Tiny powder room storage?

4 years ago

Hi all, I'm such a novice and need your help. For this powder room, we are replacing that ugly mirror and painting the walls

. Wondering where I should put a towel ring or bar, and I'm also wondering if it's weird to get a small wall storage cabinet type thing to hang above the toilet so that I can put toilet paper and hand towels in it? Something like https://www.wayfair.com/storage-organization/pdp/winston-porter-caril-1654-h-x-205-h-x-709-d-wall-mounted-bathroom-cabinet-andv1941.html?piid%5B0%5D=24072491 or one that has a towel bar attached to it.

Thank you!!!

Featured Answer

Beth H. :

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

Marissa, Ok, now that I see everything, are you up for a little bit of DIY?

You can't love those floor tiles, right?

and with a powder room, you can go a bit bolder. Anew gray is fine for living area, but a powder room? Yawn.

Go with some color! you can even paint your ceiling a diff color. (for instance, black, navy or charcoal, white walls, maybe some bold art, or bold accent wall. For powder rooms you can really step out of the box)

can we take it up a notch? I'll tell you how.

you never gave me a budget. 500? if you can do 1000, you can pick up an inexpensive vanity (prob 30") that comes w/a new countertop. If you look on Craigslist, sometimes you can find some fantastic deals

Even if you found an older Oak vanity, you could prob get it for $50.

bring it home, sand, prime and paint it, add new hardware, and go find a remnant to cut for your top (craigslist again, or stop by a fabricators warehouse and see what they're throwing in the trash. )

this was a 1980 untouched since then, spare bath in a house we flipped about 10 years ago. (has a shower)

I completely gutted this and redid everything (including plumbing, tiling and glass shower doors) for under 3500. The vanity, sink and countertop cost less than $200. The vanity was a vintage chest I found on craigslist. I painted it and modified it for the plumbing (it has drawers inside) added crystal knobs. the marble remnant I found for 50 bucks. The solid marble vessel sink was on clearance for $35! Marble tile found on craigslist. Even the mirrored cabinet over the toilet was found on craigslist. I think I painted it. can't remember.

The point is, if youre willing to do some shopping and DIY, you can turn that powder room into a showpiece.

I don't know what your style is, so let me post some suggestions. (btw, if you got one of these vanities to replace your pedestal sink, it's not difficult to do the plumbing lines. you won't need a plumber. plenty of video how-to's.)

if you can swing a new vanity, you'll get the countertop with it. keep your current faucet, or get a new one.

this pic, budget makeover.

https://angelamariemade.com/100-budget-bathroom-makeover-reveal/

Someone mentioned a basket for the TP,,,,see how they did it in the pic? or just hand a TP holder on the wall.

do some color! woven wood blinds, a little ceramic stool (Home goods!) hang a bright towel, add plants, (more on decor below)

Now, let me show you what to do w/those tile floors. it's a hard color to work around so how about we neutralize them?

https://www.farmhouseliving.com/blog/diy-painting-tile-floors

There are a lot of videos and articles on how to do this. here is one of them^ using Rustoleum.

Some use a good Porch Paint. (it's a floor so you shouldn't use wall paint) Follow the directions and it will hold up well for years until you decide to redo the floor

If you paint it all one color, you can then go over it w/a stencil design, or just do something simple like this and paint some of the corners. (measure and use painters tape for the triangle)

Yes, these were painted.

you can even paint over the grout. even doing a simple white would be a better option.

get a simple stencil and do something like this.

Find an oak vanity you can paint black, get a white quartz remnant, make some wood shelves, and you're done!

if you like blue better, than go that route. line the walls w/simple shiplap if you like

do a blue and white painted floor tile. it's not difficult, I promise.

If you like the pedestal, you can do something w/beadboard all the way up, (a bit more vintage looking)

or partial and do a two tone white and whatever other color

Notice the painted white trim around the window and a nice woven wood blind (try blinds.com)

white and a dark blue, beadboard, roman shade and white trim

no beadboard? then do a board and batten. this is simple. paint white. paint walls a darker color. redo the tile floors with any design or color. add in your wood shelves

super cheap. buy a 6' piece of 1.5" lumber. (fir/oak/whatever) cut it. they will do it at the store for you) get some brackets, or drill a hole in the wood and set it into the wall studs w/lag bolts.

do you have room for something like this storage cabinet? The lights should face down, not up.

tp in basket on back of toilet. they have this stencil for this floor design. buy a cheap mirror on craigslist and paint it. take pictures and have them enlarged for artwork. plants are you friend here.

what a budget makeover? look at this one

https://cottagestyleblog.com/blog/2018/4/3/a-budget-friendly-powder-room-makeover

both of these have windows. this first one, you can make these industrial style shelving yourself for about $20. if you like the subway tile, go around the bottom portion of the walls with it, paint and stencil your flooring tile. I could do this entire room in your powder room for less than 500.

take advantage of your taller ceiling. put a wood shelf across to hold baskets w/items to store, and some plants w/leaves that trail down. paint everything white. add art, new lighting

simple shiplap (cut your own, don't buy it precut!) new mirror light, and you can actually make this type of vanity for cheap.

This is BM Phillipsburg Blue. simple gold mirror, and you could paint the floors. easypeasy

this is not expensive. you have to know how to shop and be willing to DIY.

I gave you a lot of options because you said you had no idea.

I don't know which style you like, so I gave you many.

I just hate to see a good design option go to waste w/blah color walls!

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Comments (18)

kandrewspa
4 years ago
Sounds perfect. If there is room to the right of the sink (on the perpendicular wall) put a towel bar or ring there. If not, you can put a ring between the sink and the toilet, or a bar over the toilet. And I'm assuming you'll also be replacing the light fixture? I can't see all of it, but it looks as old as the mirror.
Marissa Henry thanked kandrewspa
kculbers
4 years ago
Nice choice for storage!
Marissa Henry thanked kculbers
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Marissa Henry
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks so much to you both for your time! :) So reassuring. I definitely need to change the light fixture, but again, I have no sense of style and no idea what looks good. Any ideas?
Beth H. :
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
can you tell us what the floor looks like? (maybe back up and take a another pic)

how high are ceilings?

what color you want to paint?

are you up for painting the wood trim and baseboards?

is it a wood door?

what about a window treatment? First, do you have to have something, and secondly, are you up for a diff style blind?

(You know how to fill those deep holes and prime before painting, yes?)

instead of a cabinet above toilet (because of your high ceiling) what if you did something like this

gives some vertical height, you have a window so you can do some greenery/small plants, and you can bring art to the party

also an idea (this is a very easy DIY project)

what's your style ? or what do you like?

can you DIY?

do you have a bit of a budget to get a small vanity like this one? (ignore the wallpaper)
Marissa Henry thanked Beth H. :
Marissa Henry
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you, Beth for your time and insight! The floor is a copperish color with grayish grout. I think I'm going with Anew Gray for wall color, but if you have another idea, please feel free to suggest away :) It is a wood door painted whitish. The blinds are cream colored. I do need to buy some sort of window treatment. The wood window and trim could be painted! We are going to be spackling and painting as soon as we pick out a new light fixture and mirror. Thank you again!! Love this site!
Marissa Henry
Original Author
4 years ago
Another question Beth - love those vertical shelves, but where would I put toilet paper? Hand towels can go in a basket on the shelves...
Wildcat Blue
4 years ago
Replace mirror and light. Paint the window trim white. Use floating shelves above the toilet. Place a basket (wicker or metal) on the floor to store toilet paper. Place the towel right to the right of the sink if there’s room; otherwise, place it on the left side of the sink. Maybe a creamy white for the walls or Benjamin Moore gray owl which is a neutral light gray. Good luck!
Marissa Henry
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you, Wildcat Blue! When you say paint the window trim white, do you mean just the trim or the window itself too? Sorry if that's a stupid question :)
decoenthusiaste
4 years ago
Maybe you can find/build a skinny little cabinet to go in front of the toilet similar to the way this extended vanity cabinet looks.
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Flo Mangan
4 years ago
Open shelves above toilet not recommended. Obviously danger. There are narrow Ikea units that could tuck in beside toilet. Their narrow shoe storage cabinets can provide an amazing amount of protected storage. Here is just one.
eld6161
4 years ago
I like your choice of the cabinet. At some point down the line, consider changing sink for a vanity.

Both my daughters live in tiny co-ops and have small vanities. You would be surprised at what can go in them.

One stands on legs and my daughter stores her scale under there.
jayapple21
4 years ago
I agree with Beth H and eld. If you can afford it, replacing the current sink (which we can't see in the photo) with a vanity would give you good storage for a powder room. You can find vanities with sink tops for under $100 at Lowe's and even paint it if you'd like a special color. Your current faucet fixture is very nice so try to find a towel bar/ring and toilet tissue holder made of the same metal. I'm guessing that the three holes under the window are from the previous toilet tissue holder which seems like it is rather far from the toilet seat so you might want to move it closer.

Since it's a powder room and not a full bath, you have a number of options for towels. Here's some ideas:

You can put a towel ring close to the sink and add a green plant on the back of the toilet which would let you hang an art piece on the wall above the toilet and plant. Or you can place a small narrow basket on the back of the toilet and lay guest towels in it or roll up face cloths (these make great guest towels) and stand them on their ends in the basket. Or you can place a towel bar over the toilet (maybe one not as long as the previous owners had) and then add an art piece on the wall next to the window/above the tissue holder.
RedRyder
4 years ago
Agree with @Beth H that the current floor tile is a tough color to work with. Going lighter in a powder room is usually a good idea, unless you want to embrace the smallness and go super dark. All these ideas are easy if you’re willing to do some of it yourself. Your biggest challenge is choosing which of Beth’s ideas you want to try!
littlebug zone 5 Missouri
4 years ago
Two comments:

1. After I read the phrase ”urine mist” on these forums I try not to have open storage or towels near a toilet.

2. Gray is yesterday.
la_la Girl
4 years ago
@Beth H. : your post is GOLD 🤩
njay
4 years ago
The cabinet is nice looking, but it may not be deep enough to store hand towels and toilet paper. It looks more suited to storing small things that would ordinarily be placed in a medicine cabinet.
Beth H. :
4 years ago
I just came across a redo from chris loves julia. She said this was a simple diy project, (I think they used Lowes) and they did it on a tight budget. she breaks down everything if youre interested. (but if you like the floors that she did, you'd have to demo up your current tile. if you do it yourself, it's free! Then you can prepare the floor and tile w/something diff. Again, she walks you through it)

https://www.chrislovesjulia.com/diy-friendly-bathroom-renovation-weve-ever-done/

I can't believe this is the same bathroom