Design: Bathroom storage ideas

B athrooms today are a beauty to behold -- when they're clean. But too often a glamour bath, while great to look at, is woefully short on storage space. Sure, the glass shower looks good and the wall of mirror gleams, but the counters usually are overloaded with clutter and an eyesore.

Here are some storage tips to help corral the clutter and make your bathroom smashing

again:

1Out with bars and

in with hooks

Towel bars require neat folding to accommodate two towels. By adding hooks, you can hang more towels, put them closer together and still have them look neat. This technique works for both bath and hand towels.

2Furnish your bathroom for storage

If you have room, repurpose an old china cabinet or armoire to store towels or toiletries. If it has glass shelves or doors, use them to display pretty containers and keep glass perfume bottles dust free.

3Place only necessities

on the counter

Remove everything from the counter except what you use every day, such as toothbrushes or a razor. Place these items on a tray. This will keep everything together in one place and look neater and more pulled together.

4Rethink your

hair dryer

Hair dryers take up lots of precious counter space, so take a cue from hotels and consider adding a wall-mounted hair dryer. There also are many wall-mounted holders available online for hair dryers and curling irons.

5Install shelving

Whether you buy a shelf unit, cabinet or glass shelves, you can increase your storage by adding shelves over the toilet, above towel hooks and inside counter cabinets. Best of all, items on shelves will be at eye level.

6Restore order on the counter

By using decorative storage boxes, you can put frequently used items on the counter yet keep them neatly out of sight. Select a box or basket with a hinged lid that matches your decor.

7Create a first aid kit out of a fishing tackle box

Rather than take up valuable storage space with infrequently used first aid items, create a first aid kit in a brightly colored tackle box. You'll be able to find everything you need quickly -- and you can easily grab the box for outings or camping trips.

8Customize your cabinets

Install rollout shelves or a double-tiered lazy Susan to create more storage. Most units can be installed in a matter of minutes. Attach wire organizers to the backs of all cabinet doors to conveniently hold hair spray, deodorant and other frequently used toiletries. Place organizers in drawers to help manage bath items.

9Streamline your belongings

Many bathrooms suffer from the sheer overabundance of unused items and half- empty containers. Pare things down to what you like best and use the most to help conquer bathroom chaos -- and make it a point to routinely throw out old or unwanted items.

-- Tribune Media Services