People walk into my NYC bathroom and laugh. I’m not a particularly large person, but even I find the space uncomfortably small. From the toilet, you’re directly facing the sink, which is inches from the door on the left and a few more from the tub on the right. Counter space? Never heard of it.
So bathroom storage is a sore subject, but if I’ve learned anything living in New York, it’s that the only place to go is up – which is why our buildings are so tall, and why I’ve become obsessed with an organizational category on Amazon that uses almost no floor space but somehow unlocks a hidden-in-plain-sight area in my small bathroom that I’ve yet to tap: over-the-toilet.
While ‘over-the-toilet storage’ is quite possibly the least elevated, least sexy phrase I’ve ever typed, I have to say, these storage units are actually quite chic. Some are sleek, featuring large closed cabinets that look like built-ins, complete with open shelves for display pieces; others even have grand arches that give way to breezy rattan doors, turning something inherently unappealing into something unexpectedly beautiful.
I’ll be loading mine up with my ever-growing skincare and makeup collection, but even if you’re not dealing with quite the same spatial limitations, these units are just as good at clearing a slightly crowded counter elsewhere, beyond the bathroom.
I’m envisioning one in a laundry room (set over a large hamper, holding detergents and dryer sheets), or in a home office (over a small writer’s desk, corralling paper stacks, ink cartridges, pens, and perhaps the occasional cheeky 4 pm snack).
These over-the-toilet, over-furniture storage units, with their gorgeous custom built-in looks, are, without a doubt, something I would have purchased anyway – but with Amazon’s Big Spring Sale kicking off today (which, by the way, runs through March 31, even for non-Prime members), I am absolutely using this as an opportunity to snag this unexpectedly chic storage at a discount.
Over-the-Toilet Storage on Amazon
Three units I’m toying between below – and why I love each one.
This is the first small bathroom storage idea that caught my attention for its simplistically elegant fluted design, which I was surprised and delighted to see come in well under $100. One might assume it would be fairly flimsy, but according to reviews – at 4.6 stars, and glowing – that couldn’t be further from the truth. This option appeals most to my high-design, editor mind.
Organizers often carry a newness that can feel jarring inside a storied home, but a storage style like this has enough character to exist comfortably in my equally character-packed pre-war apartment. Note that the bottom shelf is actually adjustable, so you can easily change the height to fit toiletries, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies of different sizes.
It feels strange to refer to over-the-toilet storage as grand, but if I’ve learned anything after going down this rabbit hole, it’s that each one is somehow chicer than the next. This arched option features breezy rattan doors, which, given that I’m born and raised in LA, appeal to my beachside roots. Probably the most spa-like small bathroom option of the bunch.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll just take them all home and streamline every room.
Not that it hadn't occurred to me to install some shelves or bathroom cabinets, but as a renter, these freestanding, stilted solutions – lifting storage up and out of the way while carving out low-commitment real estate – feel like the smarter thing to buy during Amazon’s seven-day sales extravaganza this spring.
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