Design
Small Bathroom Storage Ideas
Updated 2 min read
The short answer
Bathrooms are the room where custom cabinetry most reliably beats stock, because alcoves are almost never a standard width and plumbing is rarely centred. A custom vanity uses the full opening and puts real drawers where a stock unit gives you a false front.
Where the storage is
- The full alcove width
- A 900mm alcove with a stock 750mm vanity wastes 150mm. Custom uses all of it, which in a small bathroom is a meaningful gain.
- Around the trap
- Drawers notched around the plumbing give usable drawer space where a stock unit gives you a fixed false front.
- Recessed into the wall
- A cabinet let into the stud cavity gains 90mm of depth without projecting. Check for services in the wall first.
- Above the toilet
- A cabinet or shelving in otherwise dead space. Keep it shallow enough not to be a head hazard.
- Behind the door
- Shallow full-height storage in the space the door swings over. 150–200mm holds a surprising amount.
- A tall narrow unit
- Even 300mm of width, full height, holds towels and supplies.
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Bathroom dimensions
| Element | Dimension |
|---|---|
| Vanity height | 850–900mm (higher than older 800mm standard) |
| Vanity depth | 450–550mm |
| Powder room vanity depth | 350–400mm acceptable |
| Clearance in front of vanity | 750mm min. |
| Over-toilet cabinet clearance | 600mm above the cistern |
| Recessed cabinet depth | 90mm (standard stud cavity) |
Answers
Frequently asked questions
- Is a custom vanity worth it in a small bathroom?
- It is the single best case for custom cabinetry in a house. Alcoves are rarely a standard width, plumbing is rarely centred, and stock vanities waste both. In a small bathroom, recovering 150mm and gaining usable drawers rather than a false front is a substantial improvement.
- Can I recess a cabinet into a bathroom wall?
- Often, gaining about 90mm of depth in a standard stud cavity. You need to confirm there is no plumbing, electrical or ducting in that bay first, and it should not be a load-bearing element without proper provision.
- What material should a bathroom vanity be?
- Plywood carcass with a catalysed finish and fully sealed edges, particularly at floor level and around the sink cut-out. Standard MDF swells permanently when it gets wet, and in a bathroom that is a question of when rather than whether.
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