanity units are available in a huge range of colours and finishes.

These work well in small and big bathrooms alike.

Where space is premium, opt for a small wall-mounted vanity. This style will still provide plenty of shelf storage tucked away behind the vanity doors.

And, if you have a larger bathroom to fill, why not choose a double vanity unit, with even more storage and shelving space?

Floating wall shelves

Sometimes it’s far more effective just to keep things simple.

The floating wall shelf is a timeless design that works whether you're giving your bathroom a retro redesign or bringing things up to date with a contemporary look.

There are numerous methods to pin them up across your walls.

You could put up one standout shelf. Or you could have multiple shelves at different heights.

If you’re using lots of geometric patterns and lines, you could also experiment with tilting the shelves slightly on an angle for a quirky and original finish.

For a more refined shelving look, glass is a timeless solution that works whether you’re creating a completely modern design or something classic.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for shelving that stands out and makes a statement, choose fun and funky eye-popping colourful shelves that feature ornaments and accessories.

If your bathroom palette is based around natural and natural tones, choose oak shelves, or even incorporate rustic timbers, such as an old reclaimed railway sleeper, to create bespoke shelving. Stack your shelves with hanging indoor plants to create a tranquil and close-to-nature feature in your bathroom.

To enhance the 3D effect, modular cube shelving offers a versatile, multiple-purpose storage spot. Similarly, wireframe geometric shelves are a superb way to bring a touch of vintage industrial glam to your bathroom.

 

Use your window seal

Struggling to find a good shelving spot? Why not use what’s already available in your bathroom?

Most of us do this without even realising it. The window seal ledge is a handy little shelving spot that most people have in their bathrooms. Whilst some window seals go utilised others become a haven for clutter, making the bathroom feel untidy.

Rather than cluttering your bathroom window, consider how you could transform it into an alluring decorative and functional bathroom asset. It’s also important to ensure that you have lots of other storage spots, to avoid overspilling onto a window seal.

Find stylish soap dispensers, trays and pots to intertwine function and shelf design.

If you have a small bathroom, or a small window, be careful not to overdo it. This could block the natural light and make the bathroom feel small and dingy. Instead, perhaps choose one main show-stopping centrepiece.

Where’s best to put shelving in a bathroom?

The answer to this question really depends on a few things.

First up, the size of your bathroom may have an influence on where you can put shelving.

For example, in smaller bathrooms where floor space may be limited, adding shelves to the walls may make the room feel smaller and overworked. However, careful placement will instead give the bathroom a lighter and more capacious ambience.

If you do have a smaller bathroom, avoid putting shelves anywhere they could be bumped into, knocked or in spots when they are just generally in the way.

In a smaller bathroom or a bathroom that has an unconventional shape or layout, consider how you could instead use the corners.

Typically, space above the toilet is often wasted. This makes it the ideal spot for a little shelving. One, two, three or even four shelves can be carefully stacked to create a quaint little storage spot.

 

Where else do you need shelving?

Most people with a shower need somewhere to store shower gels and hair products.

If you have a shower, instead of having them scattered around the floor, have you considered shower shelving?

In a smaller shower, a recessed wall shelf may be the way to go as it won’t eat into your shower space. This offers the perfect cubby hole for all of your shower time needs.

But if you have a large shower, you could fit a shelf that matches your shower kit.

Alternatively, if you have the space, a shower bench is a fantastic addition to any bathroom. Create the spa feel in the comfort of your home, whilst gaining a handy extra shelving spot to keep soaps and shower gels at close reach.

 

Enhance your shelves with lighting

To finish off the look, transform your shelving with lighting.

Shelves are a perfect spot to add colourful or ambient light. Use lighting under shelves, around them, or even in shelving to illuminate walls and cubby holes of colour.